find-replace
Modern find-and-replace using sd (simpler than sed) and batch replacement patterns. Triggers on: sd, find replace, batch replace, sed replacement, string replacement, rename.
SKILL.md
Full skill instructions
Find Replace
Modern find-and-replace using sd.
sd Basics
# Replace in file (in-place)
sd 'oldText' 'newText' file.txt
# Replace in multiple files
sd 'oldText' 'newText' *.js
# Preview without changing (pipe)
cat file.txt | sd 'old' 'new'
sd vs sed
| sed | sd |
|---|---|
sed 's/old/new/g' | sd 'old' 'new' |
sed -i 's/old/new/g' | sd 'old' 'new' file |
sed 's#path/to#new/path#g' | sd 'path/to' 'new/path' |
Key difference: sd is global by default, no delimiter issues.
Common Patterns
# Variable/function rename
sd 'oldName' 'newName' src/**/*.ts
# Word boundaries (avoid partial matches)
sd '\boldName\b' 'newName' src/**/*.ts
# Import path update
sd "from '../utils'" "from '@/utils'" src/**/*.ts
# Capture groups
sd 'console\.log\((.*)\)' 'logger.info($1)' src/**/*.js
Safe Batch Workflow
# 1. List affected files
rg -l 'oldPattern' src/
# 2. Preview replacements
rg 'oldPattern' -r 'newPattern' src/
# 3. Apply
sd 'oldPattern' 'newPattern' $(rg -l 'oldPattern' src/)
# 4. Verify
rg 'oldPattern' src/ # Should return nothing
git diff # Review changes
Special Characters
| Character | Escape |
|---|---|
. | \. |
* | \* |
[ ] | \[ \] |
$ | \$ |
\ | \\ |
Tips
| Tip | Reason |
|---|---|
Always preview with rg -r first | Avoid mistakes |
| Use git before bulk changes | Easy rollback |
Use \b for word boundaries | Avoid partial matches |
| Quote patterns | Prevent shell interpretation |
Additional Resources
For detailed patterns, load:
./references/advanced-patterns.md- Regex, batch workflows, real-world examples