@c This is part of the Emacs manual.
-@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2000-2013 Free Software
+@c Copyright (C) 1985-1987, 1993-1995, 1997, 2000-2014 Free Software
@c Foundation, Inc.
@c See file emacs.texi for copying conditions.
@node Search
@samp{foo bar}, @samp{foo bar}, and so on (but not @samp{foobar}).
More precisely, Emacs matches each sequence of space characters in the
search string to a regular expression specified by the variable
-@code{search-whitespace-regexp}. For example, set it to
-@samp{"[[:space:]\n]+"} to make spaces match sequences of newlines as
-well as spaces. To toggle lax space matching, type @kbd{M-s SPC}
+@code{search-whitespace-regexp}. For example, to make spaces match
+sequences of newlines as well as spaces, set it to
+@samp{"[[:space:]\n]+"}.
+
+ To toggle lax space matching, type @kbd{M-s SPC}
(@code{isearch-toggle-lax-whitespace}). To disable this feature
entirely, change @code{search-whitespace-regexp} to @code{nil}; then
-each space in the search string matches exactly one space
+each space in the search string matches exactly one space.
If the search string you entered contains only lower-case letters,
the search is case-insensitive; as long as an upper-case letter exists
To search for a newline character, type @kbd{C-j}.
- To search for other control characters, such as @key{control-S},
-quote it by typing @kbd{C-q} first (@pxref{Inserting Text}). To
-search for non-@acronym{ASCII} characters, you can either use
-@kbd{C-q} and enter its octal code, or use an input method
-(@pxref{Input Methods}). If an input method is enabled in the current
-buffer when you start the search, you can use it in the search string
-also. While typing the search string, you can toggle the input method
-with the command @kbd{C-\} (@code{isearch-toggle-input-method}). You
-can also turn on a non-default input method with @kbd{C-^}
+ To search for non-@acronym{ASCII} characters, use one of the
+following methods:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Type @kbd{C-q}, followed by a non-graphic character or a sequence of
+octal digits. This adds a character to the search string, similar to
+inserting into a buffer using @kbd{C-q} (@pxref{Inserting Text}). For
+example, @kbd{C-q C-s} during incremental search adds the
+@key{control-S} character to the search string.
+
+@item
+Type @kbd{C-x 8 @key{RET}}, followed by a Unicode name or code-point.
+This adds the specified character into the search string, similar to
+the usual @code{insert-char} command (@pxref{Inserting Text}).
+
+@item
+Use an input method (@pxref{Input Methods}). If an input method is
+enabled in the current buffer when you start the search, you can use
+it in the search string also. While typing the search string, you can
+toggle the input method with @kbd{C-\}
+(@code{isearch-toggle-input-method}). You can also turn on a
+non-default input method with @kbd{C-^}
(@code{isearch-toggle-specified-input-method}), which prompts for the
name of the input method. When an input method is active during
incremental search, the search prompt includes the input method
where @var{im} is the mnemonic of the active input method. Any input
method you enable during incremental search remains enabled in the
current buffer afterwards.
+@end itemize
@kindex M-% @r{(Incremental search)}
Typing @kbd{M-%} in incremental search invokes @code{query-replace}
or @code{query-replace-regexp} (depending on search mode) with the
-current search string used as the string to replace. @xref{Query
-Replace}.
+current search string used as the string to replace. A negative
+prefix argument means to replace backward. @xref{Query Replace}.
@kindex M-TAB @r{(Incremental search)}
Typing @kbd{M-@key{TAB}} in incremental search invokes
@findex isearch-yank-line
Similarly, @kbd{M-s C-e} (@code{isearch-yank-line}) appends the rest
of the current line to the search string. If point is already at the
-end of a line, it appends the next line.
+end of a line, it appends the next line. With a prefix argument
+@var{n}, it appends the next @var{n} lines.
If the search is currently case-insensitive, both @kbd{C-w} and
@kbd{M-s C-e} convert the text they copy to lower case, so that the
@code{word-search-backward} respectively.
Incremental and nonincremental word searches differ slightly in the
-way they find a match. In a nonincremental word search, the last word
-in the search string must exactly match a whole word. In an
-incremental word search, the matching is more lax: the last word in
-the search string can match part of a word, so that the matching
-proceeds incrementally as you type. This additional laxity does not
-apply to the lazy highlight, which always matches whole words.
+way they find a match. In a nonincremental word search, each word in
+the search string must exactly match a whole word. In an incremental
+word search, the matching is more lax: while you are typing the search
+string, its first and last words need not match whole words. This is
+so that the matching can proceed incrementally as you type. This
+additional laxity does not apply to the lazy highlight, which always
+matches whole words.
@node Symbol Search
@section Symbol Search
If incremental search is active, toggle symbol search mode
(@code{isearch-toggle-symbol}); otherwise, begin an incremental
forward symbol search (@code{isearch-forward-symbol}).
+@item M-s .
+Start a symbol incremental search forward with the symbol found near
+point added to the search string initially.
@item M-s _ @key{RET} @var{symbol} @key{RET}
Search forward for @var{symbol}, nonincrementally.
@item M-s _ C-r @key{RET} @var{symbol} @key{RET}
@end table
@kindex M-s _
+@kindex M-s .
@findex isearch-forward-symbol
- To begin a forward incremental symbol search, type @kbd{M-s _}. If
-incremental search is not already active, this runs the command
+@findex isearch-forward-symbol-at-point
+ To begin a forward incremental symbol search, type @kbd{M-s _} (or
+@kbd{M-s .} if the symbol to search is near point). If incremental
+search is not already active, this runs the command
@code{isearch-forward-symbol}. If incremental search is already
active, @kbd{M-s _} switches to a symbol search, preserving the
direction of the search and the current search string; you can disable
tries to match all three @samp{a}s; but the rest of the pattern is
@samp{ar} and there is only @samp{r} left to match, so this try fails.
The next alternative is for @samp{a*} to match only two @samp{a}s.
-With this choice, the rest of the regexp matches successfully.@refill
+With this choice, the rest of the regexp matches successfully.
@item @kbd{+}
is a postfix operator, similar to @samp{*} except that it must match
match @var{a}, and if that fails, by trying to match @var{b}.
Thus, @samp{foo\|bar} matches either @samp{foo} or @samp{bar}
-but no other string.@refill
+but no other string.
@samp{\|} applies to the largest possible surrounding expressions. Only a
surrounding @samp{\( @dots{} \)} grouping can limit the grouping power of
-@samp{\|}.@refill
+@samp{\|}.
Full backtracking capability exists to handle multiple uses of @samp{\|}.
To enclose a complicated expression for the postfix operators @samp{*},
@samp{+} and @samp{?} to operate on. Thus, @samp{ba\(na\)*} matches
@samp{bananana}, etc., with any (zero or more) number of @samp{na}
-strings.@refill
+strings.
@item
To record a matched substring for future reference.
matches the empty string, but only at the beginning or
end of a word. Thus, @samp{\bfoo\b} matches any occurrence of
@samp{foo} as a separate word. @samp{\bballs?\b} matches
-@samp{ball} or @samp{balls} as a separate word.@refill
+@samp{ball} or @samp{balls} as a separate word.
@samp{\b} matches at the beginning or end of the buffer
regardless of what text appears next to it.
you specify searching for @samp{foo}, then @samp{Foo} and @samp{foo}
also match. Regexps, and in particular character sets, behave
likewise: @samp{[ab]} matches @samp{a} or @samp{A} or @samp{b} or
-@samp{B}.@refill
+@samp{B}.
An upper-case letter anywhere in the incremental search string makes
the search case-sensitive. Thus, searching for @samp{Foo} does not find
well as to string search. The effect ceases if you delete the
upper-case letter from the search string.
- Typing @kbd{M-c} within an incremental search toggles the case
-sensitivity of that search. The effect does not extend beyond the
-current incremental search to the next one, but it does override the
-effect of adding or removing an upper-case letter in the current
-search.
-
@vindex case-fold-search
If you set the variable @code{case-fold-search} to @code{nil}, then
all letters must match exactly, including case. This is a per-buffer
performed by the replace commands (@pxref{Replace}) and the minibuffer
history matching commands (@pxref{Minibuffer History}).
+ Typing @kbd{M-c} within an incremental search toggles the case
+sensitivity of that search. The effect does not extend beyond the
+current incremental search to the next one, but it does override the
+effect of adding or removing an upper-case letter in the current
+search.
+
Several related variables control case-sensitivity of searching and
matching for specific commands or activities. For instance,
@code{tags-case-fold-search} controls case sensitivity for
(@pxref{Unconditional Replace}). In particular, it preserves case
provided @code{case-replace} is non-@code{nil}, as it normally is
(@pxref{Replacement and Case}). A numeric argument means to consider
-only occurrences that are bounded by word-delimiter characters.
+only occurrences that are bounded by word-delimiter characters. A
+negative prefix argument replaces backward.
@kindex C-M-%
@findex query-replace-regexp