<![CDATA[Search in files]]>Is this is a bug?
Precondition: I have a file open in notepad++ and the file content is currently out of sync.
Problem: When I search via find-in-files and the opened file is in the same folder, then only the out of sync content for this file is searched. I would expect that it is searched the complete content of the folder, independent what is open.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/topic/20602/search-in-filesRSS for NodeSat, 08 Aug 2026 19:26:09 GMTFri, 15 Jan 2021 09:10:48 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:31:50 GMT]]>Searching the disk content of an open file is problematic…because, well, how does N++ do this type of searching?
It opens the file into a tab that isn’t shown to the user, for each file searched. Since it can’t easily open two tabs for the same file (hmmm, cloned view does it, though…?), this type of thing isn’t allowed.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61846https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61846Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:31:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:02:42 GMT]]>@stefan-vienna said in Search in files:

But this is not intuitive

Oddly, to me, it would be less intuitive for a text editor’s “search” function to search the disk contents instead of what was actively in the editor (and in some cases – like a new file – be completely meaningless).

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61844https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61844Fri, 15 Jan 2021 16:02:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:48:03 GMT]]>Hello, @stefan-vienna, @ekopalypse, @alan-kilborn and All,

@stefan-vienna :

  • Open a CMD prompt window

  • Type in the command notepad++ -multiInst -nosession and valid

=> A new N++ instance should open with, only, the new 1 tab

  • Open the Find in Files dialog of that new instance

  • Perform your searches

This time, it will search ONLY  inside true saved files, even if some of these are presently modified by an other N++ instance ;-))

Best Regards,

guy038

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61842https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61842Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:48:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:12:55 GMT]]>@Ekopalypse aha ok. But this is not intuitive. For the open buffer exists the option “find in open files”

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61839https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61839Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:12:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:09:56 GMT]]>I am reading log files which are being constantly written.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61837https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61837Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:09:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:51:46 GMT]]>@stefan-vienna

I suppose if you really want to search the saved-file and not the open-buffer, and you have no other good way of searching available to you (an independent utility of some sort, say), you could start another instance of N++ and use that to search it.

For myself I rarely make a lot of changes to a file that I don’t intend to keep. Thus I’m on the “save” key often. Thus for me “saved-file” and “open-buffer” are the same thing, so I don’t run into the situation.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61827https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61827Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:51:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Search in files on Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:24:29 GMT]]>@stefan-vienna

it is expected, open buffer beats saved file.

]]>https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61826https://community.notepad-plus-plus.org/post/61826Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:24:29 GMT