Re: query-replace-regexp ... "Invalid repacement string '\.'"

[David Kastrup]

"s. keeling" <keeling@spots.ab.ca> writes:

> Hi.  I was trying to make it easy on myself using q-r-r replacing
> '[^\]\.' (not a backslash, followed by a literal dot/period) with the
> string (sans quotes) '\.', essentially "escaping" every dot/period in
> the file.  "M-x query-replace" had no trouble with it but M-x
> query-replace-regexp refused, spouting the error message in the
> subject.
>
> So how do you replace '.' with '\.' in emacs?  Googling's
> (groups.google.com) turned up nothing useful (interesting, but not
> useful).  I tried variations of '\\\.' (literal backslash followed by
> literal period) to no effect.
>
> Suggestions or pointers welcome.  Thanks.

M-x query-replace-regexp RET \. RET \\. RET

. is not special in the replacement string.  You can also write

M-x query-replace-regexp RET \. RET \\\& RET

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum