# Custom export - Author Replace

**URL:** <https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-author-replace/3727>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [February 7, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-author-replace/3727 "2023-02-07T17:05:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![melTr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/meltr/32/277_2.png) [@melTr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/melTr)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-author-replace/3727/1 "2023-02-07T17:05:03Z")

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Hi,  
I have a custom export I have used for many years. Within the new version (5.9), I can’t use . to replace any character. I tried \* but it didn’t work either. How I could efficiently find words with e and é? Are wildcards not supported anymore?  
[Authors,Replace((M.lanie),$1)]  
Thanks  
Mel

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [February 7, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-author-replace/3727/2 "2023-02-07T18:22:04Z")

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Hi,

as far as I know the replace formatter hasn’t changed in ages. I am also having trouble understanding your regex. $1 would refer to the capture group itself.  
Can you give a more detailed example? What would be the expected outcome for a specific input?

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**Author:** ![melTr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/meltr/32/277_2.png) [@melTr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/melTr)\
**Post date:** [February 9, 2023, 9:46pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-author-replace/3727/3 "2023-02-09T21:46:27Z")

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Hi,  
I expected exactly what you wrote. I just kept the essential part of a long regex for simplicity. Basically, I create an export which formats each instance of certain authors as underlined. My final export has almost 20 names and using this wildcard I was able to avoid replicating version of close words (like with/without “-” for example).  
I used this way, with a dot, for many years and now it doesn’t seem to work anymore.

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**Author:** ![Siedlerchr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/discourse.jabref.org/siedlerchr/32/216_2.png) [@Siedlerchr](https://discourse.jabref.org/u/Siedlerchr)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://discourse.jabref.org/t/custom-export-author-replace/3727/4 "2023-02-11T16:52:48Z")

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Hm,

okay, for us it would be easier if you could share us the whole export (you can send it also privately to [web@jabref.org](mailto:web@jabref.org)) so we can better see where it breaks or what could be the cause