Emacs Search with fzf, ripgrep, ivy, counsel, consult, vertico

Emacs: Search and Replace Basics

isearch - basic search for text or regex in buffer

• Basic search in buffer using isearch-forward default C-s or isearch-forward default C-r
  • Search forward to next match: C-s and previous match backward: C-r
  • Cancel search: C-g
• Only matches characters, not regex
• To use regex, use isearch-forward-regexp default C-M-s or isearch-backward-regexp default C-M-r

Suggested configurations

;; isearch: Display a counter showing the number of the current and other matches
;; Place it before the prompt
;; from https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2023-06-10-emacs-search-replace-basics/
(setq isearch-lazy-count t)
(setq lazy-count-prefix-format "%s/%s ")
(setq lazy-count-suffix-format nil)

;; Make regular Isearch interpret the empty space as a regular
;; expression that matches any character between the words you give
;; it.
(setq search-whitespace-regexp ".*?")

occur - search results buffer

• Search with list using occur
  • Opens new buffer with search results, going on each result will move to match in original buffer
  • Usually activated with C-c while in minibuffer search results
• Can combine isearch with occur to feed search results to occur
  • Search in isearch regularly, then call occur with M-s o inside isearch to get search results in new buffer
• Combine occur with query-replace in occur search results
  • Use M-s o to get search results in new buffer, then activate editing in occur buffer use M-% to replace in search results buffer and make changes in occur using C-c C-c
  • Can be combined with keyboard macros to make changes to search results in the file
• Similar flow works with tools with ripgrep results and ivy-occur and embark (embark-export) and occur-edit-mode

query-replace - search and replace text in buffer

• Using query-replace or M-%
  • Asks for search text and replacement text
  • Use y to replace, n to skip, ! to replace all
• Can combine isearch with query-replace
  • isearch (regular or regex version) then activate query-replace in isearch minibuffer
  • Can be combined to use regex search and regex replacements, for example using match groups

dired - search and replace in file explorer

• Can use grep in a dired buffer
  • For example, such for text “volunteer” in all org files in directory: grep --color=auto -nH --null -e "volunteer" *.org
  • Will open buffer with search results
  • Change grep results using wgrep to editable mode C-c C-p or wgrep-change-to-wgrep-mode
  • Grep in directory, change search results: grep and search, C-c C-p or wgrep-change-to-wgrep-mode
    • Change search results save or abort: C-x C-s (save) or C-c C-k (abort)

consult - command wrappers with minibuffer enhancements

• Go to line with search result: consult-line
• Go to heading in buffer based on major mode: consult-outline
• Grep files in directory: consult-grep, consult-rg (using ripgrep)

embark - allows context sensitive actions

• Call embark in consult-grep to get grep buffer

About fzf fuzzy search

• fuzzy match inserts wildcard between each letter, in sequence, not specific pattern

Using fzf with ivy

Using counsel-fzf

• Use fzf to find files, fzf uses current working directory, then use ivy actions M-o to execute actions on the results such as:
  • copy
  • dired
  • xdg-open
  • change root directory
  • use ripgrep on directory
• In search results use ivy-occur to get buffer of results C-c C-o

Using ripgrep with ivy

Using counsel-rg or rg or projectile-ripgrep

• Ripgrep searches root of current git repository, then use ivy actions M-o to execute actions on the results such as:
  • copy
  • find files with fzf in root directory

Ivy-posframe

;; This one draws the line for the current match. The`:inherit' part gives it a background and a foreground value.
`(ivy-current-match ((,class (:inherit modus-theme-special-mild :weight bold :underline t))))
;; And here are all the face for `ivy-posframe'
   `(ivy-posframe ((,class (:background ,bg-dim :foreground ,fg-main))))
   `(ivy-posframe-border ((,class (:background ,bg-active))))
   `(ivy-posframe-cursor ((,class (:inherit cursor))))

See Also

• fzf fuzzy finder Snippets - fzf Fuzzy Finder Snippets

Resources

• Emacs: fuzzy find files (fzf, ripgrep, Ivy+Counsel)
• prot-ivy-deprecated-conf.el
• Emacs: search and replace basics - Prot on YouTube