[NTLUG:Discuss] Linux script question

[Chris Cox]

Pervaz Allaudin wrote:
> OK I have another linux command question.
> 
> I have multiple files in multiple dirs. under a dir. from which I want 
> to replace a word and then written back; Either in the same files or 
> another dir. as root.
> 
> I got till
> 
> find src -iname *.ext | xargs sed /oldtext/newtext/
> 
> but I cannot get it to write to corresponding files (in the same dire or 
> another).
> 
> Also another problem I am having is it won't replace the text if I have 
> like oldtext.sometext which I need to change to newtext.sometext
> 
> I would appreciate some help with this and also would not mind some net 
> sources to learn and/or lookup things like this. The two linux books I 
> have are basic and inadequate.

I'll steal Kevin Brannen's thunder and share his solution...

Kevin> I found a perl trick the other day that I thought I'd share...
Kevin>
...
Kevin>
Kevin> find <directory> -type f -print | xargs perl -pi -e
Kevin> "s/STRING1/REPLACESTRING/"
Kevin>
Kevin>
Kevin> Kevin