added Element.substitute()

git-svn-id: http://svn.code.sf.net/p/docutils/code/trunk/docutils@3866 929543f6-e4f2-0310-98a6-ba3bd3dd1d04

1 files changed, 11 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/docutils/nodes.py b/docutils/nodes.py
index af1ba59f5..b7ee898c0 100644
--- a/docutils/nodes.py
+++ b/docutils/nodes.py
@@ -569,6 +569,17 @@ class Element(Node):
         elif new is not None:
             self[index:index+1] = new
 
+    def substitute(self, new):
+        """
+        Substitute `new` for `self` node, where `new` is a node or
+        list of nodes.
+        """
+        if isinstance(new, Node):
+            new.update(self)
+        else:
+            new[0].update(self)
+        self.parent.replace(self, new)
+
     def first_child_matching_class(self, childclass, start=0, end=sys.maxint):
         """
         Return the index of the first child whose class exactly matches.