Passing a custom glob to Ripgrep

Oct 13, 2025 by pynkocean.com 40 views

Introduction

As a Neovim user, you might be familiar with the Telescope plugin, which provides an efficient way to search and navigate through your files. One of its powerful features is the live_grep function, which allows you to search for a pattern in your files using Ripgrep, a fast and efficient search tool. However, by default, Telescope's live_grep function uses the default Ripgrep command, which might not be suitable for all use cases. In this article, we will explore how to pass a custom glob to Ripgrep when using Telescope's live_grep function.

Understanding Telescope's live_grep

Telescope's live_grep function is a powerful tool that allows you to search for a pattern in your files using Ripgrep. By default, it uses the following command:

rg --vimgrep --no-heading --no-line-number --column --smart-case --hidden --follow --no-ignore-vcs-ignores --no-ignore {query}

This command is a combination of various Ripgrep options that are optimized for Neovim's :grep command. However, you might want to customize this command to suit your specific needs.

Using the find_command argument

One way to customize Telescope's live_grep function is to use the find_command argument. This argument allows you to pass a list of arguments that will be used to construct the Ripgrep command. By default, Telescope's live_grep function uses the following find_command:

local telescope = require('telescope.builtin')
local find_command = telescope.find_command('live_grep', {
  find_command = { 'rg', '--vimgrep', '--no-heading', '--no-line-number', '--column', '--smart-case', '--hidden', '--follow', '--no-ignore-vcs-ignores', '--no-ignore' },
  initial_mode = 'insert',
  selection_caret = '^',
  selection_strategy = 'reset',
  sorting_strategy = 'ascending',
  layout_strategy = 'horizontal',
  layout_config = {
    horizontal = {
      prompt_position = 'top',
      preview_width = 0.5,
      results_width = 0.5,
    },
  },
  border = 'rounded',
  borderchars = { '─', '│', '─', '│', '╭', '╮', '╯', '╰' },
  color_devicons = true,
  path_display = 'smart',
  win_config = {
    border = 'rounded',
    borderchars = { '─', '│', '─', '│', '╭', '╮', '╯', '╰' },
    results_height = 10,
    preview_height = 10,
  },
  mappings = {
    i = {
      ['<C-u>'] = false,
      ['<C-d>'] = false,
    },
    n = {
      ['j'] = false,
      ['k'] = false,
      ['l'] = false,
      ['h'] = false,
    },
  },
})

As you can see, the find_command argument is a list of arguments that are used to construct the Ripgrep command. You can customize this list to suit your specific needs.

Passing a custom glob to Ripgrep

To pass a custom glob to Ripgrep, you can modify the find_command argument to include the glob pattern. For example, let's say you want to search for files that match the glob pattern *.txt:

local telescope = require('telescope.builtin')
local find_command = telescope.find_command('live_grep', {
  find_command = { 'rg', '--vimgrep', '--no-heading', '--no-line-number', '--column', '--smart-case', '--hidden', '--follow', '--no-ignore-vcs-ignores', '--no-ignore', '--glob', '*.txt' },
  initial_mode = 'insert',
  selection_caret = '^',
  selection_strategy = 'reset',
  sorting_strategy = 'ascending',
  layout_strategy = 'horizontal',
  layout_config = {
    horizontal = {
      prompt_position = 'top',
      preview_width = 0.5,
      results_width = 0.5,
    },
  },
  border = 'rounded',
  borderchars = { '─', '│', '─', '│', '╭', '╮', '╯', '╰' },
  color_devicons = true,
  path_display = 'smart',
  win_config = {
    border = 'rounded',
    borderchars = { '─', '│', '─', '│', '╭', '╮', '╯', '╰' },
    results_height = 10,
    preview_height = 10,
  },
  mappings = {
    i = {
      ['<C-u>'] = false,
      ['<C-d>'] = false,
    },
    n = {
      ['j'] = false,
      ['k'] = false,
      ['l'] = false,
      ['h'] = false,
    },
  },
})

In this example, we added the --glob option to the Ripgrep command, followed by the glob pattern *.txt. This will search for files that match the glob pattern *.txt.

Conclusion

Q: What is Telescope's live_grep function?

A: Telescope's live_grep function is a powerful tool that allows you to search for a pattern in your files using Ripgrep. It is a part of the Telescope plugin for Neovim, which provides an efficient way to search and navigate through your files.

Q: What is Ripgrep?

A: Ripgrep is a fast and efficient search tool that is designed to be used with the :grep command in Neovim. It is a powerful tool that allows you to search for patterns in your files, and it is often used in conjunction with Telescope's live_grep function.

Q: How do I customize Telescope's live_grep function?

A: You can customize Telescope's live_grep function by modifying the find_command argument. This argument allows you to pass a list of arguments that will be used to construct the Ripgrep command.

Q: What is the find_command argument?

A: The find_command argument is a list of arguments that are used to construct the Ripgrep command. It is a part of the Telescope plugin, and it allows you to customize the Ripgrep command to suit your specific needs.

Q: How do I pass a custom glob to Ripgrep?

A: To pass a custom glob to Ripgrep, you can modify the find_command argument to include the glob pattern. For example, you can add the --glob option to the Ripgrep command, followed by the glob pattern.

Q: What is a glob pattern?

A: A glob pattern is a pattern that is used to match files in a directory. It is a way to specify a set of files that you want to search for, and it is often used in conjunction with Ripgrep.

Q: How do I use a glob pattern with Ripgrep?

A: To use a glob pattern with Ripgrep, you can add the --glob option to the Ripgrep command, followed by the glob pattern. For example, you can use the following command to search for files that match the glob pattern *.txt:

rg --vimgrep --no-heading --no-line-number --column --smart-case --hidden --follow --no-ignore-vcs-ignores --no-ignore --glob *.txt

Q: Can I use multiple glob patterns with Ripgrep?

A: Yes, you can use multiple glob patterns with Ripgrep. To do this, you can add multiple --glob options to the Ripgrep command, followed by the glob patterns. For example, you can use the following command to search for files that match the glob patterns *.txt and *.md:

rg --vimgrep --no-heading --no-line-number --column --smart-case --hidden --follow --no-ignore-vcs-ignores --no-ignore --glob *.txt --glob *.md

Q: How do I customize the Ripgrep command?

A: You can customize the Ripgrep command by modifying the find_command argument. This argument allows you to pass a list of arguments that will be used to construct the Ripgrep command.

Q: What are some common options for the Ripgrep command?

A: Some common options for the Ripgrep command include:

--vimgrep: This option tells Ripgrep to use the :grep command in Neovim.
--no-heading: This option tells Ripgrep to suppress the header line.
--no-line-number: This option tells Ripgrep to suppress the line numbers.
--column: This option tells Ripgrep to display the results in a column format.
--smart-case: This option tells Ripgrep to perform a case-insensitive search.
--hidden: This option tells Ripgrep to search for hidden files.
--follow: This option tells Ripgrep to follow symbolic links.
--no-ignore-vcs-ignores: This option tells Ripgrep to ignore version control system ignores.
--no-ignore: This option tells Ripgrep to ignore the ignore file.

Q: How do I troubleshoot issues with Telescope's live_grep function?

A: To troubleshoot issues with Telescope's live_grep function, you can try the following:

Check the Telescope plugin documentation to see if there are any known issues or limitations.
Check the Ripgrep documentation to see if there are any known issues or limitations.
Try running the Ripgrep command manually to see if it produces the expected results.
Try modifying the find_command argument to see if it resolves the issue.