A lightweight, secure, and responsive VS Code extension for single-string and multi-string text search with real-time highlighting.
Features
Single Search Mode (default) — Search for one term at a time with instant highlighting
Multi-Search Mode — Search for up to 10 terms simultaneously, each highlighted in a distinct color
Real-time highlighting — Matches appear as you type with sub-50ms responsiveness
Match counts — See how many matches each term has in the current file
Editor-aware — Highlights follow your active editor tab
No keybinding conflicts — Does not override Cmd+F / Ctrl+F or any other shortcuts
Usage
Open the MultiSearch panel from the Activity Bar (sidebar icon) or via Command Palette: MultiSearch: Focus Panel
Type a search term — matches are highlighted immediately
Toggle to Multi mode to add additional search terms (up to 10)
Each term gets a unique highlight color for easy visual distinction
Configuration
Setting
Default
Description
multisearch.maxTerms
10
Maximum concurrent search terms (1-10)
multisearch.defaultCaseSensitive
false
Whether search is case-sensitive by default
multisearch.debounceMs
150
Input debounce delay in milliseconds (50-500)
Security
All input is sanitized — no code execution from search terms
No data transmitted to external services
No file system access beyond reading the active editor
Content Security Policy enforced in the webview panel
Minimal permissions requested
Performance
Bundle size: ~25 KB
Memory: well under 50 MB with maximum terms active
Lazy activation: only loads when you open the panel or invoke the command
No background processes when idle
Development
npm install # Install dependencies
npm run build # Build the extension
npm run watch # Build with file watching
npm test # Run tests
npm run package # Package as .vsix
