Search & Replace Text with HTML in database?

  • syncmaster913n

    (@syncmaster913n)


    11 years ago

    I have a WordPress website that contains around 200 Posts of varying lengths (700-1200 words each). Due to the technical nature of my site, there are various terms and acronyms used throughout the site (approximately 45 terms/acronyms). Recently I decided I would write a Glossary section for my website, wherein each of these 45 terms would get a short dedicated article explaining exactly what the term means, after which I want to link each of the respective terms/acronyms throughout my website to its appropriate explanation page, so that when in doubt, my reader can click on the term and be redirected to the page that explains the meaning of that term.

    Now, obviously I don’t want to go through each of my 200 posts manually, check which of the ~45 terms are mentioned in it, and then link that term to its respective page – this would take me weeks or even months. Is there a way that I could automate this process by doing a database search&replace?

    So for example, let’s say we have the term: Nitrogen-purged. This term appears as regular text in various places throughout the website (maybe in 100 of the posts, maybe in 70 or maybe in 150 of them – no clue, all I know is that it appears multiple times). What I’d like to do is a search&replace that would turn every instance of:

    Nitrogen-Purged

    to:

    <a href="http://www.example.com/glossary/nitrogen-purged/">Nitrogen-Purged</a>

    Does anyone have an idea on how to go about this?

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • martcol

    (@hotmale)

    11 years ago

    I have never had to do this but you can get plugins that will help e.g.

    https://ww.wp.xz.cn/plugins/search-and-replace/

    If you are up to it, you can also do it working with the database in PhpmyAdmin. e.g. http://wpguru.co.uk/2014/12/how-to-find-and-replace-in-mysql-with-phpmyadmin/

    martcol

    (@hotmale)

    11 years ago

    Ooops!

    Either way, make sure you backup everything before you do this.

    Thread Starter syncmaster913n

    (@syncmaster913n)

    11 years ago

    Hi martcol, thanks for the answer.

    Will the search&replace plugin replace text for regular HTML? my worry is that when I do that, the HTML code (<a href…) will simply appear as regular text in the post.

    martcol

    (@hotmale)

    11 years ago

    I’m not sure about that. But why not test it with a piece of unique test in a post and see if you can wrap that one item in an anchor tag?

    Maybe look at other plugins that do similar things and/or ask on their support pages?

    Another way to test it would be to set up a local development site on your own computer. Replicate your site (same theme and import data) and mess around on that.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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