Find and Replace Text

Now reading version 17.0. For the latest, read: Find and Replace Text for version 22
Applies to Altium Designer versions: 15.1, 16.0, 16.1, 17.0 and 17.1

The Find and Replace Text dialog.

The Find and Replace Text dialog.

Summary

This dialog allows the designer to quickly find specific text, or partial text, in accordance with defined search options, then replace that text with specified new text.

Access

From the Schematic Editor, or Schematic Library Editor:

  • Use the Edit » Replace Text command, from the main menus.
  • Use the Ctrl+H keyboard shortcut.

Options/Controls

Text to find

  • Text To Find - use this field to enter the text string that you wish to search for. Either enter the full word, or search for a partial string. The latter requires the Whole Words Only option to be disabled. The string can contain the wildcard characters ? (single character) and * (any group of characters).
Wildcards are always case insensitive.
Each string searched will be added to the field's drop-down list, for quick retrieval.
  • Replace With - use this field to enter the replacement text string. The text entered here will completely replace the resulting text string found through the Text To Find entry and defined options.
Selective string substitutions can be performed, using the {oldtext=newtext} syntax to change just a portion of the search string. For example, if you enter the string VCC into the Text to Find field and enter the string {CC=DD} into the Replace With field, all instances of the string VCC will be changed to VDD. You can use multiple sets of brackets to define complex replacements - the leftmost bracketed replacement is made first, then the next one to the right, and so on.

Scope

  • Sheet Scope - use this field to determine the scope of the text search, in terms of the schematic documents involved. Choose one of the following options:
    • Current Document - search the active document only.
    • Project Documents - search across all schematic documents in the active project.
    • Open Documents - search across all open schematic documents, irrespective of the project they belong to.
  • Selection - use this field to further constrain the scope of the search, based on the current selection status of objects. Choose one of the following options:
    • Selected Objects - limit the search to only those objects that are currently selected.
    • DeSelected Objects - limit the search to only those objects that are currently deselected.
    • All Objects - no limitation, search all objects irrespective of their selection status.
  • Identifiers - use this field to further constrain the scope of the search, based on the type of text-based object. Choose one of the following options:
    • All Identifiers - no limitation, search across all text-based objects (text strings, text frames, pins, net identifiers, and designators).
    • Net Identifiers Only - limit the search to only net identifiers (ports, power ports, sheet entries, offsheet connectors, and net labels).
    • Designators Only - limit the search to only component designators.

Options

  • Case sensistive - enable this option to perform a case-sensitive search, whereby the target text must match the case of the search text entered into the Text To Find field. This option has no bearing on the replacement text, which simply follows the case used for the text entered into the Replace With field.
  • Prompt On Replace - enable this option to be prompted to manually confirm replacement of each instance of matching text. A Confirm dialog is used to handle each instance in turn, with a final Information dialog summarizing the number of replacements made. With this option disabled, all instances of found text, matching the search text, will be replaced, without manual confirmation required. Again, an Information dialog will appear to show the number of replacements made.
  • Whole Words Only - enable this option to restrict the search to whole words only. This means the search text must exist fully as is, and not be part of a larger text string. For example if this option is enabled, when looking for "cat", the software will not consider the first three letters of "category" a valid search match. Disable this option to freely search for partial strings.

 

Note

The features available depend on your level of Altium Designer Software Subscription.