# Searching Aptana [edit]

This page describes how to use Aptana's Search feature to search your code for a specific string.

## Introduction

Aptana's Search feature allows you to search the code in your current file or any file in your workspace for a string or regular expression.

## Instructions

To search:

1. From the Search menu, select Search... to open a Search window (shown below).

   Note: You can also start a search by clicking the Search button in the toolbar.

2. In the Containing Text text box, type the string that you want to search for. You can use the following wildcards:
   - "*" - searches for any string
   - "?" - searches for any character
   - "\\" - use as an escape for strings containing "*" or "?"
3. To perform a multi-line search (where your search string includes multiple lines of text), choose the Text is multiline option.
4. To choose a file type to search, other than a .js file, click the Choose button next to the File name patterns text box, and choose any additional file types. (To specify multiple file types, separate each file type with a comma.)
5. To consider derived sources, check the Consider derived resources box.

   A "derived source" is a file that is not original data. Derived sources are created from processing, copying, or translating files, etc.

6. Choose the scope of your search by clicking one of the Scope options.
7. Execute your search:
   - To perform a standard search, click the Search button.
   - To perform a search-and-replace, click the Replace button. (If you perform a search-and-replace, Aptana opens a Replace window for you to specify the term to replace the search term with.)

Aptana performs the specified search and highlights the string that you searched for.

Aptana retains your search results in the Search tab at the bottom of the screen. To clear the search results, either perform a new search or click the Remove All Matches button .

## Related Topics

- Searching for files using Open Resource
- Using Goto to jump to a location

Retrieved from "http://aptana.com/docs/index.php/Searching_Aptana"

Category: AptanaHelp