GREP in InDesign Part 1: Find/Change

[@solosild99]

2 things, is it possible to only do find/change on a specific page, e.g. the side you are on? Is it possible to find/change the hyperlink in a QR? I make packaging and have many QRs that link to an order number.

[@ccpipe]

Hi, at least not to my knowledge but I'm no grep expert. Cheers

[@ramezalqari3228]

Hi 👋 I have some questions about indesign please 1- Can we make multiple change at once? Like putting a nonbreaking space on all punctuation marks in one klick (by GREP or Script) 2- Can we make several styles when selecting all, such as the beginning of the paragraph in bold and the text in a specific style I am waiting your answer Thank you 🙏

[@ccpipe]

Hi Ramez, 1: yes absolutely, use search and replace and type under find "your punctuation character" and replace with " " which is grep for nonbreaking. 2: I unfortunatelly don't quite understand the question.

[@MrDhafirPhoto]

@@ccpipe is the code of Forced Line Break, and the ~S is the code of Nonbreaking Space

[@ikbalkhan7535]

Y'all have a minute to talk about our lord and saviour CC Pipe

[@ccpipe]

Im flattered, thank you :)

[@FroggingAround420]

I have a document with a lot of price labels. I have my document in CAD price and I need a version of the same document but with the USD prices instead. How can i just batch replace the price into USD? i have done data merge to create my labels but I just need to switch the price from my existing document that i am using as a template

[@ccpipe]

Hi, if you're using data merge, wouldn't it be easiest to just re-tag the price or just replace your data source to one with USD? You could easily Find/Replace the unit but it wouldn't convert the numbers...

[@kaylenedawnbuteaufitnessbu2282]

Do you think there is a way to tell ID not to replace fonts ever? ID keeps replacing my fonts because of some glitch. I bought the font I'm using and it is on my hard drive, but it still keeps telling me it wants to replace and I deactivated the font from my cc account too. Ugg computers can make you pull your hair out.

[@ccpipe]

Hi, it's always so hard to help with these things without all the info. But make sure that the font is properly installed. And if you have a Mac it could also be a problem with the font being the wrong file-format. If I remember correctly you preferably want for exampel .otf for mac :)

[@catherineheincke1908]

You've just saved me two hours....amazing!! thank you :)

[@ccpipe]

That's awesome, you're welcome :)

[@UBgamerz11]

I have facing a problem, when i used this command I want to change (a), (b), (c), (d) , only abcd character in italics or in color For example (a) to_csv( ) (b) read_csv( ) (c) call_csv( ) (d) dfto_csv( ) then text in running is also change in italics like whenever i change a in italics then a in word read also change how to do this in grep command

[@ccpipe]

Hi, so I'm not entirely sure I understand your question. But if you just need to change letters to italics or a colour, you just use a character style for the formatting and search for the desired characters, and applying the character style.

[@ivansk8]

Hi, thanks for the video. A problem that you could solve maybe ? : I want to replace a word when it is followed by numbers, but i want these numbers to stay as they were (!). Whith "any digit" metacharacter, InDesign replaces also this number. I want to leave it as it was because it's only useful for me to select the correct text. I don't find the solution for the moment... Thank you for any help.

[@ccpipe]

Hi, yes when ever I need to do something like that I use the positive look ahead/behind. Same as I think I showed in the video. So if I want to replace say "Monday" followed by a year in numbers. I would write: "Monday(?=\d\d\d\d)" It then finds the word "Monday" that is followed by four numbers, but doesn't replace the numbers. :)

[@johnstuart1597]

How would I find all numbers and add a currency sign to the start?

[@ccpipe]

Hi John, if I understand correctly you would probably want to use a "positive lookahead" finding the numbers in front of where you want the currency and add the currency sign in front. My example at the bottom. One potential issue I stumbled upon is that I cant replace with say a $-sign if the only thing in front is "beginning of paragraph" which is under the "location" menu. It finds the placement in front but i can't replace with the currency-sign, since there isn't anything there to replace. Might sound a bit more complicated than it is... However if there is something in front of where you want the currency, for example a break/a space or whatever you should be able to use that, something like this: Find: (?=\d\.\d\d) Replace: $ I.e. "Find a paragraph break with a "number, period and 2 numbers" in front of it and replace it with a $-sign.

[@johnstuart1597]

@@ccpipe I've managed to work out a way. Find: \b[\d,.]+\b Replace: $$0 Now trying to work out how to ignore any numbers with $ already at the front, or with % at the end!

[@ccpipe]

@@johnstuart1597 Great, hope you'll figure it out. I'm in no way any GREP guru so I don't have all the answers :)

[@dougbond8944]

Hi, I'm really struggling with getting GREP to change '2' to subscript in Find & Replace on CO2 and H2O - I've tried so many formula's and all that happens is it subscripts the formula (in change to) to subscript, can you help please?

[@ccpipe]

Hi Doug, so from what I can tell you might need to do 2 things 1. There's no need to write anything in the "change to" field you only need to use the "change format" So make a character style that makes it subscript and "change format" to it. 2. If necessary, to identify the number to be subscripted you can use positive lookahead/-behind. So ex. H20: Positive lookbehind "h" "2" Positive lookbehind "O" Then it will find a "2" between an H and O but not actually target the letters only the number. It's a long answer but hope it helps :)

[@dougbond8944]

@@ccpipe Thanks, I’ll give that a try.

[@MrDhafirPhoto]

@@dougbond8944 Just use this in Find/Change or in GREP Style: \u\l?\K\d+ with Superscript character style

[@UBgamerz11]

kindly send me link for this confusion

[@ccpipe]

Sorry I don't know what you mean with "send link", too what?

[@AbaniKaprasery]

Thanks

[@pineapplebuzzz]

Also would be a bit more helpful, if you might zoom in. But I appreciate you trying to help us out!

[@ccpipe]

You know, that's quite a good idea, I'm recording at 1440p so a bit of headroom for zooming in post 👍

[@arifturgan]

you cant replace EVERYTHİNG ..... İF YOU WANT TO REPLACE SEMBOL ....THERE İS ONLY COUPLE SMYBOLS

[@ccpipe]

Well, read the title again, there is an "almost" in there ;)

[@manjuchandra2000]

It would be helpful if you can speak a bit slowly.

[@ccpipe]

Thank you for the feedback, I might try and slow down more every now and then :)