search & replace using wildcards

[sam]

I'm trying to do a search and replace to change
formatting of any information in brackets, in a Word
document. I tried using wildcards with a \(*\) search and
\(*\) replace (with the formatting I want selected), but
the search facility doesn't like me using the * wildcard
as a replace. Is there any way I can do this?

 

[Klaus Linke]

I'm trying to do a search and replace to change
formatting of any information in brackets, in a Word
document. I tried using wildcards with a \(*\) search and
\(*\) replace (with the formatting I want selected), but
the search facility doesn't like me using the * wildcard
as a replace. Is there any way I can do this?

Hi Sam,

You never use wildcards at all in "Replace with", except for the
placeholders \1, \2, ... which insert the first, second, ... bracketed
expression.

If you use any kind of formatting in "Replace with", you can leave the box
empty.
If that makes you nervous, you can use ^&, the usual placeholder for the
matched text.

Regards,
Klaus