Tool Ripgrep

tool-ripgrep

When To Use

• Search file contents across large codebases faster than grep.
• Find symbols, flags, and text patterns before opening files.
• Build parseable discovery pipelines for agent workflows.

Trusted Commands

rg "pattern" path/
rg -F "exact string"
rg "pattern" -t py
rg "pattern" -g '*.py'
rg "pattern" -C 3
rg -l "pattern"
rg -c "pattern"
rg -i "pattern"
rg "pattern" --json
rg --exit-status "pattern"

Safe Defaults

• Use -n when actionable line references are needed.
• Use -F for literal strings to avoid regex escaping mistakes.
• Use --glob/-g and type filters to keep results relevant and fast.

Common Pitfalls

• Hidden and ignored files are skipped by default.
• Regex mode can over-match when fixed-string matching was intended.
• --json emits begin/match/end/summary events, not a single flat schema.

Output Interpretation

• Default output is path:line:column:matched_text.
• Exit code 1 means no matches and can be a valid outcome.
• --exit-status is useful in conditional shell pipelines.

Why It Matters For Agents

• rg --json produces structured, machine-parseable search events.
• It is the fastest practical first-pass search in repository workflows.

Repo Conventions

• Prefer ripgrep for discovery before semantic or AST-level tools.
• Include ignored files only when the task explicitly requires them.

Trigger Examples

• Should trigger: "Find where --user-install is referenced."
• Should trigger: "Search all markdown docs for stale command examples."
• Should not trigger: "Rename a Python symbol across semantic references only."