.NET Tips and Tricks

Blog archive

How to Use Regular Expressions in Visual Studio Find

I have to admit that I've never really understood regular expressions. But if there was any reason that I was going to learn to use them, it would be when doing searches in Visual Studio.

For one thing, regular expressions are easy to invoke when doing a search: When you press Ctrl_F to get the Find dialog box, all you have to do is click the asterisk (*) to the left of the of scope dropdown list to start using regular expressions in your search.

I think, for example, I'm ready to start using the period (which matches a single character) in my searches. That would let me (for example) search for any string that begins with a and ends with p that has only one character in between (a.p). I not only understand this, but it's also easy to extend: Looking for a and p with two characters in between is a..p.

Where I could see being even more successful is by using Replace in Files more. When you open Replace in Files there's a Use Regular Expressions option tucked in under Find Options. Checking off that option enables the button at the end of the "Find what" text box. I like that button because clicking on it produces a quick study guide for regular expression newbies like me. I could do this.

I mean: it's certainly possible that I could learn something new. Unlikely, but possible.

Posted by Peter Vogel on 05/30/2019


comments powered by Disqus

Featured

  • AdaBoost Binary Classification Using C#

    Dr. James McCaffrey from Microsoft Research presents a C# program that illustrates using the AdaBoost algorithm to perform binary classification for spam detection. Compared to other classification algorithms, AdaBoost is powerful and works well with small datasets, but is sometimes susceptible to model overfitting.

  • From Core to Containers to Orchestration: Modernizing Your Azure Compute

    The cloud changed IT forever. And then containers changed the cloud. And then Kubernetes changed containers. And then microservices usurped monoliths, and so it goes in the cloudscape. Here's help to sort it all out.

  • The Well-Architected Architect on Azure

    In the dynamic field of cloud computing, the architect's role is increasingly pivotal as they must navigate a complex landscape, considering everything from the overarching architecture and individual service configurations to the various trade-offs involved. Here's help.

  • Windows Community Toolkit Update Improves Controls

    The Windows Community Toolkit advanced to version 8.1, adding new features, improving existing controls and making dependency changes.

Subscribe on YouTube