Documentation/git-grep.txt

   1 git-grep(1)
   2 ===========
   3
   4 NAME
   5 ----
   6 git-grep - Print lines matching a pattern
   7
   8
   9 SYNOPSIS
  10 --------
  11 [verse]
  12 'git grep' [-a | --text] [-I] [--textconv] [-i | --ignore-case] [-w | --word-regexp]
  13            [-v | --invert-match] [-h|-H] [--full-name]
  14            [-E | --extended-regexp] [-G | --basic-regexp]
  15            [-P | --perl-regexp]
  16            [-F | --fixed-strings] [-n | --line-number]
  17            [-l | --files-with-matches] [-L | --files-without-match]
  18            [(-O | --open-files-in-pager) [<pager>]]
  19            [-z | --null]
  20            [-c | --count] [--all-match] [-q | --quiet]
  21            [--max-depth <depth>]
  22            [--color[=<when>] | --no-color]
  23            [--break] [--heading] [-p | --show-function]
  24            [-A <post-context>] [-B <pre-context>] [-C <context>]
  25            [-W | --function-context]
  26            [--threads <num>]
  27            [-f <file>] [-e] <pattern>
  28            [--and|--or|--not|(|)|-e <pattern>...]
  29            [--recurse-submodules] [--parent-basename <basename>]
  30            [ [--[no-]exclude-standard] [--cached | --no-index | --untracked] | <tree>...]
  31            [--] [<pathspec>...]
  32
  33 DESCRIPTION
  34 -----------
  35 Look for specified patterns in the tracked files in the work tree, blobs
  36 registered in the index file, or blobs in given tree objects.  Patterns
  37 are lists of one or more search expressions separated by newline
  38 characters.  An empty string as search expression matches all lines.
  39
  40
  41 CONFIGURATION
  42 -------------
  43
  44 grep.lineNumber::
  45         If set to true, enable `-n` option by default.
  46
  47 grep.patternType::
  48         Set the default matching behavior. Using a value of 'basic', 'extended',
  49         'fixed', or 'perl' will enable the `--basic-regexp`, `--extended-regexp`,
  50         `--fixed-strings`, or `--perl-regexp` option accordingly, while the
  51         value 'default' will return to the default matching behavior.
  52
  53 grep.extendedRegexp::
  54         If set to true, enable `--extended-regexp` option by default. This
  55         option is ignored when the `grep.patternType` option is set to a value
  56         other than 'default'.
  57
  58 grep.threads::
  59         Number of grep worker threads to use.  If unset (or set to 0),
  60         8 threads are used by default (for now).
  61
  62 grep.fullName::
  63         If set to true, enable `--full-name` option by default.
  64
  65 grep.fallbackToNoIndex::
  66         If set to true, fall back to git grep --no-index if git grep
  67         is executed outside of a git repository.  Defaults to false.
  68
  69
  70 OPTIONS
  71 -------
  72 --cached::
  73         Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search
  74         blobs registered in the index file.
  75
  76 --no-index::
  77         Search files in the current directory that is not managed by Git.
  78
  79 --untracked::
  80         In addition to searching in the tracked files in the working
  81         tree, search also in untracked files.
  82
  83 --no-exclude-standard::
  84         Also search in ignored files by not honoring the `.gitignore`
  85         mechanism. Only useful with `--untracked`.
  86
  87 --exclude-standard::
  88         Do not pay attention to ignored files specified via the `.gitignore`
  89         mechanism.  Only useful when searching files in the current directory
  90         with `--no-index`.
  91
  92 --recurse-submodules::
  93         Recursively search in each submodule that has been initialized and
  94         checked out in the repository.  When used in combination with the
  95         <tree> option the prefix of all submodule output will be the name of
  96         the parent project's <tree> object.
  97
  98 -a::
  99 --text::
 100         Process binary files as if they were text.
 101
 102 --textconv::
 103         Honor textconv filter settings.
 104
 105 --no-textconv::
 106         Do not honor textconv filter settings.
 107         This is the default.
 108
 109 -i::
 110 --ignore-case::
 111         Ignore case differences between the patterns and the
 112         files.
 113
 114 -I::
 115         Don't match the pattern in binary files.
 116
 117 --max-depth <depth>::
 118         For each <pathspec> given on command line, descend at most <depth>
 119         levels of directories. A negative value means no limit.
 120         This option is ignored if <pathspec> contains active wildcards.
 121         In other words if "a*" matches a directory named "a*",
 122         "*" is matched literally so --max-depth is still effective.
 123
 124 -w::
 125 --word-regexp::
 126         Match the pattern only at word boundary (either begin at the
 127         beginning of a line, or preceded by a non-word character; end at
 128         the end of a line or followed by a non-word character).
 129
 130 -v::
 131 --invert-match::
 132         Select non-matching lines.
 133
 134 -h::
 135 -H::
 136         By default, the command shows the filename for each
 137         match.  `-h` option is used to suppress this output.
 138         `-H` is there for completeness and does not do anything
 139         except it overrides `-h` given earlier on the command
 140         line.
 141
 142 --full-name::
 143         When run from a subdirectory, the command usually
 144         outputs paths relative to the current directory.  This
 145         option forces paths to be output relative to the project
 146         top directory.
 147
 148 -E::
 149 --extended-regexp::
 150 -G::
 151 --basic-regexp::
 152         Use POSIX extended/basic regexp for patterns.  Default
 153         is to use basic regexp.
 154
 155 -P::
 156 --perl-regexp::
 157         Use Perl-compatible regular expressions for patterns.
 158 +
 159 Support for these types of regular expressions is an optional
 160 compile-time dependency. If Git wasn't compiled with support for them
 161 providing this option will cause it to die.
 162
 163 -F::
 164 --fixed-strings::
 165         Use fixed strings for patterns (don't interpret pattern
 166         as a regex).
 167
 168 -n::
 169 --line-number::
 170         Prefix the line number to matching lines.
 171
 172 -l::
 173 --files-with-matches::
 174 --name-only::
 175 -L::
 176 --files-without-match::
 177         Instead of showing every matched line, show only the
 178         names of files that contain (or do not contain) matches.
 179         For better compatibility with 'git diff', `--name-only` is a
 180         synonym for `--files-with-matches`.
 181
 182 -O[<pager>]::
 183 --open-files-in-pager[=<pager>]::
 184         Open the matching files in the pager (not the output of 'grep').
 185         If the pager happens to be "less" or "vi", and the user
 186         specified only one pattern, the first file is positioned at
 187         the first match automatically. The `pager` argument is
 188         optional; if specified, it must be stuck to the option
 189         without a space. If `pager` is unspecified, the default pager
 190         will be used (see `core.pager` in linkgit:git-config[1]).
 191
 192 -z::
 193 --null::
 194         Output \0 instead of the character that normally follows a
 195         file name.
 196
 197 -c::
 198 --count::
 199         Instead of showing every matched line, show the number of
 200         lines that match.
 201
 202 --color[=<when>]::
 203         Show colored matches.
 204         The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.
 205
 206 --no-color::
 207         Turn off match highlighting, even when the configuration file
 208         gives the default to color output.
 209         Same as `--color=never`.
 210
 211 --break::
 212         Print an empty line between matches from different files.
 213
 214 --heading::
 215         Show the filename above the matches in that file instead of
 216         at the start of each shown line.
 217
 218 -p::
 219 --show-function::
 220         Show the preceding line that contains the function name of
 221         the match, unless the matching line is a function name itself.
 222         The name is determined in the same way as 'git diff' works out
 223         patch hunk headers (see 'Defining a custom hunk-header' in
 224         linkgit:gitattributes[5]).
 225
 226 -<num>::
 227 -C <num>::
 228 --context <num>::
 229         Show <num> leading and trailing lines, and place a line
 230         containing `--` between contiguous groups of matches.
 231
 232 -A <num>::
 233 --after-context <num>::
 234         Show <num> trailing lines, and place a line containing
 235         `--` between contiguous groups of matches.
 236
 237 -B <num>::
 238 --before-context <num>::
 239         Show <num> leading lines, and place a line containing
 240         `--` between contiguous groups of matches.
 241
 242 -W::
 243 --function-context::
 244         Show the surrounding text from the previous line containing a
 245         function name up to the one before the next function name,
 246         effectively showing the whole function in which the match was
 247         found.
 248
 249 --threads <num>::
 250         Number of grep worker threads to use.
 251         See `grep.threads` in 'CONFIGURATION' for more information.
 252
 253 -f <file>::
 254         Read patterns from <file>, one per line.
 255
 256 -e::
 257         The next parameter is the pattern. This option has to be
 258         used for patterns starting with `-` and should be used in
 259         scripts passing user input to grep.  Multiple patterns are
 260         combined by 'or'.
 261
 262 --and::
 263 --or::
 264 --not::
 265 ( ... )::
 266         Specify how multiple patterns are combined using Boolean
 267         expressions.  `--or` is the default operator.  `--and` has
 268         higher precedence than `--or`.  `-e` has to be used for all
 269         patterns.
 270
 271 --all-match::
 272         When giving multiple pattern expressions combined with `--or`,
 273         this flag is specified to limit the match to files that
 274         have lines to match all of them.
 275
 276 -q::
 277 --quiet::
 278         Do not output matched lines; instead, exit with status 0 when
 279         there is a match and with non-zero status when there isn't.
 280
 281 <tree>...::
 282         Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search
 283         blobs in the given trees.
 284
 285 \--::
 286         Signals the end of options; the rest of the parameters
 287         are <pathspec> limiters.
 288
 289 <pathspec>...::
 290         If given, limit the search to paths matching at least one pattern.
 291         Both leading paths match and glob(7) patterns are supported.
 292 +
 293 For more details about the <pathspec> syntax, see the 'pathspec' entry
 294 in linkgit:gitglossary[7].
 295
 296 EXAMPLES
 297 --------
 298
 299 `git grep 'time_t' -- '*.[ch]'`::
 300         Looks for `time_t` in all tracked .c and .h files in the working
 301         directory and its subdirectories.
 302
 303 `git grep -e '#define' --and \( -e MAX_PATH -e PATH_MAX \)`::
 304         Looks for a line that has `#define` and either `MAX_PATH` or
 305         `PATH_MAX`.
 306
 307 `git grep --all-match -e NODE -e Unexpected`::
 308         Looks for a line that has `NODE` or `Unexpected` in
 309         files that have lines that match both.
 310
 311 `git grep solution -- :^Documentation`::
 312         Looks for `solution`, excluding files in `Documentation`.
 313
 314 GIT
 315 ---
 316 Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite