Code Search

Forgejo supports code search through an indexer and 
git-grep as a fallback when 
REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED is disabled.
Basic (git-grep)
When 
REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED is set to 
false, code search is restricted to a single repository, utilizing the 
git-grep command.
Supported Options
The following options are currently available for code search while using 
git-grep.
Exact: Perform an exact match on the provided expression.
Union: Conduct a union match, returning results that contain at least one of the specified keywords. For example, a search query containing 
hello world will yield results with either 
hello or 
world.
RegExp: Utilize the provided regular expression to perform a pattern-based match (matches will not be highlighted).
Scope
Since 
git-grep is performed on the fly, it can be executed on any valid branch or tag. The currently active branch/tag is displayed as the default value in the dropdown menu above the search bar, allowing users to easily switch between branches and tags.
Searching within a specific directory (or file) executes 
git-grep using a literal pathspec for the given path. If 
REPO_INDEXER_INCLUDE has been set by the administrator, the filter is added if and only if it matches one of the globs.
Example
Performing a search for 
foo at 
/{user}/{repo}/src/branch/main?path=src returns results that belong to the branch 
main inside the directory 
/src.
main
├── docs -> [...]
└── src
    └── main.go
    └── utils.go
In the above figure, the search would match results for 
foo in 
main.go and 
utils.go, but not from 
docs/*.
Indexer
For complex searches or cross-repository queries across an entire organization or instance, 
REPO_INDEXER_ENABLED must be set to 
true.
This enables code search via the selected indexer (
REPO_INDEXER_TYPE).
Supported Options
The following options are currently available for code search while using an indexer.
Exact: Perform an exact match on the provided expression.
Union: Conduct a union match, returning results that contain at least one of the specified keywords. For example, a search query containing 
hello world will yield results with either 
hello or 
world.
Fuzzy (if enabled by the administrator): Conduct a fuzzy search, returning results that contain the keyword within a maximum edit distance of 2. For example, a search query containing 
hello will yield results with:
edit distance of 0: 
hello
edit distance of 1: For example, 
hllo (delete), 
helloo (add), 
hallo (modify).
[!note] Note
Fuzzy search requires the admin to set 
REPO_INDEXER_FUZZY_ENABLED.
Scope
Please note that when using the repository indexer, search results are limited to the contents of the default branch of each repository.
Similar to basic search, searching within a directory (or file) is also possible for advanced search.
However, unlike basic search, the search is more granular as it applies the filter but selectively includes/excludes files depending on 
REPO_INDEXER_INCLUDE/
REPO_INDEXER_EXCLUDE.