Word processor

Claim 1

A word processor comprising: a keyboard unit including character keys, a search key and a replace key, memory means for storing character queues entered from the keyboard; display means responsive to keyboard strokes for displaying on a display and entered character queue, and for displaying in a character queue input area of the display a SEARCH WORD character queue and a REPLACE WORD character queue entered from the keyboard; search means for finding an entered SEARCH WORD character queue among the character queues stored in the memory means in a search mode set by a stroke of the search key, said search means having first and second optional search modes, wherein in the first mode the search means searches for stored character queues having the same character form as the SEARCH WORD character queue, and wherein in the second mode the search means searches for stored character queues without regard to the character form of the SEARCH WORD character queue; and replace means for replacing each found instance of the SEARCH WORD character queue searched by the search means with an entered REPLACE WORD character queue, the replace means having a first optional replace mode in which the character form of the REPLACE WORD character queue remains unchanged from an original entered character form for each replacement of a found SEARCH WORD character queue, and a second optional replace mode in which the character form of the REPLACE WORD character queue is modified to coincide with that of each found SEARCH WORD being replaced, the replace means including determination means for determining in the optional second replacement mode whether the REPLACE WORD character queue is longer than the SEARCH WORD character queue, first modifying means responsive to the determination means for modifying the character form of the first n characters of the REPLACE WORD character queue to respectively coincide with the character form of the characters of the SEARCH WORD character queue when the REPLACE WORD character queue is longer than the SEARCH WORD character queue, n being the number of characters in the SEARCH WORD character queue, second modifying means responsive to the determination means for modifying the character form of the (n+1)th and all following characters of the REPLACE WORD character queue to coincide with the character form of the nth character of the REPLACE WORD character queue, as modified by said first modifying means, when the REPLACE WORD character queue is longer than the SEARCH WORD character queue, and replace display means for replacing each found SEARCH WORD character queue stored in the memory means with a REPLACE WORD character queue as modified by the first modifying means and the second modifying means, and for displaying the modified REPLACE WORD character queue on the display.