How to use the command 'pt' (with examples)

Platinum Searcher, or pt, is a code search tool renowned for its speed and efficiency in searching through directories of files. Similar to other tools like ag (The Silver Searcher), pt excels at scouring through large codebases and repository files, making it indispensable for developers and programmers who require quick and reliable text search capabilities. Not only does pt provide blazing-fast search results, but it also comes with a host of features that make it a flexible choice for power users who need more than the basics. Below, we’ll explore several use cases that demonstrate the power and versatility of the pt command.

Use case 1: Find files containing “foo” and print the files with highlighted matches

Code:

pt foo

Motivation: When working on a substantial codebase, you might find yourself looking for occurrences of a specific term or function across multiple files. The primary purpose of this command is to quickly locate and highlight occurrences of the search term “foo,” so you can see both where it’s used and in what context.

Explanation:

• pt: Invokes the Platinum Searcher tool.
• foo: The search term you are looking for in your codebase. Here, it will search for any occurrence of “foo” in your files.

Example Output:

file1.txt:3: The foo function is defined here.
file2.txt:7: The variable 'foo' is later modified.

Use case 2: Find files containing “foo” and display count of matches in each file

Code:

pt -c foo

Motivation: Knowing the frequency of a search term within files can be crucial when determining which files are most relevant to your investigation. This can help prioritize files that may require more immediate attention or review.

Explanation:

• pt: Invokes the Platinum Searcher tool.
• -c: Instructs pt to display the count of matches per file rather than the matched lines themselves.
• foo: The search term for which you’d like to tally occurrences.

Example Output:

file1.txt: 5
file3.txt: 2

Use case 3: Find files containing “foo” as a whole word and ignore its case

Code:

pt -wi foo

Motivation: You might be interested in finding the exact occurrences of the word “foo,” avoiding instances where “foo” is part of another word, such as “fooBar” or “foo2”. Additionally, ignoring case can be particularly useful in languages or scenarios where case sensitivity could skew results or when working in a codebase with inconsistent naming conventions.

Explanation:

• pt: Starts the Platinum Searcher tool.
• -w: Ensures that pt matches “foo” as a whole word.
• -i: Ignores case distinctions, making the search case-insensitive.
• foo: The word to search for in files.

Example Output:

file1.txt:3: The Foo is not to be confused with FOO.

Use case 4: Find “foo” in files with a given extension using a regular expression

Code:

pt -G='\.bar$' foo

Motivation: When you need to conduct a search within files of a specific extension (e.g., .bar), this capability is vital. It allows you to narrow down your search to only the most relevant files, saving time and effort.

Explanation:

• pt: Activates the Platinum Searcher tool.
• -G='\.bar$': Specifies a regular expression to filter the files by extension, in this instance, files ending with .bar.
• foo: The search term to locate within files of the specified extension.

Example Output:

somefile.bar:6: The 'foo' variable is initialized here.

Use case 5: Find files whose contents match the regular expression, up to 2 directories deep

Code:

pt --depth=2 -e '^ba[rz]*$'

Motivation: Sometimes, searches need to be limited to a specific directory depth, particularly in large hierarchical file structures, to focus on areas of interest without overwhelming or irrelevant information. This approach allows searches to maintain precision without losing scope.

Explanation:

• pt: Initializes the Platinum Searcher tool.
• --depth=2: Restricts the search to a maximum of two directory levels deep, honing the search area effectively.
• -e: Enables interpretation of the input pattern as a regular expression.
• '^ba[rz]*$': The regular expression pattern ensures a match for words starting with “ba” followed by any combination of “r” or “z”, right to the end of the string.

Example Output:

dir1/file.txt:4: The regex found bar.
dir2/subdir/file2.txt:1: An occurrence of baz is here.

Conclusion:

The Platinum Searcher is a potent tool that offers various search functionalities tailored to meet developers’ needs in diverse coding environments. Understanding its advanced options allows users to effectively search through codebases and quickly gain insights into specific terms or expressions, leveraging its capabilities for a more organized and efficient development workflow. Overall, pt shines in its adaptability, speed, and ease of use, making it a valuable addition to any programmer’s toolkit.