grep

Search for patterns in files and streams. When ag is available, prefer it for recursive searches — it is significantly faster, respects .gitignore by default, and produces readable grouped output.

Quick Start

1. Check if ag is available: command -v ag
2. If ag is available, use it for code/directory searches: ag "pattern" .
3. Use grep for pipeline filtering and when ag is not present: grep "pattern" file

Intent Router

• references/cheatsheet.md — grep and ag common flags, recursive search, context lines, invert match, and count
• references/advanced-usage.md — Extended and Perl regex, multiline matching, binary files, ag-specific features, and scripting patterns
• references/troubleshooting.md — Fixed-string vs regex, special character escaping, binary matches, and cross-platform differences

Core Workflow