Reload, Transform, and Live Grep

Live Grep with fzf + ripgrep

The most powerful fzf pattern: use ripgrep to filter, fzf to navigate results:

fzf-live-grep — searchable ripgrep

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# Live grep: results update as you type
rg_fzf() {
  local RG_PREFIX="rg --column --line-number --no-heading --color=always --smart-case"
  local INITIAL_QUERY="${1:-}"

  fzf --ansi \
      --disabled \
      --query="$INITIAL_QUERY" \
      --bind "start:reload:$RG_PREFIX {q}" \
      --bind "change:reload:sleep 0.2; $RG_PREFIX {q} || true" \
      --bind 'ctrl-/:toggle-preview' \
      --delimiter=: \
      --preview 'bat --color=always --style=numbers --highlight-line={2} {1}' \
      --preview-window 'right:60%:hidden:+{2}/2' \
      --prompt '  Grep: ' \
      --header 'Type to grep | CTRL-/ for preview' \
      --color 'hl:-1:underline,hl+:-1:underline:reverse' \
      | awk -F: '{print "+"$2" "$1}'  # output as "+lineno file" for vim
}

# Open result in vim at exact line
result=$(rg_fzf "$@")
if [ -n "$result" ]; then
    vim $result
fi

Usage: rg_fzf "function name" → opens at matching line in vim.

Switching Between Modes with Reload

# Interactive mode switcher: files, git files, git log
git_fzf() {
  local mode="files"

  fd --type f --hidden --exclude .git | fzf \
    --prompt '📄 Files> ' \
    --header $'CTRL-G: git files\nCTRL-L: git log\nCTRL-F: all files' \
    --bind 'ctrl-g:change-prompt(🔀 Git> )+reload(git ls-files)' \
    --bind 'ctrl-l:change-prompt(📋 Log> )+reload(git log --oneline)' \
    --bind 'ctrl-f:change-prompt(📄 Files> )+reload(fd --type f --hidden --exclude .git)' \
    --preview '
      if git log --oneline {1} 2>/dev/null | grep -q .; then
        git show --stat --color=always {1}
      else
        bat --color=always --style=numbers {}
      fi
    '
}

Transform for Conditional Headers

# Show different instructions based on current mode
find . | fzf \
  --header-first \
  --header 'MODE: FILES' \
  --bind 'ctrl-d:transform(
    if [[ $FZF_PROMPT == *"Files"* ]]; then
      echo "reload(find . -type d)+change-prompt(DIR> )+change-header(MODE: DIRS)"
    else
      echo "reload(find . -type f)+change-prompt(FILE> )+change-header(MODE: FILES)"
    fi
  )'

Dynamic Query-based Reload

# Reload the list based on query text — useful for API or DB queries
fzf_db() {
  : | fzf \
    --disabled \
    --ansi \
    --bind 'change:reload(
      if [ -n {q} ]; then
        sqlite3 mydb.sqlite "SELECT * FROM users WHERE name LIKE '"'"'%{q}%'"'"'" 2>/dev/null
      else
        echo "Type to search users..."
      fi
    )' \
    --prompt 'DB Search> ' \
    --header 'Search users table'
}

Custom Headers and Actions

# Show context-sensitive header based on selection count
ls | fzf \
  -m \
  --border=rounded \
  --bind 'zero:change-header(No matches found)' \
  --bind 'load:change-header(Loaded {} items)' \
  --bind 'change:transform-header(
    if [ $FZF_SELECT_COUNT -gt 0 ]; then
      echo "Selected: $FZF_SELECT_COUNT items"
    else
      echo "Filter and select files"
    fi
  )'

What's Next

• Shell Functions