Overview
For example, if you want to find a string within multiple folders with thousands of files, how will you do? If you are a Linux user, you will handle it easily with a line of command:
$ grep -rn "a string you want to search"
OR
$ find . -name "*" | xargs grep -n "a string you want to search"
Using EmEditor
In Windows, I usually use a text editor named "EmEditor". This editor is a paid application which has rich features. When pressing "Ctrl+Shift+F" within this application, the "Find in Files" window appears. In this window, you can type the string you want to search in multiple files under multiple directories.
EmEditor supports "Regular Expressions."
Using a freeware - FindInFiles for Windows
EmEditor is a paid version. There is a freeware named "FindInFiles for Windows" which can be used even by companies if they do not distribute it commercially.
You can download FindInFiles for Windows at this page.
After installing, you can search a string in multiple files in a directory with multiple sub-directories. For example, if you use a WordPress plugin named "WooCommerce" and you want to modify a string "Your order", you can find this string using this application.
- Right click on the folder "woocommerce".
- Select "FindInFiles" from the context menu.
- Type the string you want to search in multiple files under sub-directories.
- Click "Find". Then, the Results window appears.
- If you click a line, a pop up window for specifying a text editor to open the relevant file. Supported text editors include UltraEdit, Sublime text, EditPlus, EmEditor, Vim, Notepad++, AcroEdit, DesyEdit, Crimson Editor, SciTE, Programmer's Notepad and EditPad.
The main features of FindInFiles are as follows:
- Full search by context menu.
- Auto detect file's encoding (UTF8, UNICODE, EUC-KR, EUC-JP, ISO-2022-JP, Shift_JIS, Big5)
- Found string highlighting
- Open files with an external editor such as UltraEdit, Sublime text, EditPlus, EmEditor or others.