Regular Expression To Find And Replace Text

Question

A file has hundreds of lines of text similar to the one below:

<Random Variable1="test" Description="this is a random description" number="12345" />

The value "<Random" at the start and the value "/>" at the end is the same on all lines of text.

I am trying to use regular expression to replace the /> symbol at the end with > and insert new lines of text underneath. An example of what the line from above needs to be replaced to:

<Random Variable1="test" Description="this is a random description" number="12345" >
         <Operating>
          <Operating>All</Operating>
        </Operating>
      </Random>

I have been testing with regular expressions but have not been successful, regular expressions I have tried to use:

To add in the new lines:

<Operating>\n<Operating>All</Operating>\n</Operating>\</Random>

To change the /> character:

<Random(.*) >

EDIT: I am using the find and replace option within Visual Studio 17

Answer 1

If your language/tool supports PCRE regex flavour, you can do:

• Find: (?s)<Random\b.*?\K/> or <Random\b.*?\K/> for multilines
• Replace: ><Operating>\n<Operating>All</Operating>\n</Operating>\n</Random>

If it doesn't, use:

• Find: (<Random\b.*?)/>
• Replace: $1><Operating>\n<Operating>All</Operating>\n</Operating>\n</Random>

You may have to escape the < and >

• Find: (\<Random\b.*?)/\>