Tip #825: Expand #* search to grep-find

When #/* will not find a word under-cursor,
use the macro 'g/' given below, to expand the
same search with gnu-grep to dirs/files.

Search results are shown in a small window (quickfix mode),
use c-n/c-p to move between results.

Uses gnu-grep on PC/Unix to search vim \<regexp\> in files/trees.

Based on 'grep-find' which is a emacs commands.

" Put this in ~/_vimrc and use g/ to repeat current search as a grep-find.
" Usage
"   /xyz   .. not found in current file, so lets look for it in *.* with
"   g/     .. search for xyz in *.*, next lets look for it in the whole tree
"   :call Mosh_grep("../..")
"   :call Mosh_grep("/usr/include","strstr")
" GNU-grep -recursive,nocase,linenum,noerror,VimRegexp (in that order).
:set  grepprg=grep\ -rinsE

:map g/  :call Mosh_grep()<CR>

function! Mosh_grep(...)
    if a:0 == 0
        :exec "grep '".@/."' *.*"
    elseif a:0 == 1
        :exec "grep '".@/."' " a:1
    elseif a:0 == 2
        :exec "grep" a:2 " " a:1
    endif
    " Optional mappings for easy navigation of results
    :map <c-n>  :cnext<CR>
    :map <c-p>  :cprev<CR>
    :copen
endfunction

- Mohsin  
http://www.cs.albany.edu/~mosh


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