17.2.1.1 Plain Directory searches

A Plain Directory search is used to search for a particular regexp in all files whose names match a particular pattern. Enter the regexp in the Regexp Search String box and enter a set of filename patterns in the Filenames pattern box. You can press Up or Down in the Filenames pattern box to complete physical directory components, as described in Completion.

The filename pattern should be a complete filename and can use the following syntax to make it match more than one file:

• Use * within the pattern to match any sequence of characters in a directory or file name.
• Use ** within the directory part of the pattern to match any number of subdirectories.

Here are some examples of filename patterns:

*.*

Matches all files in the root directory.

subdir/*.txt

Matches all txt files in root/subdir.

examples/**/*.lisp

Matches all lisp files in root/examples and its subdirectories. This is similar to the pattern shown in The Search Files tool.

**/*zork*/*.bmp

Matches all bmp files in any directory under the root directory that contains zork in its name

See also the Match flat file-namestring option in Search Parameters for additional information.

If a filename pattern is a directory then all files in that directory are searched.

Check Case sensitive to make the search match only the case of letters exactly as entered.

Check All files to ignore any list of File Types in the Preferences.

17.2.1.2 Root and Patterns searches

A Root and Patterns search is used to search for a particular regexp in all files whose names match one or more patterns within a directory. Enter the regexp in the Regexp Search String box, the starting directory in the Root Directory box, and a set of filename patterns in the Pattern List box.

You can press Up or Down in the Root Directory box to complete physical directory components, as described in Completion.

Figure 17.2 A Roots and Patterns search

You can search subdirectories by including directory components (including wild components) in the Pattern List box.

Multiple filename patterns can be entered, separated by semicolons. Spaces before and after each pattern are ignored. Each filename pattern should be a complete filename and can use the following syntax to make it match multiple files:

• Use * within the pattern to match any sequence of characters in a directory or file name.
• Use ** within the directory part of the pattern to match any number of subdirectories.
• Use {name1,name2,...} to match any one of name1, name2 and so on. Spaces before and after each name are ignored.

Here are some examples of pattern lists:

images/*.* ; icons/*.* {images,icons}/*.*

Both of these patterns match all files in the root/images and the root/icons directories.

**/{images,icons}/sunrise.{bmp,jpg,jpeg} **/images/sunrise.{bmp,jpg,jpeg} ; **/icons/sunrise.{bmp,jpg,jpeg}

Both of these patterns match all files with the name sunrise.bmp, sunrise.jpg or sunrise.jpeg in a directory named icons or images, anywhere in the root directory.

{maj,min}or-events/{*-name,date}/*.txt major-events/{*-name,date}/.txt ; minor-events/{*-name,date}/.txt {maj,min}or-events/date/*.txt ; {maj,min}or-events/*-name/*.txt

Each of these three patterns matches all .txt files which are in a directory date or a directory that ends with -name in the major-events or minor-events directories.

See also the Match flat file-namestring option in Search Parameters for additional information.

If a filename pattern is a directory then all files in that directory are searched.

Check Case sensitive to make the search match only the case of letters exactly as entered, as illustrated above.

Check All files to ignore any list of File Types in the Preferences.

17.2.1.3 System Search

A System Search is used to search for a particular regexp in all the files referenced by a LispWorks defsystem definition. Enter the regexp in the Regexp Search String box and the system names in the System Names box. Multiple system names can be entered, separated by semicolons.

Check Case sensitive to make the search match only the case of letters exactly as entered.

You can also do a System Search in a "system" defined by another source code manager such as ASDF, if you have configured LispWorks appropriately. See ASDF Integration for the details.

17.2.1.4 Known Definitions searches

You can use the Search Files tool to search in all files known to contain definitions. To do this, select Known Definitions in the dropdown list in the toolbar. Then complete your other search specifications and click the button.

Figure 17.3 A Known Definitions search

A file is known to contain definitions in one of two ways:

• A file was loaded and executed a defining form which was recorded by the source location system. The associated source files are searched when the list value of the variable dspec:*active-finders* contains the keyword :internal.
• The file is recorded as a location in a tags database. Such files are searched when the list value of the variable dspec:*active-finders* contains the path of the tags database.

See "Dspecs: Tools for Handling Definitions" in the LispWorks User Guide and Reference Manual for more information about definition recording and tags databases.

17.2.1.5 Searching editor buffers

You can use the Search Files tool to search in all currently open editor buffers. To do this, select Opened Buffers in the dropdown list in the toolbar. Then complete your other search specifications and click the button.

17.2.1.6 Grep searches

A Grep search is used to run an external program to search files and show the results in the tool. Enter the working directory for the external program in the Root Directory box and the complete command line of the external program in the Grep Command box.

Figure 17.4 A Grep search

The external program is typically grep.exe, but other programs can be used as long as they print the matched lines in this format:

filename:line-number line-text

When using grep.exe you generally need to pass the -n option and the filename argument NUL to force it to print the file and line number in all cases. This is done automatically when you invoke the Search Files tool by the Editor command Grep.

17.2.2.1 Context-dependent searches using Editor commands

Search Files

Prompts for a search string and directory pattern and then performs a Plain Directory or Root and Patterns search. If an existing Search Files tool is reused by this command and was last doing a Root and Patterns search, then the directory pattern is split to fill the boxes. Otherwise, a Plain Directory search is performed using the directory pattern. If the directory pattern ends in a slash, then the default pattern is added to the end (see Search Parameters).

Search Files Matching Patterns

Prompts for a search string, root directory and set of filename patterns and then performs a Root and Patterns search.

Search System

Prompts for a search string and system name and then performs a System Search .

Grep

Prompts for command line arguments to pass to grep.exe and then performs a Grep search. The grep command is created from these arguments, with a -n option and the filename argument /dev/null as mentioned in Grep searches.

17.2.2.2 Context-dependent searches using menu commands

Edit > Search Files...

Opens a Search Files tool in for a Plain Directory or Root and Patterns search, using the directory associated with the current tool (in particular, the directory of the buffer displayed in an Editor tool).

If an existing Search Files tool is reused by this command and was last doing a Root and Patterns search, then the directory is placed in the Root Directory box. Otherwise, the directory is placed in the Filename Patterns box for a Plain Directory search with the default pattern added to the end (see Search Parameters).

Works > Systems > Search Files...

Prompts for a regexp and performs a System Search in the currently selected system.

17.2.2.3 Search History

The Search Files tool keeps a history of previous searches and their results. You can revisit these searches using the and buttons as described in The history list.