How to edit a text file in the following way?

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I got a text file of URLs like archive.org/details/ightrailwaycon00parkgoog ,but i need change any of them to a form like archive.org/download/lightrailwaycon00parkgoog/lightrailwaycon00parkgoog.pdf ,
in which the word "details" got replaced by "download",and the thing after the last
slash got replaced by "/itself.pdf".I need to do that to all the URLs in the text file with the general form of archive.org/details/x.Please help me with that.

What I have tried:

note pad and some text editors,like not pad++ and EditPad.Pro

Posted 2-Aug-18 0:58am

Member 13935422

Updated 2-Aug-18 2:41am

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3 solutions

Solution 2

With Notepad++ you can use regular expressions for search and replace.
See How to use regular expressions in Notepad++ (tutorial)

Posted 2-Aug-18 1:25am

Jochen Arndt

Comments

CHill60 2-Aug-18 8:31am

Nice.

Member 13935422 2-Aug-18 9:54am

Thanks.Could you please tell me how could i do that in the case i explained above,in details?You know,the link you gave me is complicated.

Jochen Arndt 2-Aug-18 10:56am

Yes, it is complex.

Perform the replecment in two steps:
The replacement of /details/ to /download/ is simple, as usual and does not require a regex.

For the second use a grouped match of everything after the last slash until end of line (untested: "\/([^/]+)$") and replace that with
match + "/" + match + ".pdf"
where match is referenced by \1:
\1\/\1.pdf

You have to check it because that is from scratch without testing it.

Solution 3

archive.org/details/ightrailwaycon00parkgoog
archive.org/download/lightrailwaycon00parkgoog/lightrailwaycon00parkgoog.pdf

Indeed a replace with RegEx seems appropriate.

Just a few interesting links to help building and debugging RegEx.
Here is a link to RegEx documentation:
perlre - perldoc.perl.org[^]
Here is links to tools to help build RegEx and debug them:
.NET Regex Tester - Regex Storm[^]
Expresso Regular Expression Tool[^]
RegExr: Learn, Build, & Test RegEx[^]
Online regex tester and debugger: PHP, PCRE, Python, Golang and JavaScript[^]
This one show you the RegEx as a nice graph which is really helpful to understand what is doing a RegEx:
Debuggex: Online visual regex tester. JavaScript, Python, and PCRE.[^]
This site also show the Regex in a nice graph but can't test what match the RegEx:
Regexper[^]

Posted 2-Aug-18 2:41am

Patrice T

Comments

CHill60 2-Aug-18 11:05am

:laugh: The OP can't handle recording a macro in NP++ and found the tutorial for regex in Notepad++ too complex.

I like the graph ones tho!

Patrice T 2-Aug-18 11:33am

Thank you. I particularly like the debugex which also allow testing.

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CHill60 · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-02T01:09:00

Use Notepad++, record a macro on the first line then play the macro to the end of the file.

Alternatively, load the text file into a database such as SQL Express or Access etc and write some SQL to make the changes then export back out to a text file.

Could do something similar in Excel too.

Edit - explicit instructions

1. Load the file into Notepad++
2. Position the cursor at the start of the 1st line
3. Click "Macro" on the menu (or use Alt-M)
4. Click "Start Recording"
5. Hit the End key (your cursor should now be at the end of line 1)
6. Use Ctrl+Shift+LeftArrow to highlight the last "word" of that line
7. Press Ctrl+C to copy that word
8. Press the End key again
9. Type /
10. Press Ctrl+V to paste the word into place
11. Type .pdf
12. Hit the DownArrow key then the Home key (cursor will now be at the start of line 2)
13. Click Macro, Stop Recording
13. Click Playback (or Ctrl+Shift+P) as many times as required or use the Play to end of file option that I described in my comments below
14. When complete use Ctrl+H to get the Find & Replace dialog
15. Type /details/ in the "Find What" box
16. Type /download/ in the "Replace with" box
17. Click Replace All
18. Save the file

Alternatively in Excel
1. Paste your file into column A
2. In Column B type the last bit for the first few rows - Excel will suggest the rest of the fill greyed out (I can't recall it's proper name - something like Flash Fill)
3. Click on the grey suggestions and Excel will fill in the whole of Column B for you
4. In cell C1 type =A1 & "/" & B1 & ".pdf"
5. Click in Cell C1 and double click the little solid square in the bottom right of the border highlighting the cell
6. Excel will fill in the whole of column C for you
7. When complete use Ctrl+H to get the Find & Replace dialog
8. Type /details/ in the "Find What" box
9. Type /download/ in the "Replace with" box
10. Click Replace All
11. Copy Column C and paste in back into your file using an editor of your choice