lcStr = "a [1] b [2] c [3] d [4] e [5] ... [9]"
loRegEx = NEWOBJECT("VBScript.RegExp")
loRegEx.Pattern = "\[([1-9])\]"
loRegEx.Global = .T.
lcNewStr = loRegEx.Replace(lcStr, "[0$1]")

? lcStr
? lcNewStr

>>Try the following:
>>

>>oRegEx = NEWOBJECT("VBScript.RegExp")
>>oRegEx.Pattern = "\[(\d)\]"
>>cFile = oRegEx.Replace(cFile, "[0$1]")
>>

>
>thanks rob - no effect i'm afraid but i'm wondering if this is addressing the change i am looking for (I am trying to understand your replace code "[0$1]" and have modified it a couple of times without success.
>
>basically the text looks something like this
>
>asdfghjkl [1]
>
>and i want it to look like this
>
>asdfghjkl [01]
>
>
>thanks
>k