Visual Studio - Replace Box

Anyone else want a "smart" replace box?

Namely, it lacks:

 - The ability to resolve \n \t \r etc
 - Inability to match wildcards with the search box

 - Inability to understand RegEx at all

Come on Microsoft, step up... At absolute least you should resolve escape characters...

PS - Although in fairness to the VS team, Visual Studio is a better "Windows Search" than anything the Windows Search team has released since Windows 98 SE.

Are you talking about the search/replace?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/2k3te2cs%28VS.80%29.aspx

The Replace dialog recognises \t and \n fine enough for me, are you using the right regex?

W3bbo said:

The Replace dialog recognises \t and \n fine enough for me, are you using the right regex?

Doesn't for me... For example:

ContentBContent

ContentBContent

ContentBContent

ContentBContent

Basic Search

Search: B

Replace: \n

Result (literal "\n" string):

Content\nContent
Content\nContent
Content\nContent

RegX Search

Search: ^.*B.*$
Replace: ^.*\n.*$

Result:

^.*
.*$
^.*
.*$
^.*
.*$

Wildcard Search

Search: *B*

Replace: *\n*

Result (literal "\n" string):

*\n*
*\n*
*\n*

RegX search:

Find: B

Replace: \n

Result:

Content

Content

Content

Content

Content

Content

Content

Content

simples.

Edit: FWIW, I think what you were trying to do with your Regex's was carry content from the find to the replace. You can only do that by tagging things in the Find regex. Constructs like ^ or .* have no meaning in the Replace regex, which is why literals get inserted. So you need to do something like:

Find: ^{.*}B{.*}

Replace: \1\n\2

which would also work.