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Find / Replace

Find / Replace in VS Code is feature-rich: regex, case, whole-word, in-folder, in-files-by-glob, with capture groups, and a multi-cursor mode for the matches.

Every find / replace shortcut + a real refactor

EXAMPLE
# File search
#   Ctrl + F           — find
#   Ctrl + H           — replace
#   Alt + Enter         — multi-cursor at all matches
#   F3 / Shift + F3     — next / previous match

# Toggle modes
#   Alt + R             — regex on / off
#   Alt + C             — case sensitive on / off
#   Alt + W             — whole word on / off

# Project-wide search
#   Ctrl + Shift + F    — search across the workspace
#   Ctrl + Shift + H    — replace across the workspace
#   files to include:  src/**/*.{ts,tsx}
#   files to exclude:  **/*.{test,spec}.ts, dist/**

# Real refactors — regex + capture groups
# Rename 'logger.error("msg")' to 'logger.warn("msg")'
Find:      logger\.error\("([^"]+)"\)
Replace:   logger.warn("\$1")

# Convert var → const everywhere
Find:      \bvar\b
Replace:   const

# Turn snake_case keys into camelCase
Find:      "([a-z]+)_([a-z]+)":
Replace:   "\$1\u\$2":     # \u uppercases next char in many engines

# Reorder named imports
Find:      import \{ ([A-Z]\w+), ([A-Z]\w+) \}
Replace:   import { \$2, \$1 }

# Replace in a SINGLE file (current editor)
#   Ctrl + H, then Ctrl + Alt + Enter — replace all without prompt

# Search history
#   Alt + ↑ / Alt + ↓  — previous queries

# Open results as a virtual editor
#   Click 'Open in editor' in the search panel — edit results then save / commit

Why it matters

Pair regex find + multi-cursor (Alt + Enter). The cursors land at every match across the file — far more flexible than blind “Replace All” when you need to tweak each occurrence differently.

Tip: Tweak the snippet with Try it Yourself », then sit the quiz at the bottom of the page.

Example

Example
// Find:           Ctrl + F
// Replace:        Ctrl + H
// Project-wide:   Ctrl + Shift + F / H
// Toggle regex / case / whole word with the icons in the search box.
// Capture groups: $1 $2 in the replacement.
Try it Yourself »

Discussion

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