ICT 0417 – Document Production: Find and Replace17 Document Production
Objective
Be able to find and replace text, including the use of the Match case and Whole words options.
Why Use Find and Replace?
- Save time when correcting repeated errors.
- Update terminology or branding across an entire document.
- Ensure consistency of spelling, punctuation, and formatting.
- Reduce the risk of missing a change when editing manually.
Basic Steps (Common to Most Word Processors)
- Open the Find and Replace dialog.
- Microsoft Word: Ctrl+H
- LibreOffice Writer: Ctrl+H or Ctrl+F then click the Replace tab.
- Enter the text you want to locate in the Find field.
- Enter the replacement text in the Replace with field.
- Choose any required options (see below).
- Click Replace to change the current occurrence, or Replace All to change every occurrence that meets the criteria.
Important Options
| Option | Purpose | Effect on Search |
|---|
| Match case | Distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters. | Only finds text that matches the exact capitalisation entered. |
| Whole words | Ensures the found text is a complete word, not part of a larger word. | “cat” will not match “concatenate” when this option is selected. |
| Use wildcards / regular expressions | Allows pattern‑based searching (e.g., any digit, any number of characters). | Advanced searches such as “find any 3‑digit number” can be performed. |
Examples
Assume the following paragraph is part of a document:
“The apple is red. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples are tasty.”
Example 1 – Simple Replace (no options)
Find: apple
Replace with: orange
Result after Replace All:
“The orange is red. An orange a day keeps the doctor away. Oranges are tasty.”
Example 2 – Match case
Find: Apple (capital A)
Replace with: Pear
Match case selected.
Only the capitalised “Apple” would be replaced; lower‑case “apple” remains unchanged.
Example 3 – Whole words
Find: cat
Replace with: dog
Whole words selected.
If the document contains “concatenate”, it will not be altered because “cat” is not a whole word there.
Practical Tips for Exams
- Read the question carefully – it will specify whether to use Match case or Whole words.
- Always preview the first replacement before using Replace All.
- Use Find Next to step through each occurrence and confirm it meets the criteria.
- Remember that punctuation is part of the word when Whole words is active (e.g., “cat.” is a whole word).
- When using wildcards, test the pattern on a small sample to avoid unintended changes.
Common Pitfalls
- Forgetting to deselect Match case when the case is irrelevant.
- Replacing part of a word unintentionally because Whole words was not selected.
- Using Replace All without a final check, leading to errors that are hard to reverse.
Suggested diagram: Flowchart showing the decision process for using Match case and Whole words options during a Find and Replace operation.