How do I use silversearcher-ag with Emacs without a package

Question

I've read Grep Searching from the manual. The basic that I've found out are that I can use grep command in Emacs. I was wondering if I could use silversearcher-ag as an alternative to grep in M-x grep

I tried to just remove grep --color -nH --null -e and use plain ag command and it does actually work, i.e. it fills up the *grep* buffer. But it's not formatted and thus Emacs can't use that buffer to jump around the matches.

I know about some packages, but I really want to know how I can change the ag command so that the output is compatible for Emacs. Any help would be appreciated.

whatacold · Accepted Answer · 2019-05-03T10:22:53.663

2

You can customize settings like this:

  (setq grep-command "ag --vimgrep "
        grep-use-null-device nil)

I've tested it with emacs -Q --eval "(setq grep-command \"ag --vimgrep \" grep-use-null-device nil)"

edited May 03 '19 at 10:22

answered May 03 '19 at 08:56

whatacold

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Got error: `(void-variable \"ag)`. It works okay without the backslashes though. Maybe you used escaping because you were invoking the command from bash. – 3N4N May 03 '19 at 10:10
My bad, you're right, string escaping is only needed in bash. Have corrected my answer, thanks. – whatacold May 03 '19 at 10:23
1

Another query of mine is, what is the differences between normal ag and --vimgrep output that Emacs recognizes one and doesn't another? – 3N4N May 03 '19 at 10:24
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Because `grep-mode` only recognises lines like `A:B:C` , where A is file path, B is line number, and C is the matched line, which `ag` doesn't default to. – whatacold May 03 '19 at 10:29

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 03 '19 at 10:51

M-x grep RET ag --nogroup PATTERN RET almost works, if you search against only one file, because ag --nogroup PATTERN FILE doesn't print the filename in such case, e.g.,

~/.emacs.d $ ag --nogroup user-init-file init.el
1404:         (not (eq (current-buffer) (get-file-buffer user-init-file)))

you can append a empty file such as /dev/null to force ag to print the file name:

ag --nogroup PATTERN FILE /dev/null

or set grep-use-null-device to t so Emacs will add the empty file for you:

(setq grep-use-null-device t)

Besides, colors doesn't work and you can jump the correct line but not the right column. Now I know more or less why ag.el is created, even I haven't tried it.

How do I use silversearcher-ag with Emacs without a package

2 Answers2