grug-far.nvim

Find And Replace plugin for neovim

Grug find! Grug replace! Grug happy!

✨ Features

• Search using the full power of rg or ast-grep
• Replace using almost the full power of rg or ast-grep. For example, for rg, some flags such as --binary and --json, etc. are blacklisted in order to prevent unexpected output. The UI will warn you and prevent replace when using such flags.
• Automatic debounced search or manual search on leaving insert mode (and normal mode changes)
• Open search results in quickfix list
• Goto file/line/column of match when pressing <Enter> in normal mode on lines in the results output (keybind configurable).
• Inline edit result lines and sync them back to their originating file locations using a configurable keybinding.
• Manual/auto-save search history and reload
• Syntax highlighted search results
• Search results folding
• Multiline search & replace
• "Preview" result source while "scrolling" through results
• Replace using lua interpreted replacement for each match

Searching:

Replacing:

More screenshots:

#### Rg teaching you its ways #### Help: #### History: #### Ast-grep multiline search and replace: #### Ast-grep debug-query #### Ripgrep with lua interpreted replacement  #### Astgrep with vimscript interpreted replacement 

🤔 Philosophy

1. strives for reduced mental overhead. All actions you can take and as much help as possible is in your face (some configurable). Grug often forget how to do capture groups or which flag does what.
2. transparency. Does not try to hide away the underlying tool. For instance, error messages from rg are shown as they are actually quite friendly when you mess up your regex. You can gradually learn rg or ast-grep flags or use existing knowledge from running it in the CLI. You can even input the --help flag to see the full rg help or the --debug-query=ast flag to debug your ast-grep query. Grug like!
3. reuse muscle memory. Does not try to block any type of buffer edits, such as deleting lines, etc. It's very easy to get such things wrong and when you do, Grug becomes unable to modify text in the middle of writing a large regex. Grug mad!! Only ensures graceful recovery in order to preserve basic UI integrity (possible due to the magic of extmarks). Recovery should be simple undo away.
4. uniformity. only uses one tool for both search and applying replace to keep things consistent. For example, does not combine rg with other tools like sed, even though rg does not support replacement directly. One should not have to worry about compatibility differences when writing regexes. Additionally it opens the door to use many fancy rg flags such as different regex engine that would not be possible in a mixed environment. There is currently one small exception for this due to the fact that ast-grep does not currently support something like a --glob flag, so we have to filter files through rg, but hopefully that can be rectified in the future.

⚡️ Requirements

• Neovim >= 0.10.0
• BurntSushi/ripgrep >= 14 recommended
• a Nerd Font (optional)
• ast-grep (optional) if you would like to use the ast-grep search engine. Version >= 0.25.7 if you would like context lines flags to work. Version >= 0.28.0 recommended for better performance as it has builtin --globs support.
• either nvim-web-devicons or mini.icons for file icons support (optional)

Run :checkhealth grug-far if you see unexpected issues.

📦 Installation

Using lazy.nvim:

  {
    'MagicDuck/grug-far.nvim',
    config = function()
      require('grug-far').setup({
        -- options, see Configuration section below
        -- there are no required options atm
        -- engine = 'ripgrep' is default, but 'astgrep' can be specified
      });
    end
  },

⚙️ Configuration

grug-far.nvim comes with the following:

• default options
• highlights

Note on the key mappings: By default, grug-far, will use <localleader> for it's keymaps as that is the vim recommended way for plugins. See https://learnvimscriptthehardway.stevelosh.com/chapters/11.html#local-leader

So to use that, make sure you have <localleader> configured. For example, to use , as the local leader:

vim.g.maplocalleader = ','

🚀 Usage

Opening and editing

You can open a new grug-far.nvim vertical split buffer with the :GrugFar command. Note that command supports the typical command-modifiers like botright, aboveleft, etc. and visual ranges. In visual mode, the command will pre-fill the search string with the current visual selection. Possibly best to map a keybind to it for easy triggering. Since it's just a buffer, you can edit in it as you see fit. The UI will try to guide you along and recover gracefully if you do things like ggVGd (delete all lines). Ultimately it leaves the power in your hands, and in any case recovery is just a few u taps away.

You can create multiple such buffers with potentially different searches, which will reflect in each buffer's title (configurable). The buffers should be visible in the buffers list if you need to toggle to them.

Searching and replacing

Search and replace is accomplished by simply typing text on appropriately marked lines. Search will happen in a debounced manner as you type. In the options, you can also specify a minimum number of characters that one has to enter before search is triggered. You can also specify a files filter to narrow down your search and more ripgrep flags to refine it further. Error messages from ripgrep when entering invalid flags and so on are displayed to guide you along.

Note: When replacing matches with the empty string, you will be prompted to confirm, as the change is not visible in the results area due to UI considering it just a search. If you would like to see the actual replacement in the results area, add --replace= to the flags.

Replacing each match with the result of an interpreted script

Some situations require the power of arbitrary code executed for each search to determine the proper replacements. In those cases, you can use the Swap Replacement Interpreter action to switch to a desired replacement interpreter, such as lua or vimscript. For example with the lua interpreter, this will allow you to write multi-line lua code, essentially the body of a lua function, in the Replace: input.

You can use match to refer to each match and need to return the value you want to be the replacement. In the case of the astgrep engine, you will also have access to the meta variables by accessing them through the vars table. ex: $A is referred to by vars.A, $$$ARGS is referred to by vars.ARGS.

It is a similar situation for the vimscript interpreter.

Syncing results lines back to originating files

It is possible to sync the text of the lines in the results area back to their originating files. This operation is either done on the current cursor line (Sync Line), or on all lines (Sync All).

A sync will happen only if a line has changed in some way compared to the source file, so if there's either a replacement taking place or you have manually edited it.

Deleting result lines will cause them to be excluded from being synced by Sync All action. This can be a nice way to refine a replacement in some situations if you want to exclude a particular file or some particular matches.

Note: sync is only supported by ripgrep engine. The following explanation is ripgrep engine specific:

If you don't edit the results list, Sync All and Replace have equivalent outcomes, except for one case. When you do multi-line replace with --multiline and --multiline-dot-all flags, sync won't work so you have to use replace. Essentially the difference it that Replace runs rg --replace=... --passthrough on each file and does not depend at all on what's in the results area. Sync All does a line by line sync based on what's in the results area.

Note: changing the <line-number>:<column>: prefix of result lines will disable sync for that line

Note: sync is disabled when doing multiline replacement (--multiline flag)

Note: if you would like sync to work when doing a replacement with empty string, please add --replace= to the flags.

Going to / Opening / Previewing Result Location

When the cursor is placed on a result file path, you can go to that file by pressing <enter> in normal mode (Goto action default keybind). When it's placed over a result match line, you will be taken to the file/line/column of the match. By default, the file buffer is opened in the last window you were in before opening grug-far, which is typically the other vertical split.

If you would like to do the same thing, but have the cursor stay in place, you can use the Open action instead.

Note: for both Goto and Open actions, if a <count> is entered beforehand, the location corresponding to <count> result line is used instead of the current cursor line. You can set the option resultLocation.showNumberLabel = true if you would like to have a visual indication of the <count>.

In order to smoothly Open each result location in sequence, you can use the Open Next and Open Prev actions.

If you would like to keep the buffers layout, you can use the Preview action instead, which will open location in a floating window.

Opening result lines in quickfix list

Result lines can be opened in the quickfix list. Deleting result lines will cause them not to be included.

Note: changing the <line-number>:<column>: prefix of result lines will remove lines from consideration

Note: quickfix list is disabled when doing multiline replacement (--multiline flag)

History

grug-far can keep track of your search history. This is done either by manually adding a history entry with History Add action or automatically on certain successful actions like Replace and Sync All.

When you would like to pick one of your history entries to reuse, you can use the History Open action to open the search history as a buffer. From there you can pick an entry that will be auto-filled in.

Note that you can edit the history buffer and save just like any other buffer if you need to do some cleanup. The format of a history entry is:

<optional comment, ex: My special search>
Engine: <astgrep|ripgrep>(|lua)?
Search: <text>
Replace: <text>
Files Filter: <text>
Flags: <text>

where <text> can span multiple line with the aid of a "continuation prefix" (|). ex:

Replace: something
| additional replace text
| more replace text

History entries are separated by one or more empty lines.

Note: grug-far will ignore lines that do not start with the prefixes above

Seeing the full rg search command

Sometimes, mostly for debug purposes, it's useful to see the full rg command that gets executed on search. You can toggle that on with the Toggle Show rg Command action, and the command will appear as the first thing in the search results area.

The command is shell-escaped, so you can copy and execute it in a shell manually if you need to.

Aborting

If you inadvertently launched a wrong search/sync/replace, you can abort early using the Abort action.

Swapping search engine

You can swap search engines with the Swap Engine action. Currently ripgrep (default) and astgrep are supported.

Closing

When you are done, it is recommended to close the buffer with the configured keybinding (see Configuration section above) or just :bd in order to save on resources as some search results can be quite beefy in size. The advantage of using the Close action as opposed to just :bd is that it will ask you to confirm if there is a replace/sync in progress, as those would be aborted.

Filetype

Note that grug-far.nvim buffers will have filetype=grug-far, history buffers will have filetype=grug-far-history and help will have filetype=grug-far-help if you need filter/exclude them in any situations. Excluding seems to be necessary with copilot at the time of writing this.

⚒️ Lua API

For more control, you can programmatically open a grug-far buffer like so:

require('grug-far').open(opts)

If the above is called while in visual mode, it will pre-fill current visual selection as search text. (note, this will also set --fixed-strings flag as selection can contain special characters)

Note that if you want to pre-fill current visual selection from command mode, you would have to use:

:lua require('grug-far').with_visual_selection(opts)

(command mode is the only case where this is necessary in order to force using the visual selection)

where opts will be merged with and override the global plugin options configured at setup time.

See here for all the available options

For more API, see docs

🥪 Cookbook

Launch with the current word under the cursor as the search string

:lua require('grug-far').open({ prefills = { search = vim.fn.expand("<cword>") } })

Launch with ast-grep engine

:lua require('grug-far').open({ engine = 'astgrep' })

Launch as a transient buffer which is both unlisted and fully deletes itself when not in use

:lua require('grug-far').open({ transient = true })

Launch, limiting search/replace to current file

:lua require('grug-far').open({ prefills = { paths = vim.fn.expand("%") } })

Launch with the current visual selection, searching only current file

:<C-u>lua require('grug-far').with_visual_selection({ prefills = { paths = vim.fn.expand("%") } })

Toggle visibility of a particular instance and set title to a fixed string

:lua require('grug-far').toggle_instance({ instanceName="far", staticTitle="Find and Replace" })

Create a buffer local keybinding to toggle --fixed-strings flag

vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('FileType', {
  group =  vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('my-grug-far-custom-keybinds', { clear = true }),
  pattern = { 'grug-far' },
  callback = function()
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<localleader>w', function()
      local state = unpack(require('grug-far').toggle_flags({ '--fixed-strings' }))
      vim.notify('grug-far: toggled --fixed-strings ' .. (state and 'ON' or 'OFF'))
    end, { buffer = true })
  end,
})

Create a buffer local keybinding to open a result location and immediately close grug-far.nvim

vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('FileType', {
  group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('grug-far-keybindings', { clear = true }),
  pattern = { 'grug-far' },
  callback = function()
    vim.api.nvim_buf_set_keymap(0, 'n', '<C-enter>', '<localleader>o<localleader>c', {})
  end,
})

(where <localleader>o and <localleader>c are the default keybindings for Open and Close actions. You will need to change them if you set them to something different)

Create a buffer local keybinding to jump back to Search input

vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd('FileType', {
  group = vim.api.nvim_create_augroup('grug-far-keymap', { clear = true }),
  pattern = { 'grug-far' },
  callback = function()
    -- jump back to search input by hitting left arrow in normal mode:
    vim.keymap.set('n', '<left>', function()
      vim.api.nvim_win_set_cursor(vim.fn.bufwinid(0), { 2, 0 })
    end, { buffer = true })
  end,
})

Add nvim-tree integration to open search limited to focused directory or file

Create a hotkey z in nvim-tree that will create/open a named instance of grug-far with the current directory of the file or directory in focus. On the second trigger, path of the grug-far instance will be updated, leaving other fields intact.

Nvim tree lazy plugin setup

Small video of it in action: https://github.com/MagicDuck/grug-far.nvim/issues/165#issuecomment-2257439367 ```lua return { "nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua", dependencies = "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons", config = function() -- https://github.com/nvim-tree/nvim-tree.lua/blob/master/lua/nvim-tree.lua#L342 require("nvim-tree").setup { commands = { -- create a new neo-tree command grug_far_replace = function(state) local node = state.tree:get_node() local prefills = { -- get the current path and get the parent directory if a file is selected paths = node.type == "directory" and node:get_id() or vim.fn.fnamemodify(node:get_id(), ":h"), } local grug_far = require "grug-far" -- instance check if not grug_far.has_instance "explorer" then grug_far.open { instanceName = "explorer", prefills = prefills, staticTitle = "Find and Replace from Explorer", } else grug_far.open_instance "explorer" -- updating the prefills without clearing the search and other fields grug_far.update_instance_prefills("explorer", prefills, false) end end, }, window = { mappings = { -- map our new command to z z = "grug_far_replace", }, }, -- rest of your config } end, } ```

Add oil.nvim integration to open search limited to focused directory

Create a hotkey gs in oil.nvim that will create/open a named instance of grug-far with the current directory in focus. On the second trigger, path of the grug-far instance will be updated, leaving other fields intact.

Oil explorer lazy plugin setup

```lua return { "stevearc/oil.nvim", config = function() local oil = require "oil" oil.setup { keymaps = { -- create a new mapping, gs, to search and replace in the current directory gs = { callback = function() -- get the current directory local prefills = { paths = oil.get_current_dir() } local grug_far = require "grug-far" -- instance check if not grug_far.has_instance "explorer" then grug_far.open { instanceName = "explorer", prefills = prefills, staticTitle = "Find and Replace from Explorer", } else grug_far.open_instance "explorer" -- updating the prefills without clearing the search and other fields grug_far.update_instance_prefills("explorer", prefills, false) end end, desc = "oil: Search in directory", }, }, -- rest of your config } end, } ```

Add mini.files integration to open search limited to focused directory

Create a hotkey gs in mini.files that will create/open a named instance of grug-far with the current directory in focus. On the second trigger, the path of the grug-far instance will be updated, leaving other fields intact.

MiniFiles explorer lazy plugin setup

```lua return { "echasnovski/mini.files", config = function() local MiniFiles = require "mini.files" MiniFiles.setup({ -- your config }) local files_grug_far_replace = function(path) -- works only if cursor is on the valid file system entry local cur_entry_path = MiniFiles.get_fs_entry().path local prefills = { paths = vim.fs.dirname(cur_entry_path) } local grug_far = require "grug-far" -- instance check if not grug_far.has_instance "explorer" then grug_far.open { instanceName = "explorer", prefills = prefills, staticTitle = "Find and Replace from Explorer", } else grug_far.open_instance "explorer" -- updating the prefills without crealing the search and other fields grug_far.update_instance_prefills("explorer", prefills, false) end end vim.api.nvim_create_autocmd("User", { pattern = "MiniFilesBufferCreate", callback = function(args) vim.keymap.set("n", "gs", files_grug_far_replace, { buffer = args.data.buf_id, desc = "Search in directory" }) end, }) end, } ```

❓ Q&A

1. Getting RPC[Error] ... Document for URI could not be found: file:///.../Grug%20FAR%20-%20...

Chances are that you are using copilot.nvim and the fix is to exclude grug-far file types in copilot config:

filetypes = {
  ["grug-far"] = false,
  ["grug-far-history"] = false,
  ["grug-far-help"] = false,
}

📦 Similar Plugins / Inspiration

• nvim-spectre: the OG find and replace in a buffer plugin, great inspiration!
• telescope.nvim: lifted rg healthcheck from there :P
• lazy.nvim: used their beautiful README.md as a template
• plugin-template.nvim: super handy template, this plugin is based on it!