NotePad++ Best Tool For Bulk Editing SER Projects

JudderMan

This is not my idea, all credit goes to @ron and a few others that have recommended it, but as it has been mentioned in other posts, I thought it deserved it's own.

Notepad++ is the most invaluable tool you can get once you start creating more and more projects. A word of advice, get used to looking at the .prj files and know what is needed, what works and what you can edit without causing yourself problems. Having previously built 450 projects one by one...then all over again in January when I lost all of my data from moving servers (doh!) I can attest that something that lets you edit in bulk is literally a lifesaver/time-saver.

Today I've just made and edited 150 more projects in a few hours of work compared to a few days to do it manually - probably could have done it in less time but I'm building the site at the same time and have been swtiching between the two so I don't get [] eyes.

Anyway, get Notepad++. My time is precious and we're only here for a limited amount of time, so make use of anything that saves you some.

It's free to download, so go and get it now. Anyone got any more time-savers that you use that maybe anyone could benefit from?

dariobl

EmEditor is better, it can handle really large text files without any issues, it's much faster than Notepad++, especially when playing with lines ( mass exporting/deleting/etc according to some criteria ). It's not a free software but you can try it for free for, i think, 30 days.

JudderMan

Cool, thanks @dariobl - will have a look at it. Right now, I'm still learning the ins and outs of SER's backend so Notepad++ will do for now. 

ron

When people realize that the project settings are so easy to change in the project files, they will get it:

So "0" means NO, and "1" means yes - for most settings.

For example, "skip hard captchas" can be changed in 200 projects in one click by highlighting

skip hard captchas =1

and then "replace across all open documents" with

skip hard captchas =0

One click changes across all documents. Click save all, close all. You are done.

Every person should open a .prj project file in Notepad++ (it really does not work with regular notepad), and see that these files are logical and easy to understand.

NO PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE REQUIRED!

Samx

This is a great PSA for SER

I have been using Textpad (paid shareware but you can use it forever for free) for year for programming projects and text file manipulation. It isn't as flexible and fully featured as Notepad++ but I like it for most things that I do a bit better. For the purposes of editing .prj I am sure it is 100% adequate.

donaldbeck

modify project -> edit single option for all can do a lot of this stuff. Not all of it.

JudderMan

True Donald, but I've been adding in my %spin folder% for titles/articles/bad word list/keyword list etc in a matter of clicks. That can't be done by edit single option

I have multiple projects that use similar options but are different depending on spam or PR'd projects so it's been pretty cool.

ron

I have used edit single option, but it is very hard to find your setting (because lead word changed), and a lot of settings are not in there.

But I agree - if you can find it in there, it is easier to use.

Samx

Can you edit the project file while SER is running? Will that cause any issues? I am just thinking if I locate the project file in a dropbox synced folder (or I use bittorrentsync) the file can be edited remotely instead of RDP.

ron

Yes, I do it all the time. It catches up and runs with the new settings.

I would not use Dropbox for this. SER writes everything into the path on your C: drive. I would not mess with that.

Samx

Ok thanks. I've been using bit torrent sync to manage my site lists which has been working well. I was wondering about the project files but maybe I should just leave that one alone lol.

valeravl

can someone explain how to edit projects using Notepad++ what file to open?

coneh34d

JudderMan  https://forum.gsa-online.de/discussion/13/gsa-script-editor-notepad-ser-edition#latest

JudderMan

Oh well

krushinem

I would use seraddons for all of this

krushinem

https://forum.gsa-online.de/discussion/8914/free-software-project-manager-for-gsa-ser-easily-duplicate-projects-and-much-more#latest

sorry I am biased but this will take care of all this

JudderMan

@krushinem can you 'disable engines that use this' with your tool or does anyone know how to do it en-masse with Notepad++?

krushinem

yes you can-in some manner-I would actually have to look at what you are trying to accomplish.  
I understand the feature 'disable engines that use this'
don't know if this would help you until we actually chat and come to a conclusion but the files can be manipulated in any manner
I would probably start from a master and dup it
in the end you would have to know which engines you are deselecting

if you know that then you could open all .prj files with notepad++ by selecting by filemask
and doing a batch replace

ie

academia.edu=1

datahub.io=1

goarticles.com=1

if you wanted to toggle academia.edu off you would batch replace in notepad plus

find academia.edu=1
replace academia.edu=0

in all opened .prj files in notepad++

or if you know sed it can also be done with seraddons

JudderMan

Thanks dude - it's the 250/450 word description that I want to be disabled on around 75-100 projects. I can't figure out how to do it using Notepad++ even when comparing a file that already has it. I assume where there is = and nothing after then I put a 0?

PaulieP

I rather use notetab, i love that little piece of software, i code everything with it, there is a free version that has all the stuff you need, its like a Swiss pocketknife

krushinem

hmn @JudderMan seems to me I would use this  to toggle off the engines that use the 
250 and or 450 word description.  Made this with you in mind even though I used the wrong name in vid.  

JudderMan

Awesome, thanks @krushinem

philippe

This is by far the best thing I have read about GSA.

The time it takes to actually create a campaign is quite big, and was for me the ONLY real problem i was facing from a time point of view. I nearly recruited someone to work only creating campaign for GSA. I had no idea we could edit campaigns using those files.

Epic finding for me.

RayBan

Can notepad++ replace single word or phrase with user defined variable and/or ad % like in SER project options?

Example - I have an article about dog training and want to replace phrase "dog training" to smth. like
 a) cat training (30%), b) sick kitten training (25%), c) cat training tips for young couples (45%).

Can this be done with notepad++ or any other tool without specific coding knowledge ?
krushinem, @ron

ron

Wow, that would be new to me. I only use global replace 1:1 word for word or phrase for phrase.

That thing can be programmed with macros, so it could very well be possible. But I never tried.

ron

My bad lol.