[Solved] How to delete line breaks with global command?

[kirker]

Please answer the following questions, along with describing your problem or question.

Which version of OpenOffice.org are you using:
What Operating System (version) are you using:

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Your question: Is there a global command that will remove all linebreaks from a file in Open Office 2.3.1? And how would I replace all double linebreaks with paragragh breaks? Previously I have just gone back to Word, where it's obvious and easy, but there must be a way in OpenOffice.

[acknak]

Edit > Find & Replace
Search for: \n
Replace with: a space
Options > Regular expressions = YES

That will replace all line breaks with a space.

For "double linebreaks" to paragraph, use:
Search for: \n\n
Replace with: \n
Options > Regular expressions = YES

Yes, that makes no sense at all, but it works.

Obviously, you have to process the "double linebreaks" before you do the others.

[kirker]

Many thanks for the quick response. I would never have thought to check the regular expressions box! Is this something that most people would understand? Also, could someone say if expressions for linebreak etc are given somewhere? I did look, but couldn't find anything relevant.

[acknak]

Is this something that most people would understand?

No--that's why it's tucked away under the "Options" view.

Regular expressions are more powerful (in some ways) than Word's wildcards but also more difficult to use. There is a full list of the pattern items in the online help, under "Regular Expressions".

You can also take a look at this article: Regular Expressions in Writer [OOo wiki]

[Villeroy]

Regular expressions have been around some 20 years in advanced text editors and programming languages.
A dot means "any item" like ? in shell patterns. The asterisc * means "zero or more of the preceeding item". Thus .* means "zero or more of any item" like * in shell patterns.

Short hand tutorial for those missing simple * and ?
- Use .* instead of *
- Use . instead of ?
- ^ means start of paragraph
- $ means end of paragraph
- if you search for a literal * escape it with \*
- same with any kind of braces and any of ^$.*?\&|
- in doubt escape anything but <, > and alphanumerics, since \<, \>, \n, \t and \C have a special meaning in regexes.

Some examples derived from the above set of rules:

Code: Select all

Shell pattern	Regex	Remark
*x*	x	Contains x
*x*y*	x.*y	Contains x and y
x*	^x	Starts with x
*x	x$	Ends with x
x?	x.	x followed by one of any
x.	x\.	x followed by dot

[dutchmarco]

Hi,


Sorry for digging up this thread, but this does not work for me.using OO 3.3.0 on XP. I followed te instructions to the lletteer but OO would just search the whole document, without result, while I can clearly see the \n\n\n. I try with \n\n (one linebreak less) and no luck either.

[Hagar Delest]

You might try the AltSearch extension for that.

[RoryOF]

You need to drop the More Options arrow and tick regular expressions. But AltSearch extension is the way to go.

[dutchmarco]

You need to drop the More Options arrow and tick regular expressions. But AltSearch extension is the way to go.

Thanks, but I already ticked that option, thay's why I was so surprised my expression didn't work. I'll try the altsearch extension, thanks!

[RoryOF]

The regular Find and Replace is limited, as far as I remember, by OOo's 64K character limit for paragraphs. AltSearch is not, because of the language in which it is written.

Edit: Also, I think the \n in Find only matches Ctrl Enter = you may have to use $ or some combination of $ and ^$. I always have to work it out when I need it.

[colepjc]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. I have been looking for this solution for several years now.