InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

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8 total messages Started by Ben_Reichman Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:29

#140

Author: Ben_Reichman
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:29

5 lines
1008 bytes

In the Find/Change box in InCopy, there's a preset GREP command: "Multiple Space to Single Space." In the books I'm working on, we need to do the opposite. I know I should learn regular expressions, and I'd like to, but frankly I'm pressed for time, so here's my question:

What is the exact regular expression I should paste into the Find/Change box to find single spaces before sentences?

Thanks!

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#141

Author: Anne-Marie Concepcion
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:02

16 lines
1227 bytes

In Find, in the GREP area, you need to enter

Find What: \. \S

backslash-period = find a period
tap the spacebar for a space ...there's a space after the period above
backslash-cap S = not whitespace

If you want to change it to two spaces after a period, group the Find expression so you can replace the Found text in the Change to field.

Find What: (\. )(\S)
Change To: $1 $2

(I added a space after $1 so IC adds a second space after the period)

AM

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#144

Author: Anne-Marie Concepcion
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:28

13 lines
1068 bytes

Also ... if you want to find a single space following a period, a question mark, or an exclamation point, you could use this:

([\.?!] )(\S)

That first group in brackets finds:
a period, or a question mark, or an exclamation point

following the bracketed group is a single space (tap on the spacebar)

So the first found set -- $1 -- is:
a single space after a period, question mark, or an exclamation point.

AM

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#146

Author: Ben_Reichman
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:50

5 lines
824 bytes

Anne-Marie,

Thanks so much! I'm going to use this many times today, and tomorrow, and the day after, and... ;)

Ben

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#147

Author: Anne-Marie Concepcion
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:48

5 lines
810 bytes

Cool!

But I have to ask, what sort of books are you working on that require you find sentences beginning with single spaces (and what are you changing them to?)

AM

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#148

Author: Ben_Reichman
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:11

1 lines
711 bytes

Middle school literature textbooks, and the publisher wants two spaces before each sentence.

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#149

Author: Bob Levine
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:23

8 lines
962 bytes

It would likely look better if simply created a character style with a 
horizontal scale of about 70% and applied that. Two spaces is just ugly.

Another possibility would be an em space.

Just my $0.02,

Bob

Re: InCopy GREP: how can I search for a single space after a sentence?

#150

Author: Ben_Reichman
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:45

1 lines
823 bytes

I agree that it's ugly--and those are great suggestions. But we're working in the template a client created, so we don't have any leeway to modify anything at all. Oh, well.

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