SR xtimes

[julia]

How to make this command search and replace xtimes.
perl -p -i -e 's/oldstring/newstring/g' file.txt

Thanks

 

[julia]

That depends on what "xtimes" means.

What does "xtimes" mean when you say it?

xtimes per line?

xtimes per file?

x lines per file?

...?

I want to take 4times oldstring and replace it with newstring1
I want to take 3times oldstring and replace it with newstring2
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring

newstring1
newstring1
newstring1
newstring1
newstring2
newstring2
newstring2

Thanks for your help

 

[Jim Gibson]

I want to take 4times oldstring and replace it with newstring1
I want to take 3times oldstring and replace it with newstring2
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring

newstring1
newstring1
newstring1
newstring1
newstring2
newstring2
newstring2

perl -p -e 's/oldstring/($.<5?"newstring1":"newstring2")/e;' file.txt

This uses the $. variable that gives the line number in the input file
and the e modifier to the substitute operator that cause the
replacement string to be evaluated as a Perl expression.

Note that this only works if oldstring appears on every line. If that
is not the case, then you have to use a counter that counts how many
times a match has occurred and modify your replacement string
accordingly.

 

[Jim Gibson]

perl -p -e 's/oldstring/($.<5?"newstring1":"newstring2")/e;' file.txt

This uses the $. variable that gives the line number in the input file
and the e modifier to the substitute operator that cause the
replacement string to be evaluated as a Perl expression.

Note that this only works if oldstring appears on every line. If that
is not the case, then you have to use a counter that counts how many
times a match has occurred and modify your replacement string
accordingly.

In the latter case the following should work:

perl -p -e 's/oldstring/(++$n<5?"newstring1":"newstring2")/e;' file.txt

 

[Keith Thompson]

I want to take 4times oldstring and replace it with newstring1
I want to take 3times oldstring and replace it with newstring2
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring
oldstring

newstring1
newstring1
newstring1
newstring1
newstring2
newstring2
newstring2

What if oldstring appears more than once on a line?

 

[houda]

What if oldstring appears more than once on a line?

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keith) (e-mail address removed)  <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Nokia
"We must do something.  This is something.  Therefore, we must do this."
    -- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

I am sorry not being clear.
This RE takes only the first part of RE (Search)
perl -p -e 's/\{\}\&\{\}/($.<5?"{newstring1}":"{newstring2}")/e;'
text.txt

My old string can appear more than one time.
(oldstring)(oldstring)(oldstring) replaced by (newstring1)(newstring2)
(newstring1)
Many Thanks