edit_block
Apply surgical edits to files by replacing specific text strings. Supports text files, Excel ranges, and DOCX XML. Uses minimal unique context to ensure accurate modifications.
Instructions
Apply surgical edits to files.
BEST PRACTICE: Make multiple small, focused edits rather than one large edit.
Each edit_block call should change only what needs to be changed - include just enough
context to uniquely identify the text being modified.
FORMAT HANDLING (by extension):
EXCEL FILES (.xlsx, .xls, .xlsm) - Range Update mode:
Takes:
- file_path: Path to the Excel file
- range: ALWAYS use FROM:TO format - "SheetName!A1:C10" or "SheetName!C1:C1"
- content: 2D array, e.g., [["H1","H2"],["R1","R2"]]
TEXT FILES - Find/Replace mode:
Takes:
- file_path: Path to the file to edit
- old_string: Text to replace
- new_string: Replacement text
- expected_replacements: Optional number of replacements (default: 1)
DOCX FILES (.docx) - XML Find/Replace mode:
Takes same parameters as text files (old_string, new_string, expected_replacements).
Operates on the pretty-printed XML inside the DOCX — the same XML you see from
read_file with offset/length. Copy XML fragments from read output as old_string.
After editing, the XML is repacked into a valid DOCX.
Also searches headers/footers if not found in document body.
Examples:
- Replace text: old_string="<w:t>Old Text</w:t>" new_string="<w:t>New Text</w:t>"
- Change style: old_string='<w:pStyle w:val="Normal"/>' new_string='<w:pStyle w:val="Heading1"/>'
- Add content: include surrounding XML context in old_string, add new elements in new_string
By default, replaces only ONE occurrence of the search text.
To replace multiple occurrences, provide expected_replacements with
the exact number of matches expected.
UNIQUENESS REQUIREMENT: When expected_replacements=1 (default), include the minimal
amount of context necessary (typically 1-3 lines) before and after the change point,
with exact whitespace and indentation.
When editing multiple sections, make separate edit_block calls for each distinct change
rather than one large replacement.
When a close but non-exact match is found, a character-level diff is shown in the format:
common_prefix{-removed-}{+added+}common_suffix to help you identify what's different.
Similar to write_file, there is a configurable line limit (fileWriteLineLimit) that warns
if the edited file exceeds this limit. If this happens, consider breaking your edits into
smaller, more focused changes.
IMPORTANT: Always use absolute paths for reliability. Paths are automatically normalized regardless of slash direction. Relative paths may fail as they depend on the current working directory. Tilde paths (~/...) might not work in all contexts. Unless the user explicitly asks for relative paths, use absolute paths.
This command can be referenced as "DC: ..." or "use Desktop Commander to ..." in your instructions.Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| file_path | Yes | ||
| old_string | No | ||
| new_string | No | ||
| expected_replacements | No | ||
| range | No | ||
| content | No | ||
| options | No |