1GIT-GREP(1) Git Manual GIT-GREP(1)
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6 git-grep - Print lines matching a pattern
7
9 git grep [-a | --text] [-I] [--textconv] [-i | --ignore-case] [-w | --word-regexp]
10 [-v | --invert-match] [-h|-H] [--full-name]
11 [-E | --extended-regexp] [-G | --basic-regexp]
12 [-P | --perl-regexp]
13 [-F | --fixed-strings] [-n | --line-number]
14 [-l | --files-with-matches] [-L | --files-without-match]
15 [(-O | --open-files-in-pager) [<pager>]]
16 [-z | --null]
17 [-c | --count] [--all-match] [-q | --quiet]
18 [--max-depth <depth>]
19 [--color[=<when>] | --no-color]
20 [--break] [--heading] [-p | --show-function]
21 [-A <post-context>] [-B <pre-context>] [-C <context>]
22 [-W | --function-context]
23 [--threads <num>]
24 [-f <file>] [-e] <pattern>
25 [--and|--or|--not|(|)|-e <pattern>...]
26 [--recurse-submodules] [--parent-basename <basename>]
27 [ [--[no-]exclude-standard] [--cached | --no-index | --untracked] | <tree>...]
28 [--] [<pathspec>...]
29
32 Look for specified patterns in the tracked files in the work tree,
33 blobs registered in the index file, or blobs in given tree objects.
34 Patterns are lists of one or more search expressions separated by
35 newline characters. An empty string as search expression matches all
36 lines.
37
39 grep.lineNumber
40 If set to true, enable -n option by default.
41 grep.patternType
43 Set the default matching behavior. Using a value of basic,
44 extended, fixed, or perl will enable the --basic-regexp,
45 --extended-regexp, --fixed-strings, or --perl-regexp option
46 accordingly, while the value default will return to the default
47 matching behavior.
48 grep.extendedRegexp
50 If set to true, enable --extended-regexp option by default. This
51 option is ignored when the grep.patternType option is set to a
52 value other than default.
53 grep.threads
55 Number of grep worker threads to use. If unset (or set to 0), 8
56 threads are used by default (for now).
57 grep.fullName
59 If set to true, enable --full-name option by default.
60 grep.fallbackToNoIndex
62 If set to true, fall back to git grep --no-index if git grep is
63 executed outside of a git repository. Defaults to false.
64
66 --cached
67 Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search
68 blobs registered in the index file.
69 --no-index
71 Search files in the current directory that is not managed by Git.
72 --untracked
74 In addition to searching in the tracked files in the working tree,
75 search also in untracked files.
76 --no-exclude-standard
78 Also search in ignored files by not honoring the .gitignore
79 mechanism. Only useful with --untracked.
80 --exclude-standard
82 Do not pay attention to ignored files specified via the .gitignore
83 mechanism. Only useful when searching files in the current
84 directory with --no-index.
85 --recurse-submodules
87 Recursively search in each submodule that has been initialized and
88 checked out in the repository. When used in combination with the
89 <tree> option the prefix of all submodule output will be the name
90 of the parent project’s <tree> object.
91 -a, --text
93 Process binary files as if they were text.
94 --textconv
96 Honor textconv filter settings.
97 --no-textconv
99 Do not honor textconv filter settings. This is the default.
100 -i, --ignore-case
102 Ignore case differences between the patterns and the files.
103 -I
105 Don’t match the pattern in binary files.
106 --max-depth <depth>
108 For each <pathspec> given on command line, descend at most <depth>
109 levels of directories. A negative value means no limit. This option
110 is ignored if <pathspec> contains active wildcards. In other words
111 if "a*" matches a directory named "a*", "*" is matched literally so
112 --max-depth is still effective.
113 -w, --word-regexp
115 Match the pattern only at word boundary (either begin at the
116 beginning of a line, or preceded by a non-word character; end at
117 the end of a line or followed by a non-word character).
118 -v, --invert-match
120 Select non-matching lines.
121 -h, -H
123 By default, the command shows the filename for each match. -h
124 option is used to suppress this output. -H is there for
125 completeness and does not do anything except it overrides -h given
126 earlier on the command line.
127 --full-name
129 When run from a subdirectory, the command usually outputs paths
130 relative to the current directory. This option forces paths to be
131 output relative to the project top directory.
132 -E, --extended-regexp, -G, --basic-regexp
134 Use POSIX extended/basic regexp for patterns. Default is to use
135 basic regexp.
136 -P, --perl-regexp
138 Use Perl-compatible regular expressions for patterns.
139 Support for these types of regular expressions is an optional
141 compile-time dependency. If Git wasn’t compiled with support for
142 them providing this option will cause it to die.
143 -F, --fixed-strings
145 Use fixed strings for patterns (don’t interpret pattern as a
146 regex).
147 -n, --line-number
149 Prefix the line number to matching lines.
150 -l, --files-with-matches, --name-only, -L, --files-without-match
152 Instead of showing every matched line, show only the names of files
153 that contain (or do not contain) matches. For better compatibility
154 with git diff, --name-only is a synonym for --files-with-matches.
155 -O[<pager>], --open-files-in-pager[=<pager>]
157 Open the matching files in the pager (not the output of grep). If
158 the pager happens to be "less" or "vi", and the user specified only
159 one pattern, the first file is positioned at the first match
160 automatically. The pager argument is optional; if specified, it
161 must be stuck to the option without a space. If pager is
162 unspecified, the default pager will be used (see core.pager in git-
163 config(1)).
164 -z, --null
166 Output \0 instead of the character that normally follows a file
167 name.
168 -c, --count
170 Instead of showing every matched line, show the number of lines
171 that match.
172 --color[=<when>]
174 Show colored matches. The value must be always (the default),
175 never, or auto.
176 --no-color
178 Turn off match highlighting, even when the configuration file gives
179 the default to color output. Same as --color=never.
180 --break
182 Print an empty line between matches from different files.
183 --heading
185 Show the filename above the matches in that file instead of at the
186 start of each shown line.
187 -p, --show-function
189 Show the preceding line that contains the function name of the
190 match, unless the matching line is a function name itself. The name
191 is determined in the same way as git diff works out patch hunk
192 headers (see Defining a custom hunk-header in gitattributes(5)).
193 -<num>, -C <num>, --context <num>
195 Show <num> leading and trailing lines, and place a line containing
196 -- between contiguous groups of matches.
197 -A <num>, --after-context <num>
199 Show <num> trailing lines, and place a line containing -- between
200 contiguous groups of matches.
201 -B <num>, --before-context <num>
203 Show <num> leading lines, and place a line containing -- between
204 contiguous groups of matches.
205 -W, --function-context
207 Show the surrounding text from the previous line containing a
208 function name up to the one before the next function name,
209 effectively showing the whole function in which the match was
210 found.
211 --threads <num>
213 Number of grep worker threads to use. See grep.threads in
214 CONFIGURATION for more information.
215 -f <file>
217 Read patterns from <file>, one per line.
218 -e
220 The next parameter is the pattern. This option has to be used for
221 patterns starting with - and should be used in scripts passing user
222 input to grep. Multiple patterns are combined by or.
223 --and, --or, --not, ( ... )
225 Specify how multiple patterns are combined using Boolean
226 expressions. --or is the default operator. --and has higher
227 precedence than --or. -e has to be used for all patterns.
228 --all-match
230 When giving multiple pattern expressions combined with --or, this
231 flag is specified to limit the match to files that have lines to
232 match all of them.
233 -q, --quiet
235 Do not output matched lines; instead, exit with status 0 when there
236 is a match and with non-zero status when there isn’t.
237 <tree>...
239 Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search
240 blobs in the given trees.
241 --
243 Signals the end of options; the rest of the parameters are
244 <pathspec> limiters.
245 <pathspec>...
247 If given, limit the search to paths matching at least one pattern.
248 Both leading paths match and glob(7) patterns are supported.
249 For more details about the <pathspec> syntax, see the pathspec
251 entry in gitglossary(7).
252
254 git grep 'time_t' -- '*.[ch]'
255 Looks for time_t in all tracked .c and .h files in the working
256 directory and its subdirectories.
257 git grep -e '#define' --and \( -e MAX_PATH -e PATH_MAX \)
259 Looks for a line that has #define and either MAX_PATH or PATH_MAX.
260 git grep --all-match -e NODE -e Unexpected
262 Looks for a line that has NODE or Unexpected in files that have
263 lines that match both.
264 git grep solution -- :^Documentation
266 Looks for solution, excluding files in Documentation.
267
269 Part of the git(1) suite
270Git 2.18.1 05/14/2019 GIT-GREP(1)