Ripgrep

ripgrep: Powerful, one-shot text search

Default Strategy

For content search: use Bash(rg) with -e 'pattern' -n -C 2 for one-shot results.

This gives files, line numbers, and context in a single call - minimizes iterations and context usage.

Always prefer getting line numbers and surrounding context over multiple search attempts.

Tool Selection

Grep tool (built on ripgrep) - Use for structured searches:

• Basic pattern matching with structured output
• File type filtering with type parameter
• When special flags like -F, -v, -w, or pipe composition are not needed
• Handles 95% of search needs

Bash(rg) - Use for one-shot searches needing special flags or composition:

• Fixed string search (-F)
• Invert match (-v)
• Word boundaries (-w)
• Context lines with patterns (-n -C 2)
• Pipe composition (| head, | wc -l, | sort)
• Default choice for efficient one-shot results

Glob tool - Use for file name/path matching only (not content search)

When to Load Detailed Reference

Load ripgrep guide when needing:

• One-shot search pattern templates
• Effective flag combinations for complex searches
• Pipe composition patterns
• File type filters reference (-t flags)
• Pattern syntax examples
• Translation between Grep tool and rg commands
• Performance optimization for large result sets

The guide focuses on practical patterns for getting targeted results in minimal calls.