This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Finding and Replacing Text
Using the Find and Replace dialog box, you can search for any text string and optionally replace it with another. In addition to performing standard text searches, you can search for and replace special items, such as paragraph characters (¶), graphics, or text formatted in a specific font. Note that simple text searches are best performed in the Navigation Pane, described at the end of this chapter.
To perform a Find:
On the Home tab, click the Replace icon in the Editing group (
).The Find and Replace dialog box appears, open to the Replace tab.
- Click the Find tab.
- Enter a search string in the Find what box (Figure 4.37).
Figure 4.37 To perform a simple search, enter a search string in the Find what box and click Find Next.
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Optional: To set additional options and criteria, click the More >> button. The dialog box expands (Figure 4.38):
- To perform a more precise search, set options in the Search Options area. For instance, you can ensure that found text exactly matches the letter case of the search string (Match case) or specify the search direction (Search drop-down menu).
- To search for a special character such as a tab, insert it into the Find what box by choosing the character from the Special button's menu.
- To find only text with certain formatting (such as a particular font), choose an option from the Format button menu.
Figure 4.38 You can expand the dialog box to set additional Find options.
To begin the search, do one of the following:
- Click Find Next.
- Choose an option from the Find in button's menu to restrict the search to a particular document component.
Word highlights the first match, if any. Otherwise, a dialog box informs you that the search text wasn't found (Figure 4.39).
Figure 4.39 If the search string isn't found, this dialog box appears. A similar dialog box is presented after all matches have been found and viewed.
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Do either of the following:
- To search for the next match, click Find Next. Repeat as necessary.
- When you're finished, click Cancel or click the close box (X).
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To perform a Find/Replace:
On the Home tab, click the Replace icon in the Editing group (
).The Find and Replace dialog box appears, open to the Replace tab.
- Enter a search string in the Find what box and a replacement string in the Replace with box (Figure 4.40).
Figure 4.40 Enter Find what and Replace with strings.
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Optional: To set additional options and criteria, click the More >> button. The dialog box expands (Figure 4.41).
Figure 4.41 You can expand the dialog box to enter more specific criteria.
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Do either of the following:
- To simultaneously replace every matching instance, click Replace All.
- To selectively replace text after examining each possible match, click Find Next. Word highlights the first match, if one is found. Click Replace if you want to make the replacement, or click Find Next to skip this instance and go to the next match. Continue as necessary.
- When you're finished, click Cancel or click the close box (X).
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TIPS
- Regardless of the command you use to open the Find and Replace dialog box, you can switch between Finds and Replaces by clicking the appropriate tab.
- To restrict a Find or Replace to only part of a document, select the text before you execute the Find or Replace.
- The initial direction and scope of a search are determined by the text insertion mark and your choice in the Search drop-down menu (Figure 4.42) in the bottom half of the Find and Replace dialog box. A search starts from the text insertion mark and proceeds in the direction specified in the Search drop-down menu as follows:
- If Down or Up is chosen, the search proceeds to the bottom or top of the document or selection. When the bottom or top is reached, a dialog box asks if you'd like to search the rest of the document.
- If All is chosen from the Search menu, the search starts from the text insertion mark, continues downward until the end is reached, and then wraps around to the beginning in order to complete the search.
Figure 4.42 You can control the search direction and scope.
- When you replace text without checking Match case (see Figure 4.41), capitalization of the replacement text (Replace with) will match that of the replaced text (Find what).
- It's sometimes important to check Find whole words only (see Figure 4.41) when performing a Replace. For example, when attempting to replace every instance of John with Mike, checking Find whole words only will prevent Johnson from being changed to Mikeson.
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