Supported File Types

Easy GREP only support text-base files. such as

HTML, XML, TXT, CSV, RTF  which are listed in selection.

Other text-based file can be specified by select "Other type", you can input

log, ini, inf, bat, reg, js, css, java, asp, sql and so on, only if it can be read as text.

Actually, most Regular Expression only support text-based files. Other types, such as binary files can be searched but result was not uncertain.

For example, if you perform a batch replace in Ultra Edit, which search and replace in binary mode and support all files, then you would find picture files was also replaced (of course the picture was damaged). So binary search and replace are not reliable.

Some most used file types, such as DOC file of MS Word, or PDF file, contain compiled text inforation, but in binary format, these files must be converted into text fromat befroe search or  replacement. PowerGREP emmbeds these conversion engine inside, so it can search and replace in DOC and PDF, but this increased its cost and decrease its speed, and the result are still not satisfing (such as some DOC file or PDF cannot be decoded).

Easy GREP is designed as a light-weight tool for most common users. It concentrates on the most used functions and real useful application. It wants to make things easy and simple .

So it only supports most often used text-based files, such as HTML, XML, TXT, CSV and RTF. And other text-based files can be selected by your input. For example, if you want to perform with some log files, you and select "Other Type" and input "log" in the box.

You can also select "All files", then all files can be listed, but not all of them can be perfromed, some will even cause error.