Suggestion: Find in Files from command line

[Alan Kilborn]

@Vitaliy-Dovgan said in Suggestion: Find in Files from command line:

The already existing solutions for searching in files

Well, I think in reality that list is going to be a bit of a long one.

Another one for the list is PowerGREP . It’s certainly not “free”, but I don’t know if a list of these types of alternatives should only list free programs?

Actually, I don’t use PowerGREP any longer. What I’ve found is that RegexBuddy (also not free) has a little “grepper” built into it that is very capable and produces output much like Notepad++'s Search results window. No command line options, though, but in truth, I don’t think I’ve ever had a need for such a thing.

[Ekopalypse]

@Alan-Kilborn

I’m using Filelocator Lite, which is now called AgentRansack . Nice, but something built into Npp might make me uninstall it.

[Michael Vincent]

@Vitaliy-Dovgan said in Suggestion: Find in Files from command line:

The already existing solutions for searching in files are:

AstroGrep ( http://astrogrep.sourceforge.net/ ) - only searching, no replacing, wide command line arguments
Searcher ( https://sourceforge.net/projects/searcher/ ) - only searching, no replacing, no command line arguments
Text Crawler ( https://www.digitalvolcano.co.uk/textcrawler.html ) - searching & replacing, wide command line arguments

@Alan-Kilborn

Another one for the list is PowerGREP.

@Ekopalypse

I’m using Filelocator Lite

Am I the only one using good old command line grep?

Cheers.

[Ekopalypse]

@Michael-Vincent

‘grep’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

?? hmmm … maybe that is the reason why I’m not using it :-D

[PeterJones]

@Michael-Vincent ,

Am I the only one using good old command line grep?

No. I personally use the old gnuwin32 grep , though it wouldn’t surprise me if there were more modern (or 64bit) versions ported to windows executables.

@Ekopalypse (sorry for the snarky reply, but your phrasing required such)

‘grep’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,

The same errors happen for me when I try to run an application on my PC that I haven’t installed – like, for instance, the FileLocator/AgentRansack that you mentioned:

>where filelocator
INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).

>where agentransack
INFO: Could not find files for the given pattern(s).

>filelocator
'filelocator' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

>agentransack
'agentransack' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

>where grep
C:\usr\local\bin\grep.exe

>grep --version
GNU grep 2.5.4

Copyright (C) 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

maybe that is the reason why I’m not using it :-D

That’s not likely the reason, because it’s as easy (or easier) to install gnuwin32 grep as it is to install the FileLocator/AgentRansack.

[Ekopalypse]

Ahh - I had understood that this was a system tool.

[Michael Vincent]

@PeterJones
@Ekopalypse

I have grep.exe installed in my C:\usr\bin\ directory along with Git for Windows (which supplies it’s own grep), but I prefer the GnuWin32 version.

Cheers.

[PeterJones]

Personally, I tend to keep my command line and GUI programs separate. I’ll let a GUI program like Notepad++ do what it’s good at, and a command-line tool like grep do what it’s good at. If I want command-line power, I use a command-line tool (and usually something written originally for linux and ported to windows); when I want a graphical environment, I use a native win32 application.

Thus, if I’ve already got one of the files I want to search open in Notepad++, I will pull up the Find In Files and have it recursively search the directory structure relative to the current file. But if I have something I’m trying to find elsewhere (more often the case), or if I want a lot of fine control on command-line-style arguments, I’m more likely to pull out grep. (which explains why I’m not likely to use the -ff... args that Vitaly suggested.

But I can see for someone who prefers to always use a GUI for their grepping results, whether started from the GUI or from the command line, I could see the benefit of having that grepping be part of Notepad++ rather than having a specialty GUI app like those mentioned by others.

[Alan Kilborn]

…but something built into Npp might make me uninstall it.

I think we’re overlooking something.
Notepad++ isn’t a great searching tool.
There, I’ve said it. :-)
I await the flames.

[Alan Kilborn]

…grep…

Maybe grep isn’t great for multiple directories that aren’t in the same tree? Too much to specify, or maybe there’s a nice way to do something like that via a config file?

Specifying such a thing is problematic even for the best tools.
It is a weakness for Notepad++ as well.

Plus grep uses yare (yet another regex engine).
The grepper in RegexBuddy allows me to pick the regex engine I want to use (typically I set it to the same one as N++, i.e., Boost).

<start_unpaid_commercial>
RegexBuddy really is a great value, for I think 35USD.
</end_upaid_commercial>

[Ekopalypse]

@Alan-Kilborn - to quote the famous “how dare are you??” :-D

To be honest, I never had a problem with it. Yes, there are better solutions, like the one I posted, but for what I use it for, it’s good enough. Maybe because I only use utf8 encoded files.

[Alan Kilborn]

@Ekopalypse said in Suggestion: Find in Files from command line:

how dare are you?

:-)

N++'s searching is slow, and as previously mentioned, how does one search several different trees? Also, you can’t do anything else with it while it is conducting a search.

It’s perfectly fine for most things (interactive find-next, find all in current file, …), but when you get into searching a lot of files, well there are other and better ways to skin that cat.

And since that is what the beginning of this thread was about (automating an already not-great feature), I say “meh” to the original idea. Not something I’d use. But I respect those that would, and their opinions on the topic.

[Ekopalypse]

@Alan-Kilborn

The idea is great, because then I can start a new instance easily and it is not blocking my current instance.

[Alan Kilborn]

@Ekopalypse said in Suggestion: Find in Files from command line:

The idea is great, because then I can start a new instance easily and it is not blocking my current instance.

If I’m considering “calling out” like that, I’ll call out to a more capable searching program. :-)
And when that more-capable program shows me the hits and I want to go to one of them, I’ll have that program call back into Notepad++ to take me to the file and hit line.

[Ekopalypse]

@Alan-Kilborn

I’m not sure I understand, but in the end it depends on personal preference anyway.
I mean, if I use Npp because of its search function, then I think I’m using the wrong tool for the job.
On the other hand, if I mainly edit, then it’s good to have a powerful search function like Npp has, and if it can be easily launched from Npp and doesn’t block me - all the better.

[Alan Kilborn]

@Ekopalypse

Well, in theory we could put together all we know and create the desired functionality via scripting…if it isn’t picked up natively. There’d be a lot of individual pieces, but I can’t think of anything that would be a “stopper”.

[Ekopalypse]

@Alan-Kilborn

Yes, that (usually) always works :-D

[Alan Kilborn]

@Ekopalypse

And some of the pieces are:

• invoke new instance of N++ with new parameters on the command line
• command line pickoff of parameters (@Ekopalypse has showed us how to do this in the past)
• invoking of the Find in Files dialog after N++ startup
• filling in the fields on Find in Files with command line data
• starting the Find in Files running

So, okay, only 4 basic steps, but some of those steps have a lot of “meat” to them.

I don’t know that I have sufficient interest in the base topic to work up a script, but the script-writer in me thinks that writing it would be more fun than using it would be useful. :-)

[artie-finkelstein]

YAREST (Yet Another Regular Expression Search Tool)

I use grepWin from Stefans Tools .

It’s FOSS, it’s also available in the PortableApps.com platform, it uses Boost (or plain text) for searching, it can be easily configured to invoke Npp at the desired found line [ grepWin :: Settings > Editor ]:

C:\programs\Notepad++\notepad++.exe -n%line% "%path%"

it works well as a Run menu command:

<Command name="grepWin" Ctrl="no" Alt="no" Shift="no" Key="0">grepWin /searchpath:&quot;$(CURRENT_DIRECTORY)&quot; /filemask:&quot;*.*&quot;</Command>

and I find it nicely bridges the CL/GUI divide. It took a very small amount of work (a batch file wrapper) to make it assume folder and file extension defaults as I prefer them for regular CL invocations. [But sometimes I’ll still fire up GnuWin32 grep (for one thing it’s less to type <grin>)]

[Alan Kilborn]

@artie-finkelstein said in Suggestion: Find in Files from command line:

grepWin…it uses Boost

That it uses Boost’s regex engine is a bit obscure – it doesn’t seem to advertise that – is a definite plus for N++ users that are used to it for searching.