more OT: search-and-replace commands (was Re: OT: Why is C so popular?)

[Harshwardhan Nagaonkar <harsh@ee.byu.edu>]

Steve Lamb wrote:
> On Wed, 27 Aug 2003 16:17:30 +0200
> Francois Bottin <fbottin@free.fr> wrote:
>
> > Quoting Ron Johnson <ron.l.johnson@cox.net>:
> >
> > > On Wed, 2003-08-27 at 06:34, Paul Johnson wrote:
> > >
> > > > Wouldn't it be easier to read if you wrote it s/C/Perl/ ?
>
>
> > > So that it wouldn't change Choo-choo to Perlhoo-choo.  I wasn't
> > > just thinking of that one paragraph...
>
>
> > Then: s/\bC\b/Perl/g ;-)
> > (Yes, I also added a g at the end to not only substitute the 1st occurence)
>
>
>     Still doesn't work when sentences end in C.
Hahaha. It always amuses me whenever we have a thread about a particular 
topic, which refrences a particular search-and-replace command. Various 
other people reply and give examples with which the said 
search-and-replace command will not work; and then give their own 
versions of the command.

All that said, isn't there like a "One True Search-and-replace Command" 
which will handle all this weirdness of characters being at the 
start/middle/end of words which should not be replaced? This is just an 
informative question though (I hope it doesn't end like an unproductive 
Vi Vs. Emacs sort of discussion). =)

--
Harshwardhan Nagaonkar
Electrical Engineering Sysop
Brigham Young University - 84602