Hack Out Columns of Tabs or Spaces
The Problem:
Our field office sends me database dumps that are aligned using spaces. I have to delete handfuls of spaces from the beginning of each line before I can use the text.
The Solution:
You can fix this problem in two ways:
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If the spaces are in regular, rectangular blocks, Alt-drag to select columns of spaces (see Figure 3-19), and then delete them. (You can also select blocks of tabsor any other charactersthis way.)
Figure 3-19. Alt-drag to select columns of characters without selecting entire paragraphs.
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If the spaces aren't in regular blocks, use Find and Replace to select the whitespace. Choose Edit
Replace, enter ^p^w in the "Find what" box and ^p in the "Replace with" box, and then click the Replace All button.