Re: re-builder vs replace-regexp

[Andreas Röhler]

Am 24.11.2011 20:24, schrieb Андрей Парамонов:
> Re-Builder is a great tool. It allows interactive search with
> incredibly handy highlight, subexpression mode, etc. However, one
> often needs not just search by regexp, but also perform regexp
> replace. I thought reb-copy command would help me to pass my regexp to
> replace-regexp. But replace-regexp doesn't understand the result of
> reb-copy, i.e. for default *scratch* buffer the following regexp works
> in Re-Builder:
>
> "\\(file\\)"
>
> but to make it suitable for search-forward-regexp/replace-regexp I
> need to manually adjust it to
>
> \(file\)
>
> I find it really inconvenient (the larger regexp the more
> inconvenient). Should I report a bug, or I'm missing something basic?
> I'm running GNU Emacs 23.3.1.
>
> Best wishes,
> Andrey Paramonov

Hi Andrey,

think these are valid considerations on the road.
A lot of questions are around.

For example using Regexps are one way. Exist other procedures.
Also writing a function to perform replacements is faster in some cases 
then doing it with just one regexp.

In all cases being tempted to use such a tool, rather split the issue.

Writing a function which changes

> "\\(file\\)"
>
> \(file\)

should be a way to proceed.

HTH,

Andreas