"Replace" unformats text

[Terry Vogelaar (de Mare)]

I'm doubting whether this belongs on the improve list or the use list. 
But since I just need a workaround for now, I decided to choose the Use 
list.

I tried to set the htmltext of a field to some html file. That worked 
OK; the text appeared formatted. But then I used "replace return & 
return & return with return & return" in that field, and all the 
formatting was gone.

Is there a way to maintain the text formatting, while replacing those 
ugly double white lines by single white lines? Or is GREPing through 
the HTML code the only way?

Terry