HTML editor for multiple files

[JohnGray]

This is probably an easy one.

Our new website has about 40-50 HTML files, but the authors forgot to change the
meta name="keywords" content="<lots of keywords>"
from those relevant for the old site to those appropriate for the new site. As far as I can see this appears in every HTML file.

So I want to do a global edit for every HTML file to change the "lots of keywords" to a "new bunch of keywords". It is always possible that the line containing the keywords has wrapped round, so the editor would need to cope with this possibility).

(And later on, I want to do a change in one of the common fields near the top, which needs changing on all pages, too... How much easier it would be if this common code could be INCLUDEd from another file, and just this file would need changing!).

So I'm looking for suggestions for an HTML editor with almost zero learning curve that will cope with the above requirement. (It might well be possible in Dreamweaver, but the course isn't until the end of February...!)

Thanks

John

PS Somebody please tell me that the only HTML file which needs the 'meta xxx' lines is the INDEX.HTML file!

[jscher2000]

I was going to suggest the free editor PSPad, but it does not appear to deal with line breaks in its "search and replace in files on disk" feature.

You could use Word/VBA: open each file as text, run a Wildcard find and replace, then resave as text. Probably faster than learning to do it with the MSHTML library.

[gwhitfield]

I have used Coffee Cup- just for the free trial period.

Faced with the same problem, I used some Server Side Includes (I'm using ASP)- so that the next time I only need to change a single included file.

[Jezza]

Hi John

I cannot fault TextPad used by most developers in my company with a fantastic price tag that most of us can afford <img src=/S/free.gif border=0 alt=free width=30 height=15>

You can drag multiple files into the pane and you can find and replace across multiple files that you place in the pane. I have done it with a 100 or so character string for a find and replace.

This is a nice toy <img src=/S/yep.gif border=0 alt=yep width=15 height=15>

[gwhitfield]

Technically, it's free for trial only.

Presumably you're conducting extensive .

[Jezza]

<img src=/S/whisper.gif border=0 alt=whisper width=29 height=17>But it is a trial that goes on and on and on and on ad infinitum...just an annoying little screenthat lasts about 4 seconds <img src=/S/sneaky.gif border=0 alt=sneaky width=15 height=15>

[Claude]

I've used Homesite for years, way before Adobe bought it, as well as Editpad Pro, both have the ability to do global search and replace. Editpad Pro is my editor of choice nowadays, mainly because it isn't the typical bloat-ware and has the functionalities I'm after.

[bigaldoc]

Like Geoff, I use Coffee Cup and it does multiple file search and replace nicely, but I don't know how it would behave with wrapped lines.

[Jezza]

>Somebody please tell me that the only HTML file which needs the 'meta xxx' lines is the INDEX.HTML file!

Nobody has seemed to answer this question. The answer to this is for you really. I have it on all my pages because I do it from template and they are always there. Sadly you are changing and I would (personally) make sure I had it on all my pages so that they can be indexed equally, however if you want to go for a quick fix do the index.htm and then the secondary level pages. After that do it as you make changes.

You are in the envious position that you website is going to be part of a large network and I picked it up very easily using three words and it came number 1 in the Google listing, so take your time <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>

[johbot]

I agree with Jezza about using tags on all pages.

On my site, each set of tags is slightly different to reflect the content of that page. I did it that way to maximise the possibility of search engines finding what I have put up there.

But I am in very early days (went live this week) so do not have any proof that it works, yet.

[Waggers]

My favourite editor for this kind of thing is Crimson Editor But you don't necessarily need a new editor to do a find-and-replace across multiple files; there are several utilities that are built to do just that (and nothing else). I don't have any experience of using them, though.

[JohnGray]

I observe that Crimson Editor hasn't had an update for over two years, and the author appears to have disappeared off the face of the earth!

Can you point me at a Search/Replace utility which will:
a) search for text over multiple lines (usually 1, but possibly 2 or 3)
[img]/forums/images/smilies/cool.gif[/img] allow the inserts of replacement/additional text, perhaps including a CR/LF character to put following text on an (inserted) new line
If you say "Word" I shall be rude...!

John