GREP Replace Multiline Text

[wckdtall]

I have a consistent paragraph that I wanted to replace and I was having trouble getting InDesign scripting to cooperate. A simple GREP query that worked in InDesign, did not in scripting. After some trial and error, I found that simply escaping the slashes was what InDesign scripting needed. Posting for anyone trying to solve a similar problem, most likely me in a few years. 😄

Sample Query for search:

Hello[\w\W]*the end.

Sample Text:

Hello Blah Blah Blah
Blah
Testing
Blah Blah Blah the end.

Sample InDesign Javascript/Extendscript:

app.findGrepPreferences.findWhat = "Hello[\\w\\W]*the end.";
app.changeGrepPreferences.changeTo = "YOU DID IT";
app.activeDocument.changeGrep();

Note to Adobe Javascript followed by a : replaces automatically as Javascript: within the forums. If this note looks normal, t the : problem has been fixed.

[FRIdNGE]

Just for comment:

Hello[\w\W]*the end\.

and

"Hello[\\w\\W]*the end\\."

(^/)  The Jedi

[wckdtall]

Thanks! It also appears triple slashes work for the script as well:

Hello[\\\w\\\W]*the end\\\.

Anything more than that and it stops working. It appears the first 2 are interpreted as a \ and the third escapes whatever follows? The sample provided doesn't scrub the find replace, so I tested a few different outcomes to see what it was parsing.