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How to use 'sed' to search and replace?

 
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# 1  
Old 02-10-2011
How to use 'sed' to search and replace?
Hello -

I have a very large file in which a certain numbers are repeated. I find that using vi to edit the entire file is useless.

How should i use sed to find a replace such as this text:

To replace: 145.D25.D558

With: 215.22.45.DW

I tried this command:

sed 's/145.D25.D558/215.22.45.DW/' (the file name)

but it did not work..
# 2  
Old 02-10-2011
Code:
'%s/145\.D25\.D558/215\.22\.45\.DW/'

# 3  
Old 02-10-2011
Hmmm.. I dont think so!

But thanks.
# 4  
Old 02-10-2011
Quote:
I find that using vi to edit the entire file is useless
Useless how?

Quote:
but it did not work
What didn't work?

Quote:
Hmmm.. I dont think so!
Why don't you think so?

We're not mind readers. Say what didn't work, or how it didn't work, or why it was "useless".

The vi solution given by yinyuemi works perfectly fine. Perhaps the quotes put you off. From "command mode", paste:

Code:
:%s/145\.D25\.D558/215\.22\.45\.DW/

and say what doesn't work.
# 5  
Old 02-10-2011
Quote:
sed 's/145.D25.D558/215.22.45.DW/' (the file name)
Let's escape the period characters to stop "sed" interpreting them and give it a global "g" parameter.
Code:
sed "s/145\.D25\.D558/215\.22.45\.DW/g" (the file name)

This is a big guess because you have not mentioned what Operating System and Shell you have or provided sample input and expected output. Phrases like "but it did not work.. " need qualification with a visual description of what you expected and what actually happened accompanied by any error messages presented exactly as they appear.
Vague statements like "a very big file" are worthless. Exactly to the byte how big is this file?
 
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