Find and Replace Multiple Files in Telescope

Here's how to find and replace a pattern over many files in nvim via telescope.

Install telescope

Via lazy.nvim:

{
  "nvim-telescope/telescope.nvim",
  dependencies = {
    "nvim-lua/plenary.nvim",
    "BurntSushi/ripgrep",
  },
  cmd = "Telescope",
  lazy = true,
  config = function()
    require("telescope").setup()
  end,
},

This defines the main package to install. It defines dependencies. The lazy opt means that it won't be loaded at startup. The cmd specifies when the plugin will load (ie, when the :Telescope command is first run).

Live grep with Telescope

Now, find a string pattern in your files. Via lua:

require('telescope.builtin').live_grep()

This will bring up a finder. Type your pattern. You'll see rows for hits.

Save to the Quick Fix buffer

The quick fix buffer allows you to save your hit results. And later, we'll be able to modify the files in this buffer.

Telescope can save your hit results to the Quick Fix buffer by pressing C-Q by default. I'm not sure what command that's running.

Modify each file

While in the Quick Fix buffer, run the command to search and replace, save each of the affected files and close thier buffers. Here's the one piped command to do those 3 steps:

:cfdo %s/mystring/newstring/g | update | bd

cfdo runs this command over each file in the Quick Fix list. %s is a buffer-wride search. /g is a global (multiple per-line) search. The | pipe sends the output of the first command to the input of the next. update saves modified buffers. bd closes the buffers.

You have now found string patterns, made edits, and saved multiple files.