Search Text

This chapter searches forward and backward as a query changes, recalls and extends previous queries, changes matching policy, and recovers from failed or invalid input while preserving the captured editing origin.

Before You Begin

If you enter this chapter directly, first complete Prepare the User Guide Exercises.

Complete Buffers and Panes. Open the kit-supplied editing-practice file:

odra ~/odra-guide/work/dirs/notes/editing-practice.txt

Point begins before Editing Practice.

Search Forward and Backward

Press C-s. The bottom interaction reports a forward Search. Type:

Observation

Each inserted character updates the current match. Point moves to the end of the first occurrence and the matched range uses the active theme's search style. Press C-s again to select the next occurrence. Press C-r to reverse direction within the same search and return to the previous one.

Backspace removes one complete query character. Search input changes only the query; it does not edit the buffer.

Press Enter to accept the current match. The interaction closes and point remains at the selected edge.

Cancel and Restore the Origin

Move to a recognizable line and press C-s. Search for night, then press C-g. Odra closes the interaction and restores the point, viewport, and horizontal position captured when this search began.

An accepted search keeps its selected location. A cancelled search restores its origin and does not add incomplete input to ordinary search history.

Reuse Search History

Press C-s, then press C-s again while the query is empty. Odra reuses the newest compatible accepted literal query and selects its next match.

During an active search, M-p recalls older compatible entries and M-n moves toward newer ones. The recalled query runs immediately. Moving beyond the newest entry returns to the live text you were entering before history navigation.

Type a prefix of an earlier query and press Tab. Search history completes the newest compatible entry without accepting or closing the search. History is bounded to the current editor session and does not persist across restarts.

Extend a Query from Existing Text

Press C-g, move point before an Observation line, and start a new forward search. Press C-w to append the next nearby textual unit to the query. Repeated presses extend it further.

C-M-y appends a larger nearby structural unit when the active syntax can provide one. C-y appends the newest compatible text-transfer entry. These commands copy text into the query only; they do not insert into the document.

Change Matching Policy

While a search is active, use these local sequences:

Each change reruns the current query without closing the interaction. Word and symbol modes are mutually exclusive. Flexible whitespace lets one query whitespace run match one or more whitespace characters.

Factory smart case treats a query with an uppercase Unicode character as case-sensitive and a query without uppercase characters as case-insensitive. Search for market square, then compare it with Market Square; the bottom interaction reports the effective case behavior.

Recover from No Match

Search for Market Square, then append x. The interaction reports a failing search while preserving the last successful query and match.

Press C-g once. Odra removes the failing suffix and returns to the last successful query. Press Enter to accept it. When a query has never matched, C-g cancels directly and restores the captured origin.

Search with a Regular Expression

Press C-M-s and enter:

Observation [0-9]+: (light rain|clearing)

The interaction reports a forward regular-expression search and selects the first complete match. Press C-M-s again for the next match and C-M-r to move backward.

Append ( to make the expression invalid. Odra reports the expression error and byte offset without terminating the interaction or losing the last valid match. Press C-g once to restore the last valid expression, then press Enter to accept it.

Recognize Wrapping and Pending Work

Repeating beyond the captured scope boundary reports that search wrapped before continuing from the opposite boundary. A scan that reaches its bounded work limit reports Pending; repeat the active directional search command to continue. Neither condition edits text or blocks cancellation.

An active region restricts search to the ordered range between point and mark. Without one, the complete active buffer is searched.

Verify the Result

You have completed this chapter when you can repeat and reverse a literal search, distinguish acceptance from cancellation, recall and extend a query, toggle matching policy, recover a failed suffix, and continue through a valid regular expression after correcting invalid intermediate input.

Continue with Replace Text to confirm, skip, batch, and undo matched changes.

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