GNU bug report logs - #21995
Documentation omission for regular expressions

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: jan <rtm443x <at> googlemail.com>
To: bug-gnu-emacs <at> gnu.org
Subject: Documentation omission for regular expressions
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:16:59 +0000

Hi,
\& used as a replacement will substitute in the entire matched
pattern.  For example, given text

hello

and search regexp  \(.\)  with replacement  \&\&  you get

hheelloo

I have not been able to find this \& option in the regular expression
part of the emacs manual.

jan

(Emacs 24.5.1 running on Windows 2008 R2)

Message #10 received at 21995-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz <at> gnu.org>
To: jan <rtm443x <at> googlemail.com>
Cc: 21995-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#21995: Documentation omission for regular expressions
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 19:02:21 +0200

> Date: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 12:16:59 +0000
> From: jan <rtm443x <at> googlemail.com>
> 
> \& used as a replacement will substitute in the entire matched
> pattern.  For example, given text
> 
> hello
> 
> and search regexp  \(.\)  with replacement  \&\&  you get
> 
> hheelloo
> 
> I have not been able to find this \& option in the regular expression
> part of the emacs manual.

It's described in the node "Regexp Replace" (since it's only relevant
to replacing a matched regexp).  Quote:

  `M-x replace-regexp <RET> REGEXP <RET> NEWSTRING <RET>'
       Replace every match for REGEXP with NEWSTRING.

     In `replace-regexp', the NEWSTRING need not be constant: it can
  refer to all or part of what is matched by the REGEXP.  `\&' in
  NEWSTRING stands for the entire match being replaced.  `\D' in
  NEWSTRING, where D is a digit, stands for whatever matched the Dth
  parenthesized grouping in REGEXP.  (This is called a "back reference".)
  `\#' refers to the count of replacements already made in this command,
  as a decimal number.  In the first replacement, `\#' stands for `0'; in
  the second, for `1'; and so on.  For example,

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