Bug 159607 - RegEx based search should apply to entire document, not just current paragraph
Summary: RegEx based search should apply to entire document, not just current paragraph
Status: UNCONFIRMED
Alias: None
Product: LibreOffice
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Writer (show other bugs)
Version:
(earliest affected)
7.4.6.2 release
Hardware: Other All
: medium enhancement
Assignee: Not Assigned
URL: https://extensions.libreoffice.org/en...
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2024-02-06 22:05 UTC by -t
Modified: 2024-02-07 01:34 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

See Also:
Crash report or crash signature:


Attachments
Notepad++ example of "Extended Mode" search (20.75 KB, image/png)
2024-02-06 22:10 UTC, -t
Details

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Description -t 2024-02-06 22:05:26 UTC
Description:
The documentation states "A search using a regular expression will work only within one paragraph. To search using a regular expression in more than one paragraph, do a separate search in each paragraph." THIS IS A BUG, not a feature, and needs to be fixed, since A REGULAR EXPRESSION MAY INCLUDE ONE OR MANY PARAGRAPH BREAKS.  Obviously this is an archaic way of avoiding a bug, or limitation, that prevented the search feature from working correctly when CR/LFs were encountered. 

Steps to Reproduce:
1.Open help file:///C:/Program%20Files/LibreOffice/help/en-US/text/swriter/guide/search_regexp.html?&DbPAR=WRITER&System=WIN
2. Observe tip: "A search using a regular expression will work only within one paragraph. To search using a regular expression in more than one paragraph, do a separate search in each paragraph."
3. Fail.  Because your intended search "Find" includes a line break in the middle.

Actual Results:
Search online in vain for a workaround.  Find one AltSearch extension, 5 years out of date, unsupported on current LO version.

Expected Results:
I expect to be able to form a search term that is supported by MS Word and/or Notepad++.


Reproducible: Always


User Profile Reset: No

Additional Info:
It should support searching an entire document even when regular expressions are used. Optimally it should support searching an entire document when using a Boost regular expression engine. At the very least it should support searching an entire document when using BASIC EXTENDED CODES, please see https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/searching/#extended-search-mode for examples. Also see https://github.com/notepad-plus-plus/notepad-plus-plus and  https://extensions.libreoffice.org/en/extensions/show/alternative-dialog-find-replace-for-writer
Comment 1 -t 2024-02-06 22:10:07 UTC
Created attachment 192440 [details]
Notepad++ example of "Extended Mode" search

Explained at https://npp-user-manual.org/docs/searching/#extended-search-mode
Comment 2 -t 2024-02-06 22:13:29 UTC
importance should be changed to major since this has been a problem for a substantial number of users for over two decades
Comment 3 -t 2024-02-06 22:18:41 UTC
(In reply to -t from comment #2)
> importance should be changed to major since this has been a problem for a
> substantial number of users for over two decades

over 10 years, not 20 lol
Comment 4 m_a_riosv 2024-02-07 00:35:01 UTC
Please don't set up your own reports as NEW, some else must do it, well except you are going to fix it.