Smart Search

Intelligent VS Code extension for contextual search with ripgrep, Solr indexing, and AI-powered summaries.

Features

• Dual Search Modes: Choose between Live Search (workspace files) and Session Search (stored results)
• Multi-Folder Search: Automatically searches across all workspace folders with intelligent parallel processing
• Fast Text Search: Uses ripgrep for lightning-fast text search across your workspace
• Session-Based Search: Search within previously stored results for rapid exploration and refinement
• Interactive Search Settings: Fine-tune search results with customizable settings panels
  • Ripgrep Settings: Adjust context lines, file patterns, and result limits
  • Solr Settings: Control result scoring, sorting, file filtering, and session management
• Intelligent Indexing: Optional Solr integration for advanced search and indexing capabilities
• Auto-Suggestions: Smart query suggestions based on your search history and stored results
• AI-Powered Summaries: Get contextual summaries of search results (when enabled)
• Symbol Search: Find functions, classes, and other code symbols quickly
• Rich Results: Interactive search results panel with file navigation
• Settings Persistence: Search settings are automatically saved and applied to new searches

Installation

1. Install the extension from the VS Code marketplace
2. (Optional) Set up Solr for advanced indexing - see Configuration Guide
3. Make sure ripgrep is installed on your system

Solr Configuration for Enhanced Highlighting

To get the best highlighting experience, configure Solr with optimized settings:

Quick Setup (Automated)

# Windows
npm run configure-solr

# Linux/Mac
npm run configure-solr-unix

Manual Setup

See the detailed configuration guide: SOLR_HIGHLIGHTING_CONFIG.md

What You Get:

• 🎯 Advanced highlighting with phrase and proximity matching
• 📝 Smart snippets with context-aware fragment generation
• ⚡ Better performance with optimized analyzers and field types
• 🎨 Rich visual formatting with multiple highlighting styles
• 🛡️ XSS protection with safe HTML rendering

Usage

Two Search Modes

Smart Search offers two distinct search modes for different use cases:

🔍 Live Search Mode

• Purpose: Search your workspace files in real-time using ripgrep
• Best for: Finding content across your entire project
• Features:
  • Lightning-fast file search
  • Results are automatically stored for future reference
  • Full workspace coverage
• Usage: Select the "Live Search" tab and enter your query

🗂️ Session Search Mode

• Purpose: Search within previously stored search results
• Best for: Refining and exploring previous search results
• Features:
  • Instant results (no file system scanning)
  • Search within specific search sessions
  • Perfect for iterative exploration
• Usage: Select the "Session Search" tab to search within stored results

Basic Search

• Press Ctrl+Shift+F (or Cmd+Shift+F on Mac) to open Smart Search
• Choose your search mode (Live or Session)
• Enter your search query and press Enter
• Results will appear in a dedicated panel

Session Management

• Automatic Sessions: Each Live Search automatically creates a new session
• Session Selection: In Session Search mode, click "Change" to select a different session
• Session Info: The interface shows which session you're searching and how many results it contains
• Recent Activity: View and access your recent searches and sessions

Enhanced Query Syntax (New!)

Smart Search now supports both simple queries and advanced Solr field-specific queries:

Simple Queries (Default)

function          → Searches in configured default fields (content_all, code_all)
"exact phrase"    → Phrase search across default fields
test AND bug      → Boolean search across default fields

Advanced Field-Specific Queries

file_name:*.js                           → Find JavaScript files
match_text:function AND file_extension:ts → Functions in TypeScript files  
ai_summary:"bug fix"                     → Files with "bug fix" in AI summary
relevance_score:[50 TO *]               → High relevance results only
line_number:[1 TO 100]                  → Results from first 100 lines
file_path:src/services/*.ts             → Files in services directory
search_session_id:session_*             → Results from specific sessions

Available Search Fields

• Content Fields: content_all, code_all, match_text, full_line, ai_summary
• File Fields: file_name, file_path, file_extension
• Metadata Fields: line_number, column_number, relevance_score, file_size
• Session Fields: search_session_id, original_query, search_timestamp
• Boolean Fields: case_sensitive, whole_word

Query Examples

# Find React components
file_name:*Component.tsx

# Find high-value functions  
match_text:function AND relevance_score:[75 TO *]

# Find recent bug fixes
ai_summary:bug AND search_timestamp:[NOW-7DAY TO NOW]

# Find large files with specific content
match_text:import AND file_size:[10000 TO *]

# Complex query combining multiple fields
file_extension:js AND match_text:async AND line_number:[1 TO 50]

Smart Suggestions

The search interface provides intelligent auto-suggestions based on:

• Session Content: Terms and phrases from your current search session
• Search History: Your recent queries
• File Names: Relevant file names and paths
• Global Terms: Popular terms across all stored results

User Interface Features

Modern Two-Mode Interface

• Tab-Based Mode Selection: Clearly distinguish between Live and Session search
• Visual Feedback: Different styling and icons for each search mode
• Session Info Bar: Shows which session you're searching in Session mode
• Contextual Help: Mode-specific workflow guidance

Enhanced Search Options

• Organized Settings: Search options grouped by relevance (Text Matching, Search Mode)
• Smart Defaults: Session-relevant options are highlighted when appropriate
• Visual States: Clear indication of active search mode and settings

Search Settings

Both ripgrep and Solr result panels include collapsible settings panels for fine-tuning search results:

Ripgrep Search Settings (Live Search Mode)

• Context Lines Before/After: Control how many lines of context to show around matches (0-100, default: 30)
• Include/Exclude Files: Filter results by file patterns (glob patterns, comma-separated)
• Max Results: Limit the number of results displayed (1-1000, default: 100)

Solr Search Settings (Session Search Mode)

• Max Results: Control the maximum number of results returned (1-1000, default: 100)
• Min Score: Filter results by minimum relevance score (0-100, default: 0)
• Sort Order: Choose how results are sorted (relevance, date, filename, line number)
• File Types: Filter by specific file extensions (comma-separated, e.g., "js,ts,py")
• Exclude Patterns: Exclude files matching certain patterns (e.g., "test,spec,node_modules")
• Session Filter: Search within a specific search session

Settings Persistence

All search settings are automatically persisted and will be applied to new searches until manually changed or reset.

Advanced Features

Automatic Session Creation

• Every Live Search automatically creates a new session with stored results
• Sessions are automatically named and timestamped
• Previous sessions remain available for future Session Search

Session-Scoped Search

• Latest Session Priority: Session Search defaults to your most recent session
• Session Switching: Easily switch between different stored sessions
• Session Metadata: View session details including result count and creation time

Workspace Indexing

• Use the command palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) and run "Smart Search: Index Workspace"
• This will index your workspace for faster searches (requires Solr)

Key Workflows

Typical Search Workflow

1. Start with Live Search: Use Live Search mode to find content across your workspace
2. Review Results: Examine the search results and stored session information
3. Refine with Session Search: Switch to Session Search mode to drill down within the results
4. Iterate: Use Session Search to explore different aspects of your findings
5. Session Management: Access previous sessions through the "Manage Sessions" button

Best Practices

• Use Live Search for broad discovery across your entire workspace
• Use Session Search for focused exploration and refinement
• Leverage Suggestions for faster query composition
• Organize Sessions by keeping related searches in the same session
• Monitor Session Info to understand the scope of your current search

Configuration

The extension can be configured through VS Code settings:

• smart-search.solrUrl: Solr server URL (default: http://localhost:8983/solr)
• smart-search.enableAISummaries: Enable AI-powered summaries (default: true)
• smart-search.maxFiles: Maximum number of files to return results from (default: 100)
• smart-search.defaultSolrFields: Default Solr fields for simple queries (default: "content_all,code_all")
• smart-search.maxParallelFolders: Maximum folders for parallel search (default: 5)
• smart-search.enableDebugLogging: Enable debug logging for searches (default: false)

Search Mode Configuration

The extension automatically manages search modes, but you can influence behavior through:

• Session Management: Sessions are automatically created and managed
• Default Search Scope: Live Search is the default for new queries
• Session Retention: Previous sessions are kept available for future use
• Auto-Suggestions: Powered by session content and search history

Default Search Fields Configuration

You can customize which fields are searched by default for simple queries:

{
  "smart-search.defaultSolrFields": "content_all,code_all,ai_summary"
}

Examples:

• "content_all" - Search only in content
• "content_all,code_all" - Search in content and code (default)
• "match_text,file_name,file_path" - Search in specific fields only
• "content_all,code_all,ai_summary" - Include AI summaries in default search

Multi-Folder Search Configuration

The extension automatically searches across all workspace folders when multiple folders are open in VS Code. You can control the search behavior with these settings:

{
  "smart-search.maxParallelFolders": 5,
  "smart-search.enableDebugLogging": false
}

Search Strategy

• 2-5 folders: Parallel search for optimal performance
• 1 folder or 6+ folders: Sequential search to avoid system overload
• Error resilience: Failed folders don't break the entire search

Configuration Options

• smart-search.maxParallelFolders (default: 5)

  • Maximum folders to search in parallel
  • Range: 1-10 folders
  • Higher values = faster search but more system resources

• smart-search.enableDebugLogging (default: false)

  • Shows detailed multi-folder search progress
  • Useful for troubleshooting workspace setup
  • Displays: folder discovery, search strategy, results per folder

Benefits

• 🚀 Performance: Up to 5x faster with parallel search (2-5 folders)
• 🛡️ Reliability: Individual folder errors don't stop search
• 📊 Visibility: Optional logging shows search progress
• ⚙️ Adaptive: Automatically chooses best search strategy
• 🎯 Complete Coverage: Searches all workspace folders automatically

Requirements

• VS Code 1.74.0 or higher
• ripgrep (for text search)
• Apache Solr (optional, for advanced indexing)

Development

See the Development Guide for information on building and contributing to this extension.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.