GIT−GREP

git-grep − Print lines matching a pattern

git grep [−a | −−text] [−I] [−i | −−ignore−case] [−w | −−word−regexp]
           [−v | −−invert−match] [−h|−H] [−−full−name]
           [−E | −−extended−regexp] [−G | −−basic−regexp]
           [−F | −−fixed−strings] [−n]
           [−l | −−files−with−matches] [−L | −−files−without−match]
           [−z | −−null]
           [−c | −−count] [−−all−match] [−q | −−quiet]
           [−−max−depth <depth>]
           [−−color[=<when>] | −−no−color]
           [−A <post−context>] [−B <pre−context>] [−C <context>]
           [−f <file>] [−e] <pattern>
           [−−and|−−or|−−not|(|)|−e <pattern>...]
           [−−cached | −−no−index | <tree>...]
           [−−] [<pathspec>...]

Look for specified patterns in the tracked files in the work tree, blobs registered in the index file, or blobs in given tree objects.

−−cached

Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search blobs registered in the index file.

−−no−index

Search files in the current directory, not just those tracked by git.

−a, −−text

Process binary files as if they were text.

−i, −−ignore−case

Ignore case differences between the patterns and the files.

−I

Don’t match the pattern in binary files.

−−max−depth <depth>

For each <pathspec> given on command line, descend at most <depth> levels of directories. A negative value means no limit.

−w, −−word−regexp

Match the pattern only at word boundary (either begin at the beginning of a line, or preceded by a non−word character; end at the end of a line or followed by a non−word character).

−v, −−invert−match

Select non−matching lines.

−h, −H

By default, the command shows the filename for each match. −h option is used to suppress this output. −H is there for completeness and does not do anything except it overrides −h given earlier on the command line.

−−full−name

When run from a subdirectory, the command usually outputs paths relative to the current directory. This option forces paths to be output relative to the project top directory.

−E, −−extended−regexp, −G, −−basic−regexp

Use POSIX extended/basic regexp for patterns. Default is to use basic regexp.

−F, −−fixed−strings

Use fixed strings for patterns (don’t interpret pattern as a regex).

−n

Prefix the line number to matching lines.

−l, −−files−with−matches, −−name−only, −L, −−files−without−match

Instead of showing every matched line, show only the names of files that contain (or do not contain) matches. For better compatibility with git diff, −−name−only is a synonym for −−files−with−matches.

−z, −−null

Output \0 instead of the character that normally follows a file name.

−c, −−count

Instead of showing every matched line, show the number of lines that match.

−−color[=<when>]

Show colored matches. The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.

−−no−color

Turn off match highlighting, even when the configuration file gives the default to color output. Same as −−color=never.

−[ABC] <context>

Show context trailing (A — after), or leading (B — before), or both (C — context) lines, and place a line containing −− between contiguous groups of matches.

−<num>

A shortcut for specifying −C<num>.

−p, −−show−function

Show the preceding line that contains the function name of the match, unless the matching line is a function name itself. The name is determined in the same way as git diff works out patch hunk headers (see Defining a custom hunk−header in gitattributes(5)).

−f <file>

Read patterns from <file>, one per line.

−e

The next parameter is the pattern. This option has to be used for patterns starting with − and should be used in scripts passing user input to grep. Multiple patterns are combined by or.

−−and, −−or, −−not, ( ... )

Specify how multiple patterns are combined using Boolean expressions. −−or is the default operator. −−and has higher precedence than −−or. −e has to be used for all patterns.

−−all−match

When giving multiple pattern expressions combined with −−or, this flag is specified to limit the match to files that have lines to match all of them.

−q, −−quiet

Do not output matched lines; instead, exit with status 0 when there is a match and with non−zero status when there isn’t.

<tree>...

Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search blobs in the given trees.

−−

Signals the end of options; the rest of the parameters are <pathspec> limiters.

<pathspec>...

If given, limit the search to paths matching at least one pattern. Both leading paths match and glob(7) patterns are supported.

git grep time_t — *.[ch]

Looks for time_t in all tracked .c and .h files in the working directory and its subdirectories.

git grep −e ´#define\´ −−and \( −e MAX_PATH −e PATH_MAX \)

Looks for a line that has #define and either MAX_PATH or PATH_MAX.

git grep −−all−match −e NODE −e Unexpected

Looks for a line that has NODE or Unexpected in files that have lines that match both.

Originally written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org [1] >, later revamped by Junio C Hamano.

Documentation by Junio C Hamano and the git−list <git@vger.kernel.org [2] >.

Part of the git(1) suite

1.

torvalds@osdl.org

mailto:torvalds@osdl.org

2.

git@vger.kernel.org

mailto:git@vger.kernel.org