Results Reference

While PowerGREP previews or executes an action, the Results panel shows a progress meter. While PowerGREP collects the list of files to search through, the progress meter stays at 0% while counting up the number of files it is about to search through. While searching through files the meter indicates the percentage of files already searched through at the left, and an estimate of the remaining time the action needs until completion at the right.

If you have configured PowerGREP to use multiple threads in the action preferences and the file selection includes files from two or more drives, it is possible for the progress meter to appear running backwards or back-and-forth. Because PowerGREP uses one thread to get the list of files from each drive, it is possible that PowerGREP starts searching through the files on one drive while it is still getting the list of files on another drive. That causes the thread searching through files to advance the progress meter as it completes part of the job while the other thread reduces the progress meter as it increases the size of the job by adding files to the list. A “still globbing” label on the progress meter indicates this situation. Once the list of files has been gathered for all drives the progress meter will advance normally.

By default, the results are updated at regular intervals as PowerGREP finds more search matches. If you find this distracting, turn off the Automatic Update button. You can then click the Update Results button to see the results gathered so far. to make PowerGREP update the results regularly. Updating the results slows down the search somewhat, but does allow you to inspect the results before the action has completed.

Changing Display Options

The Results panel provides six sets of options to rearrange the display of the results, without executing the action again. When Automatic Update is active, changing an option immediately rearranges the results. If not, you need to click the Update Results button to rearrange them according to the new options. Automatic update is more convenient when working with small result sets. Manual update is faster when working with large result sets, since it allows you to change multiple options before updating the results.

Display Files and Matches

Note: When grouping unique matches, the context choices determine how matches are shown when double-clicking a unique match.

Group Search Matches

If you selected to display files and/or matches, you can also select how the files and matches should be displayed.

Display Totals

Sort Files

Sort Matches

If a line or block of context has more than one match, each line or block of context is shown only once with all matches highlighted if you choose "show in original order". If you choose any other sort option, lines or blocks of context with multiple matches are shown multiple times, each time with one search match highlighted, in the correct sorting position for each match.

Display Replacements

Determines how search matches and their replacements are displayed after a search-and-replace or collect action.