Need phrase/word/characters - mm2 - where the 2 always needs to be superscript

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
December 27, 2024
4 replies
799 views

This unit of measure is copy/pasted from another doc - mm2. The 2 always needs to be superscript. I have tried looking up grep styles but haven't found a way to make it so that the 2 is superscript.

Basically, need to do a find/replace for all mm2 and make it be mm2 (superscripted 2)

Is this possible?

How to

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Correct answer Barb Binder

Hi @amandaj97527555:

I'm wondering if you are new to GREP styles and/or styles in general? You were asking for a find and change query, but the GREP style suggested by @jmlevy is the better solution.

Here are the steps:

Create a Character style for superscript
Create a Paragraph style for the paragraphs that will contain the mm2 and format as usual
Edit the Paragraph style > GREP Styles
Click Add GREP Style
Apply the the superscript character style to (?<=mm)2. (See notes below.)

InDesign will then locate each occurrence of mm2 and apply superscript to the 2. An advantage of a GREP style is that if you ever type in mm2 and assign that paragraph style, InDesign will see it and assign the GREP style to the 2 automatically.

Note 1: I added a second m to @jmlevy's expression just in case you have a single m followed by a 2 that should not be superscript. If that's never going to happen, then you can just leave it the way he showed you.

Note 2: @Eugene Tyson's solution will work equally well, and has the bonus of being a few less characters: just substitute mm\K2 for (?<=mm)2.

~Barb

Barb Binder

Correct answer

Community Expert

Hi @amandaj97527555:

I'm wondering if you are new to GREP styles and/or styles in general? You were asking for a find and change query, but the GREP style suggested by @jmlevy is the better solution.

Here are the steps:

Create a Character style for superscript
Create a Paragraph style for the paragraphs that will contain the mm2 and format as usual
Edit the Paragraph style > GREP Styles
Click Add GREP Style
Apply the the superscript character style to (?<=mm)2. (See notes below.)

InDesign will then locate each occurrence of mm2 and apply superscript to the 2. An advantage of a GREP style is that if you ever type in mm2 and assign that paragraph style, InDesign will see it and assign the GREP style to the 2 automatically.

Note 1: I added a second m to @jmlevy's expression just in case you have a single m followed by a 2 that should not be superscript. If that's never going to happen, then you can just leave it the way he showed you.

Note 2: @Eugene Tyson's solution will work equally well, and has the bonus of being a few less characters: just substitute mm\K2 for (?<=mm)2.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

A

amandaj97527555Author

Participant

Hi Barb - you guessed correctly - I am new to GREP. I was afraid it was more of a find/replace because I didn't know if they used paragraph styles, but luckily it looks like they did and it's working!!! Thank you so much!!!

Barb Binder

Community Expert

We are always happy to help, Amanda. Come back and see us next time you get stuck.

~Barb

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Should be working

Another GREP you could try is

mm\K2

Willi Adelberger

Community Expert

No scrpt needed use a GREP Style.

Create a character style for the 2 superscrpt
Create in your basic style the GREP style: lokk behind mm (you can extend it for m, cm, dm and other length units) for 2 (and extend it for 3)

Any paragraph style based on this one will inherit it.

I do not understand, why many want tongetba script for inbuilt functions.