How to use the command 'pt' (with examples)
Platinum Searcher is a code search tool similar to the ‘ag’ command. It allows you to search for keywords or patterns in files within a directory and its subdirectories. The ‘pt’ command provides various options to customize the search and display the results.
Use case 1: Find files containing “foo” and print the files with highlighted matches
Code:
pt foo
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to quickly search for a specific keyword in your codebase and see the files that contain it. It saves time by only displaying the relevant files rather than searching through the entire codebase manually.
Explanation: The command ‘pt foo’ searches for the keyword “foo” in all the files within the current directory and its subdirectories. It prints the files with the matching keyword, highlighting the occurrences of the keyword in the output.
Example output:
path/to/file1.txt: This is a line that contains foo within it.
path/to/file2.txt: Another line with foo in it.
Use case 2: Find files containing “foo” and display count of matches in each file
Code:
pt -c foo
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to get an overview of the number of occurrences of a specific keyword in each file. It helps in understanding the frequency and distribution of the keyword within the codebase.
Explanation: The command ‘pt -c foo’ searches for the keyword “foo” in all the files within the current directory and its subdirectories. It displays the files with the matching keyword along with the count of occurrences of the keyword in each file.
Example output:
path/to/file1.txt: 3
path/to/file2.txt: 1
Use case 3: Find files containing “foo” as a whole word and ignore its case
Code:
pt -wi foo
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to find the exact occurrence of a keyword as a whole word in the codebase. Ignoring the case allows for case-insensitive searches.
Explanation: The command ‘pt -wi foo’ searches for the keyword “foo” as a whole word (not as a part of another word) in all the files within the current directory and its subdirectories. It ignores the case sensitivity, allowing for case-insensitive matches.
Example output:
path/to/file1.txt: This is a line that contains Foo within it.
Use case 4: Find “foo” in files with a given extension using a regular expression
Code:
pt -G='\.bar$' foo
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to search for a keyword in files with a specific extension. It helps in narrowing down the search to specific file types, saving time and improving the search accuracy.
Explanation: The command ‘pt -G=’.bar$’ foo’ searches for the keyword “foo” in files with the extension “.bar” in all the files within the current directory and its subdirectories. The regular expression ‘.bar$’ ensures that only files with the extension “.bar” are considered for the search.
Example output:
path/to/file1.bar: This is a line that contains foo within it.
Use case 5: Find files whose contents match the regular expression, up to 2 directories deep
Code:
pt --depth=2 -e '^ba[rz]*$'
Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to search for files that match a specific regular expression pattern. The option to limit the search depth ensures that the search is performed only within a specific number of directories, making the search more targeted.
Explanation: The command ‘pt –depth=2 -e ‘^ba[rz]$’’ searches for files whose contents match the regular expression pattern ‘^ba[rz]$’ in up to 2 directory levels deep from the current directory. The regular expression ‘^ba[rz]*$’ matches any string that starts with “ba” followed by zero or more “r” or “z” characters.
Example output:
path/to/dir1/file1.txt: bar
path/to/dir2/file2.txt: baz
Conclusion:
The ‘pt’ command is a versatile code search tool that provides several options to tailor the search. It allows you to find files containing specific keywords, count the occurrences, ignore case sensitivity, search within specific extensions, and use regular expressions. By using the appropriate options, you can efficiently search through your codebase and easily locate the relevant files and information.
