ripgrep (rg) - Fast Search Tool
Fast line-oriented search tool that recursively searches the current directory for a regex pattern.
Quick Start
rg "pattern" # Search for pattern
rg -l "pattern" # List files only
rg -t py "pattern" # Search Python files only
rg -A 3 "pattern" # Show 3 lines after match
rg -B 2 "pattern" # Show 2 lines before match
rg --vimgrep "pattern" # Output for editors
rg "pattern" /path/to/search # Search specific pathCommands
Search Files
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py search "TODO" # Find TODO comments
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py search "def main" --type py # Find functions in Python
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py files "class.*Agent" # Find classesFind Files by Pattern
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py find "import" --type py # Files with imports
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py count "error" # Count occurrences
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py hidden "secret" # Search hidden filesGit-Specific
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py staged "FIXME" # Search staged changes
uv run {baseDir}/scripts/rg.py commits "feat:" # Search commit messagesExamples
Find All TODO Comments
rg "TODO" -n --type mdFind Function Definitions
rg "^def " --type py -nFind All Imports
rg "^import|^from" --type py -nCount Lines of Code by Language
rg -l --type py | wc -lWhy ripgrep Over grep?
| Feature | grep | ripgrep |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Baseline | 10x faster |
| Recursive | Need -r | Default |
| Color | Need --color | Default |
| Smart case | No | Yes |
| Filename only | -l | -l |
| File types | --include | -t |
Installation
brew install ripgrep # macOS
cargo install ripgrep # Linux/ARM64See Also
- Full workflow guide:
memory/WORKFLOW.md- Decision tree for when to use ripgrep vs other tools - Tool comparison:
memory/HIGH-IMPACT-TOOLS.md- Why ripgrep over grep
Files
scripts/rg.py- CLI wrapper