---
name: "nimgrep"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "nim"
version: "2.2.12-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nimgrep"
---

# nimgrep(1)

Nimgrep

## NAME

nimgrep - Nimgrep

## DESCRIPTION

nimgrep - Nim Grep Searching and Replacement Utility Version 2.0.0

-

  (c) 2012-2020 Andreas Rumpf

Usage:

\* To search:

-

  nimgrep \[options\] PATTERN \[(FILE/DIRECTORY)\*/-\]

\* To replace:

-

  nimgrep \[options\] PATTERN **--replace** REPLACEMENT (FILE/DIRECTORY)\*/-

\* To list file names:

-

  nimgrep \[options\] **--filenames** \[PATTERN\] \[(FILE/DIRECTORY)\*\]

Positional arguments, from left to right: 1) PATTERN is either Regex (default) or Peg if \`--peg\` is specified.

-

  PATTERN and REPLACEMENT should be skipped when \`--stdin\` is specified.

2\) REPLACEMENT supports \`$1\`, \`$#\` notations for captured groups in PATTERN.

-

  .. DANGER:: \`--replace\` mode \*\*DOES NOT\*\* ask confirmation

-

  unless \`--confirm\` is specified!

3\) Final arguments are a list of paths (FILE/DIRECTORY) or a standalone

-

  minus \`-\` or not specified (empty):

-

  \* empty, current directory \`.\` is assumed (not with \`--replace\`)

-

  .. Note:: so when no FILE/DIRECTORY/\`-\` is specified nimgrep

-

  does \*\*not\*\* read the pipe, but searches files in the current dir instead!

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  \* \`-\`, read buffer once from stdin: pipe or terminal input;

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  in \`--replace\` mode the result is directed to stdout; it's not compatible with \`--stdin\`, \`--filenames\`, or \`--confirm\`

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  For any given DIRECTORY nimgrep searches only its immediate files without traversing subdirectories unless \`--recursive\` is specified.

In replacement mode we require all 3 positional arguments to avoid damaging.

## OPTIONS

### \* Mode of operation:

- **--find**, **-f**

  find the PATTERN (default)

- **--replace**, -!

  replace the PATTERN to REPLACEMENT, rewriting the files

- **--confirm**

  confirm each occurrence/replacement; there is a chance to abort any time without touching the file

- **--filenames**

  just list filenames. Provide a PATTERN to find it in the filenames (not in the contents of a file) or run with empty pattern to just list all files:

- nimgrep **--filenames**

  \# In current dir

- nimgrep **--filenames** "" DIRECTORY

  \# Note empty pattern "", lists all files in DIRECTORY

### \* Interpret patterns:

- **--peg**

  PATTERN and PAT are Peg

- **--re**

  PATTERN and PAT are regular expressions (default)

- **--rex**, **-x**

  use the "extended" syntax for the regular expression so that whitespace is not significant

- **--word**, **-w**

  matches should have word boundaries (buggy for pegs!)

- **--ignoreCase**, **-i**

  be case-insensitive in PATTERN and PAT

- **--ignoreStyle**, **-y**

  be style insensitive in PATTERN and PAT

-

  .. Note:: PATTERN and patterns PAT (see below in other options) are all either

-

  Regex or Peg simultaneously and options \`--rex\`, \`--word\`, \`--ignoreCase\`, and \`--ignoreStyle\` are applied to all of them.

### \* File system walk:

- **--recursive**, **-r**

  process directories recursively

- **--follow**

  follow all symlinks when processing recursively

- **--sortTime**, **-s\[**:asc\|desc\]

  order files by the last modification time (default: off): ascending (recent files go last) or descending

\* Filter files (based on filesystem paths):

-

  .. Hint:: Instead of \`not\` you can type just \`n\` for negative options below.

- **--ex\[tensions\]**:EX1\|EX2\|...

  only search the files with the given extension(s), empty one (\`--ex\`) means files with missing extension

- **--notex\[tensions\]**:EX1\|EX2\|...

  exclude files having given extension(s), use empty one to skip files with no extension (like some binary files are)

- **--fi\[lename\]**:PAT

  search only files whose name matches pattern PAT

- **--notfi\[lename\]**:PAT

  skip files whose name matches pattern PAT

- **--di\[rname\]**:PAT

  select files that in their path have a directory name that matches pattern PAT

- **--notdi\[rname\]**:PAT

  do not descend into directories whose name (not path) matches pattern PAT

- **--dirp\[ath\]**:PAT

  select only files whose whole relative directory path matches pattern PAT

- **--notdirp\[ath\]**:PAT

  skip files whose whole relative directory path matches pattern PAT

### \* Filter files (based on file contents):

- **--inF\[ile\]**:PAT

  select files containing a (not displayed) match of PAT

- **--notinF\[ile\]**:PAT

  skip files containing a match of PAT

- **--bin**:on\|off\|only

  process binary files? (detected by \\0 in first 1K bytes) (default: on - binary and text files treated the same way)

- **--text**, **-t**

  process only text files, the same as \`--bin:off\`

### \* Filter matches:

- **--inC\[ontext\]**:PAT

  select only matches containing a match of PAT in their surrounding context (multiline with \`-c\`, \`-a\`, \`-b\`)

- **--notinC\[ontext\]**:PAT

  skip matches not containing a match of PAT in their surrounding context

### \* Represent results:

- **--nocolor**

  output will be given without any colors

- **--color\[**:on\]

  force color even if output is redirected (default: auto)

- **--colorTheme**:THEME

  select color THEME from \`simple\` (default), \`bnw\` (black and white), \`ack\`, or \`gnu\` (GNU grep)

- **--count**

  only print counts of matches for files that matched

- **--context**:N, **-c**:N

  print N lines of leading context before every match and N lines of trailing context after it (default N: 0)

- **--afterContext**:N, **-a**:N

  print N lines of trailing context after every match

- **--beforeContext**:N, **-b**:N

  print N lines of leading context before every match

- **--group**, **-g**

  group matches by file

- **--newLine**, **-l**

  display every matching line starting from a new line

- **--cols\[**:N\]

  limit max displayed columns/width of output lines from files by N characters, cropping overflows (default: off)

- **--cols**:auto, -%

  calculate columns from terminal width for every line

- **--onlyAscii**, -@

  display only printable ASCII Latin characters 0x20-0x7E substitutions: 0 -\> ^@, 1 -\> ^A, ... 0x1F -\> ^\_,

-

  0x7F -\> '7F, ..., 0xFF -\> 'FF

### \* Miscellaneous:

- **--threads**:N, **-j**:N

  speed up search by N additional workers (default: 0, off)

- **--stdin**

  read PATTERN from stdin (to avoid the shell's confusing quoting rules) and, if \`--replace\` given, REPLACEMENT

- **--verbose**

  be verbose: list every processed file

- **--help**, **-h**

  shows this help

- **--version**, **-v**

  shows the version