GIT-GREP(1)                       Git Manual                       GIT-GREP(1)

       git-grep - Print lines matching a pattern

       git grep [-a | --text] [-I] [--textconv] [-i | --ignore-case] [-w | --word-regexp]
                  [-P | --perl-regexp]
                  [-F | --fixed-strings] [-n | --line-number] [--column]
                  [-z | --null]
                  [ -o | --only-matching ] [-c | --count] [--all-match] [-q | --quiet]
                  [--max-depth <depth>] [--[no-]recursive]
                  [-W | --function-context]
                  [--threads <num>]
                  [--recurse-submodules] [--parent-basename <basename>]
                  [ [--[no-]exclude-standard] [--cached | --no-index | --untracked] | <tree>...]
                  [--] [<pathspec>...]

       Patterns are lists of one or more search expressions separated by
       newline characters. An empty string as search expression matches all

           If set to true, enable -n option by default.

           If set to true, enable the --column option by default.

           Set the default matching behavior. Using a value of basic,
           extended, fixed, or perl will enable the --basic-regexp,
           --extended-regexp, --fixed-strings, or --perl-regexp option
           accordingly, while the value default will return to the default
           matching behavior.

           If set to true, enable --extended-regexp option by default. This
           option is ignored when the grep.patternType option is set to a
           value other than default.

           Number of grep worker threads to use. If unset (or set to 0), 8
           threads are used by default (for now).

           If set to true, enable --full-name option by default.

           If set to true, fall back to git grep --no-index if git grep is
           executed outside of a git repository. Defaults to false.

           Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search
           blobs registered in the index file.

           Search files in the current directory that is not managed by Git.

           In addition to searching in the tracked files in the working tree,
           search also in untracked files.

           Also search in ignored files by not honoring the .gitignore
           mechanism. Only useful with --untracked.

           Do not pay attention to ignored files specified via the .gitignore
           mechanism. Only useful when searching files in the current
           directory with --no-index.

           Recursively search in each submodule that has been initialized and
           checked out in the repository. When used in combination with the
           <tree> option the prefix of all submodule output will be the name
           of the parent project’s <tree> object.

       -a, --text
           Process binary files as if they were text.

           Honor textconv filter settings.

           Do not honor textconv filter settings. This is the default.

       -i, --ignore-case
           Ignore case differences between the patterns and the files.

           Don’t match the pattern in binary files.

       --max-depth <depth>
           levels of directories. A value of -1 means no limit. This option is
           ignored if <pathspec> contains active wildcards. In other words if
           "a*" matches a directory named "a*", "*" is matched literally so
           --max-depth is still effective.

       -r, --recursive
           Same as --max-depth=-1; this is the default.

           Same as --max-depth=0.

       -w, --word-regexp
           Match the pattern only at word boundary (either begin at the

       -v, --invert-match
           Select non-matching lines.

       -h, -H
           completeness and does not do anything except it overrides -h given
           earlier on the command line.

           When run from a subdirectory, the command usually outputs paths
           relative to the current directory. This option forces paths to be
           output relative to the project top directory.

       -E, --extended-regexp, -G, --basic-regexp
           basic regexp.

       -P, --perl-regexp
           Use Perl-compatible regular expressions for patterns.

           Support for these types of regular expressions is an optional
           compile-time dependency. If Git wasn’t compiled with support for
           them providing this option will cause it to die.

       -F, --fixed-strings
           Use fixed strings for patterns (don’t interpret pattern as a

       -n, --line-number
           Prefix the line number to matching lines.

           Prefix the 1-indexed byte-offset of the first match from the start
           of the matching line.

       -l, --files-with-matches, --name-only, -L, --files-without-match

       -O[<pager>], --open-files-in-pager[=<pager>]
           one pattern, the first file is positioned at the first match
           automatically. The pager argument is optional; if specified, it
           must be stuck to the option without a space. If pager is
           unspecified, the default pager will be used (see core.pager in git-

       -z, --null
           Output \0 instead of the character that normally follows a file

       -o, --only-matching
           each such part on a separate output line.

       -c, --count
           Instead of showing every matched line, show the number of lines
           that match.

           never, or auto.

           Turn off match highlighting, even when the configuration file gives

           Print an empty line between matches from different files.

           Show the filename above the matches in that file instead of at the
           start of each shown line.

       -p, --show-function
           Show the preceding line that contains the function name of the

       -<num>, -C <num>, --context <num>
           Show <num> leading and trailing lines, and place a line containing
           -- between contiguous groups of matches.

       -A <num>, --after-context <num>
           Show <num> trailing lines, and place a line containing -- between
           contiguous groups of matches.

       -B <num>, --before-context <num>
           Show <num> leading lines, and place a line containing -- between
           contiguous groups of matches.

       -W, --function-context
           Show the surrounding text from the previous line containing a
           function name up to the one before the next function name,
           effectively showing the whole function in which the match was

       --threads <num>
           Number of grep worker threads to use. See grep.threads in
           CONFIGURATION for more information.

       -f <file>
           Read patterns from <file>, one per line.

           Passing the pattern via <file> allows for providing a search
           pattern containing a \0.

           Not all pattern types support patterns containing \0. Git will
           error out if a given pattern type can’t support such a pattern. The
           --perl-regexp pattern type when compiled against the PCRE v2
           backend has the widest support for these types of patterns.

           In versions of Git before 2.23.0 patterns containing \0 would be
           silently considered fixed. This was never documented, there were
           also odd and undocumented interactions between e.g. non-ASCII
           patterns containing \0 and --ignore-case.

           In future versions we may learn to support patterns containing \0
           for more search backends, until then we’ll die when the pattern
           type in question doesn’t support them.

           patterns starting with - and should be used in scripts passing user
           input to grep. Multiple patterns are combined by or.

       --and, --or, --not, ( ... )
           Specify how multiple patterns are combined using Boolean

           When giving multiple pattern expressions combined with --or, this
           match all of them.

       -q, --quiet

           Instead of searching tracked files in the working tree, search
           blobs in the given trees.

           Signals the end of options; the rest of the parameters are
           <pathspec> limiters.


           entry in gitglossary(7).

           directory and its subdirectories.


           lines that match both.

       git grep solution -- :^Documentation
           Looks for solution, excluding files in Documentation.

       Part of the git(1) suite

Git 2.24.0                        11/04/2019                       GIT-GREP(1)