Sequential Search
A powerful VS Code extension for searching multiple strings sequentially in a file with customizable highlighting. Perfect for log analysis, code review, and pattern matching. Similar to the "Analyze" plugin in Notepad++.
✨ Features
- 🔍 Multi-Query Search - Search for multiple strings or patterns simultaneously
- 🎨 Customizable Colors - Choose your own highlight colors for each query
- 📝 Whole Line Highlight - Highlight entire lines where matches are found
- 🌈 Foreground/Background - Choose between text color or background highlight
- 💾 Export/Import - Save and load your query configurations as JSON files
- 🔃 Regex Support - Use regular expressions for advanced pattern matching
- 📊 Results Panel - Click on results to navigate directly to matching lines
- 🚀 Fast & Efficient - Optimized for large files and log analysis
🚀 Quick Start
- Open any file in VS Code
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (Mac)
- Type "Sequential Search" and press Enter
- The search panel opens beside your editor
- Enter your search queries and click Search
📖 Usage Guide
Basic Search
- Enter your search text in the query field
- Choose a highlight color using the color picker
- Click Search to find all matches
Advanced Options
| Option |
Description |
| Plain Text |
Simple text search (default) |
| Regex |
Use regular expressions for pattern matching |
| Background |
Highlight with background color |
| Text Color |
Change the text color itself |
| Whole Line |
Highlight the entire line where match is found |
Managing Queries
- ➕ Add Query - Add more search patterns
- ❌ Remove - Click the ✕ button to remove a query
- ✅ Enable/Disable - Toggle individual queries without deleting
- 💾 Export - Save all queries to a JSON file
- 📂 Import - Load queries from a JSON file
- 🗑️ Clear - Remove all highlights and results
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Press Enter in any query field to quickly search
🎯 Use Cases
- 📄 Log Analysis - Find ERROR, WARNING, INFO patterns with different colors
- 🔧 Code Review - Highlight TODO, FIXME, HACK comments
- 🐛 Debugging - Search for multiple variable names or function calls
- 📊 Data Analysis - Find specific patterns in CSV, JSON, or XML files
- 📝 Text Processing - Multi-pattern search in any text file
📸 Screenshots
Search Panel
Results View
Export/Import
⚙️ Configuration
The extension saves your queries automatically. You can also:
- Export Queries: Click the Export button to save queries as a JSON file
- Import Queries: Click the Import button to load saved queries
- Share Configurations: Share JSON files with your team for consistent analysis
Example: Log Analysis Setup
{
"version": "1.0",
"queries": [
{
"enabled": true,
"query": "ERROR",
"color": "#ff0000",
"type": "plain",
"colorType": "background",
"isWholeLine": true
},
{
"enabled": true,
"query": "WARNING",
"color": "#ffff00",
"type": "plain",
"colorType": "background",
"isWholeLine": false
},
{
"enabled": true,
"query": "DEBUG",
"color": "#00ff00",
"type": "plain",
"colorType": "foreground",
"isWholeLine": false
}
]
}
🛠️ Development
Build from Source
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/rajvesh/vscode-sequential-search.git
# Navigate to the extension folder
cd vscode-sequential-search
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Compile TypeScript
npm run compile
# Run the extension (opens Extension Development Host)
# Press F5 in VS Code
Package the Extension
npm install -g @vscode/vsce
vsce package
This creates a .vsix file that can be installed manually.
🤝 Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch:
git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
- Commit your changes:
git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
- Push to the branch:
git push origin feature/amazing-feature
- Open a Pull Request
Reporting Issues
Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on GitHub.
📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
🙏 Acknowledgments
Enjoy using Sequential Search! 🎉
If you find this extension helpful, please consider giving it a ⭐️ rating in the VS Code Marketplace!
