How do I search for a pattern across multiple files?

Explanation

The :vimgrep command searches for a pattern across multiple files and populates the quickfix list with the results. It uses Vim's internal regex engine.

How it works

• :vimgrep /pattern/ files searches the given files
• **/*.ext is a glob for all matching files recursively
• Results go into the quickfix list
• :copen opens the quickfix window to browse results

Example

:vimgrep /TODO/ **/*.py
:copen

This finds all TODO comments in Python files and opens the quickfix list.

Tips

• :cnext/:cprev navigate between matches
• :vimgrep /pattern/g file lists every match (not just one per line)
• :grep uses the external grep command instead (faster for large projects)
• :lvimgrep uses the location list instead of quickfix