InstaSearch is an Eclipse IDE plug-in for performing quick and advanced search of workspace files. It indexes files using Lucene and keeps the index up to date automatically. The search is performed instantly as-you-type and resulting files are displayed in an Eclipse view.
Each file then can be previewed using few most matching and relevant lines. A double-click on the match leads to the matching line in the file.
In Eclipse please install using the Eclipse Marketplace from the Help menu (how-to)
Alternatively you can install using the update site http://code.inf.unibz.it/instasearch/downloads/
Java 1.5 or newer is required
( Add to favorites on Eclipse Marketplace.)
- Instantly shows search results
- Shows a preview using relevant lines
- Periodically updates the index
- Matches partial words (e.g. case in CamelCase)
- Opens and highlights matches in files
- Searches JAR source attachments
- Supports filtering by extension/project/working set
Lucene query syntax can be used for searching. This includes:
- Wildcard searches
app* initialize
- Excluding words
application -initialize
- Fuzzy searches to find similar matches
application init~
- Limit by location - directory, projects or working set
proj:MyProject,OtherProject application initws:MyWorkingSet dir:src init
- Limit by filename, extension or modification time
name:app* ext:java,xml,txt modified:yesterday
- Search by file name initials (e.g. FOS to find FileOutputStream.java)
name:FOS
To exclude some folders from search indexing, mark them as Derived in the folder's properties. There are also useful Eclipse Search Tips.
Note: Fuzzy search is started automatically if no exact matches are found
If you notice any issues with the plugin or have an idea for an enhancement, please open a new ticket
Author: Andrejs Jermakovics
Contributors: Holger Voormann
If you'd like to contribute feel free to get in touch or create a pull request.