pyregexp is a command for emacs which enables you to use Python regular expressions and either a Python string or a Python expression for doing replacements.
While constructing the regexp in the minibuffer, you get live visual feedback for the matches, including group matches:
While constructing the replacement in the minibuffer, you get live visual feedback for the replacements:
Put pyregexp.el and pyregexp.py into the same directory.
If you are using Emacs 24, you can get pyregexp from melpa with the package manager.
You need a Python interpreter. Add the following code to your init file. Of course you can select your own key.
(add-to-list 'load-path "folder-in-which-pyregexp-files-are-in/") ;; if the files are not already in the load path
(require 'pyregexp)
(define-key global-map (kbd "C-c r") 'pyregexp-replace)To customize, use M-x customize-group [RET] pyregexp. You can specify how the Python interpreter is invoked by modifying the pyregexp-command-prefix variable. The default is python ....
