Output Modes

FindeRS supports multiple output modes to suit different use cases.

Standard Output (Default)

Shows file path, line number, and matching content.

finder -s "TODO"

Output:

src/lib.rs:42: // TODO: implement this
src/main.rs:15: // TODO: add error handling

Files Only Mode (-l)

Lists only file paths containing matches, similar to grep -l.

finder -s "TODO" -l

Output:

src/lib.rs
src/main.rs

Count Mode (-c)

Shows the number of matches per file, similar to grep -c.

finder -s "TODO" -c

Output:

src/lib.rs:3
src/main.rs:2

JSON Mode (--json)

Structured JSON output for programmatic processing.

finder -s "error" --json

Output:

[
  {
    "path": "src/lib.rs",
    "matches": [
      {"line": 42, "content": "handle error cases"},
      {"line": 87, "content": "return error result"}
    ]
  }
]

Combining Modes

Output modes are mutually exclusive. Use one at a time:

# ✓ Valid
finder -s "TODO" -l
finder -s "TODO" -c
finder -s "TODO" --json

# ✗ Invalid (last one wins)
finder -s "TODO" -l -c

Use Cases

• Standard: Interactive terminal use, reading results
• Files only (-l): Piping to other commands, opening in editor
• Count (-c): Statistics, understanding distribution
• JSON (--json): Scripting, integration with other tools

Next Steps

• Color Configuration - Customize output colors
• Integration Examples - Use with other tools