Multi-Search

A powerful VSCode extension that allows you to search and highlight multiple terms simultaneously with different color coding. Perfect for tracking multiple variables, functions, or concepts across your codebase.

Features

What Multi-Search Adds to VSCode

• Multiple Searches - Each search term gets a unique color for easy visual distinction.
• Visited Match Tracking - Matches you've clicked on are automatically marked as grayed out to help you track which results you've already reviewed.
• Pause Searches - Temporarily disable highlighting for any search without removing it. Useful when you have many active searches and want to focus on specific ones.
• Persistent Search History - Save your searches and reload them across sessions. Perfect for recurring search patterns or working on long-term projects.
• Live Match Previews in Panel - See all matches with syntax-highlighted code snippets in a dedicated panel.
• Highly Customizable - Multiple settings let you tailor the experience to your preferences:
  • Override Ctrl+F behavior
  • Auto-expand search results
  • Mark visited matches
• Merging searches - Combine related search terms by dragging one onto another. No need to manually edit regex patterns.
• Per-Search File Filters - Each search can have its own include/exclude patterns.
• Per-Search Result Display - Each search can have its own view: flat or tree view.

Already in VSCode Search

• Current File & Global Search - Search in the active file or across your entire workspace.
• Flexible Search Modes - Regex, case-sensitive, and whole-word matching.
• Quick Navigation - Jump between matches with keyboard shortcuts.
• Fast Performance - Powered by ripgrep for lightning-fast file searches.
• Flexible Result Display - View global search results in two modes:
  • Tree View - Shows results organized by folder structure (default)
  • Flat View - Shows results as a simple path list

Installation

Please install ripgrep for file search functionality.

From VSCode Marketplace

1. Open VSCode/VSCodium
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search for "Multi-Search"
4. Click Install

Manual Installation

1. Download the .vsix file from the releases page
2. Open VSCode/VSCodium
3. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
4. Click the "..." menu → Install from VSIX
5. Select the downloaded .vsix file

From Source

git clone https://github.com/Ghizmoo/multi-search-vscode.git
cd multi-search-vscode
npm install
npm run compile

Then press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.

Usage

Quick Start

Current File Search (Ctrl+F / Cmd+F)

• With text selected: Automatically searches for the selection in the current file
• Without selection: Opens input field to enter search term

Global Search (Ctrl+Shift+F / Cmd+Shift+F)

• With text selected: Searches for the selection across the entire workspace
• Without selection: Opens input field to enter search term

Search Panel

The Multi-Search panel appears in the Activity Bar (left sidebar) with a colorful search icon. It shows:

• All active searches with their color coding
• Number of matches for each search
• File paths for global searches
• Match previews with syntax highlighting

Search Options

Each search supports:

• Aa - Case sensitive matching
• ab - Whole word matching
• .* - Regular expression mode

Click these buttons in the search input to toggle options.

File Filters

For global searches, you can filter which files to search:

Files to Include:

• Single pattern: src/**/*.ts
• Multiple patterns: src/**/*.ts, tests/**/*.js, lib/**/*.tsx

Files to Exclude:

• Single pattern: **/node_modules/**
• Multiple patterns: **/*.test.ts, **/dist/**, **/node_modules/**

Glob Pattern Examples:

• **/*.js - All JavaScript files
• src/** - Everything in src/ directory
• *.{ts,tsx} - TypeScript and TSX files in root
• !**/test/** - Exclude test directories

Navigation

Keyboard Shortcuts:

• F3 - Next match (in QuickPick)
• Shift+F3 - Previous match (in QuickPick)
• F4 - Next match (global)
• Shift+F4 - Previous match (global)

Click Actions:

• Click on a match → Jump to that location in the file
• Click "Show matches" → Expand file to show all matches
• Click file path → Edit include/exclude paths

Managing Searches

Add Search:

• Use Ctrl+F or Ctrl+Shift+F shortcuts
• Click the + icon in the MultiSearch panel
• Right-click a folder → "MultiSearch: Find in Folder..."

Clear All:

• Click the "Clear All" icon in the panel header

Merge Searches:

• Hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) while dragging one search onto another
• The modifier key can be customized in settings

Configuration

Open VSCode Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for "MultiSearch":

multiSearch.mergeModifierKey

Modifier key to use when dragging to merge search terms.

• Options: ctrl, alt, shift
• Default: ctrl
• Note: On Mac, ctrl automatically becomes cmd

multiSearch.showFileFiltersByDefault

Show file include/exclude filters by default in the search panel.

• Type: boolean
• Default: false

multiSearch.maxThreads

Number of threads to use for ripgrep searches.

• Type: number (0-64)
• Default: 0 (automatic)
• Note: When set to 0, ripgrep automatically determines the optimal number of threads based on your CPU. Increase this value for faster searches on multi-core systems, or decrease it to reduce CPU usage.

multiSearch.defaultDisplayMode

Default display mode for global search results.

• Options: tree, flat
• Default: tree
• Description:
  • tree - Shows results organized in folder structure (hierarchical view)
  • flat - Shows results as a simple path list, similar to VSCode's native search

multiSearch.autoExpandResults

Automatically expand folders and files in global search results when a search completes.

• Type: boolean
• Default: true
• Description: When disabled, only the file/folder list is shown without expanding individual match lines.

multiSearch.markVisitedMatches

Mark clicked match lines as visited with reduced opacity.

• Type: boolean
• Default: true
• Description: When enabled, matches you click on are visually grayed out to help track which results you've already reviewed. State is preserved when switching panels.

multiSearch.overrideCtrlF

Override Ctrl+F to use MultiSearch instead of VSCode's native search.

• Type: boolean
• Default: false
• Description: When disabled, Ctrl+F uses VSCode's default search behavior. Useful if you prefer MultiSearch's features.

multiSearch.enterNavigatesMatches

Change Enter key behavior in the search quick pick.

• Type: boolean
• Default: false
• Description: When enabled, pressing Enter navigates to the next match (like F3), and Ctrl+S (Cmd+S on Mac) saves the search. When disabled, Enter saves the search (default behavior).

Commands

All commands are available via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P):

• MultiSearch: Add Search - Add a new search term
• MultiSearch: Add Selection to Find - Search selected text in current file
• MultiSearch: Add Global Search - Add a workspace-wide search
• MultiSearch: Add Selection to Global Search - Search selected text in workspace
• MultiSearch: Find in Folder... - Search in a specific folder
• MultiSearch: Clear All - Remove all active searches
• MultiSearch: Go to Next Match - Jump to next match
• MultiSearch: Go to Previous Match - Jump to previous match

Troubleshooting

Searches not working:

• Ensure ripgrep is installed (bundled with extension via npm)
• Check the Developer Console (Help → Toggle Developer Tools) for errors

Highlights not showing:

• Make sure the file is not too large (VSCode has limits on decorations)
• Check that the search term exists in the visible range
• Try reloading the window (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Reload Window")

Credits

• !AlphaTartine: Beta testing and great ideas !