Mac tutorials › Screenplay
ScreenplayFind and replace words
Change a word in one scene or in the whole script.
Before you start
- A screenplay with text is open.
Steps
Click Replace in the bar.
A bar opens above the page. It has a Find box, a Replace with box, the Match Case and Whole Word boxes, a This Scene and Whole Script switch, Replace All and Close replace.
Type the word to find in Find (for example goat) and its new word in Replace with (for example buffalo). Leave the scope on This Scene.
With This Scene chosen, only the scene your cursor is in is changed.
Click Whole Script, and tick Match Case if capitals matter.
Whole Script covers every scene. Match Case replaces only matches with the same capitals. Whole Word skips matches that are part of a longer word.
Click Replace All.
A notice reports the result, for example Replaced 1 match, with Dismiss.
If nothing matches, the notice reads No matches.
Check the word, switch off Match Case or Whole Word, or choose Whole Script. Click Close replace when you are done.
What you get
The matching words are replaced, and the notice says how many.
Watch out for
- Replace All changes many places at once. Choose This Scene first when you are not sure, and use Command-Z to undo a change you did not want.
- Make a new draft before a large replace if you want a copy of the old script.