# \[Solved\] Apply pattern and rule correctly

**URL:** <https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Created:** [May 23, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060 "2020-05-23T12:45:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![servicewolfram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@servicewolfram](https://community.wolfram.com/u/servicewolfram)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060/1 "2020-05-23T12:45:16Z")

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Hi all,  
I’m just beginning to learn about patterns and rules.  
How would I have to write the following rule, so that the enclosing list does not get processed by it?  
(Meaning: How do I get rid of the first “x”?)

```
{1, 2, 3, a, b, c} /. {i_Integer -> i*2, s_Symbol -> x}
x[2, 4, 6, x, x, x]

```

Thank you very much!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![mhelmle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@mhelmle](https://community.wolfram.com/u/mhelmle)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060/2 "2020-05-23T13:44:43Z")

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{1, 2, 3, a, b, c} /. {i\_Integer → i\*2,  
s\_Symbol /; Head[s] != List → x}

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![servicewolfram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@servicewolfram](https://community.wolfram.com/u/servicewolfram)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:03pm UTC](https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060/3 "2020-05-23T14:03:01Z")

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Hmm, that doesn’t work, I’m afraid.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dontdont9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/54ee81/32.png) [@dontdont9](https://community.wolfram.com/u/dontdont9)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060/4 "2020-05-23T14:29:07Z")

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Try

```
Replace[{1, 2, 3, a, b, c}, {i_Integer -> i*2, s_ -> x}, {1}]

```

which gives me

```
{2,4,6,x,x,x}

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![servicewolfram](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@servicewolfram](https://community.wolfram.com/u/servicewolfram)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2020, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.wolfram.com/t/solved-apply-pattern-and-rule-correctly/16060/5 "2020-05-23T14:35:10Z")

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That did the trick. Thank you!