Search for and Replace Text in Catalog Objects

You can search for specific text in the catalog and replace it with other text.

This allows a power user with the catalog privilege Can Replace Text, and read/write permissions on catalog objects, to do plain text replacement on selected catalog objects and folders. You can perform single or multiple text searches on the selected content.

Caution:

Replacing text in this way doesn't guarantee correctness of the new change, and you must ensure the change is carefully reviewed and validated. Oracle recommends that you back up the catalog before making text replacement changes, as these changes can render artifacts invalid or unusable.

You can replace text in the following catalog object types:

• Dashboard
• Dashboard Prompt
• Analysis
• Filter
• Workbook
• Agent
• Action

Specifically, you can search for and replace:

• A simple text string, as described in Search for and Replace a Simple Catalog Text String.

  For example, suppose that an object contains the string "My Misspeled Wirds." You can search and replace that string with the proper text of "My Misspelled Words."

• Multiple or complex text strings all at the same time using an XML file, as described in Search for and Replace Multiple Catalog Text Strings.

  For example, suppose that the administrator renames a workbook, subject area, a table, or column. The table "Sales" might be renamed "MySales." You can search and replace all uses of that object throughout the catalog.

Search for and Replace a Simple Catalog Text String

You can search for a simple text string in the catalog and replace it with other text.

1. On the Classic Home page, click Catalog.
2. In the Catalog page, select a folder or an object to perform text replacement on.
3. In the search results for the item, click More, and then click Replace Text.
   
   

   

   
   
4. Click Single Text Replace.
5. In the Old text field, enter the text string to search for.
6. In the Replace with field, enter the replacement text.
7. To make the search case insensitive, deselect Case Sensitive.
8. Click OK.
9. You can review the progress of the job from the Classic Home page, by clicking My Profile, Background Tasks, and Replace Text Tasks.

About Search and Replace of Multiple Catalog Text Strings

You can perform more powerful search and replace operations on multiple catalog text strings all at the same time by importing a JSON file that identifies each text string to search for and replace.

JSON File Format to Search for and Replace Text Strings

In the search and replace JSON file, you use an items element to identify all of the text strings to search for and replace.

The action elements are contained in a commands element.

• items — Specifies the section containing the text items to replace.

• oldValue — Specifies the text string to search for.

• newValue — Specifies the replacement text.

• ignoreCase — Ignores case when set to true, but becomes case-sensitive when set to false. The default value is false.

Example JSON File for Searching for and Replacing Text Strings

The following is a partial example of an JSON file for searching for and replacing a text string.

{
  "Items": [
    {
      "oldValue": "Text1"
      "newValue": "New Value1"
      "ignoreCase": true
    },
    {
      "oldValue": "text2",
      "newValue": "New Value2",
      "ignoreCase": false
    }
  ]
}

Search for and Replace Multiple Catalog Text Strings

Use this procedure to search for and replace multiple catalog text strings all at the same time.

1. Create the JSON file for searching for and replacing multiple text strings.

   See About Search and Replace of Multiple Catalog Text Strings.

2. On the Classic Home page, click Catalog.
3. In the Catalog page, search for the item for which you want to replace the text.
4. In the search results for the item, click More, and then click Replace Text.
   
   

   

   
   
5. Click Multiple Text Replace.
6. In the Replace Text File field, enter the path or click Browse to specify the JSON file that you created in Step 1.
7. Click OK.
   Text replacement triggers a background job to complete the task.
8. Review the progress of the replace text job by following these steps:
   1. Display the Classic Home page.
   2. Click My Profile, Background Tasks, and then click Replace Text Tasks.