tldr-pages/tldr

Page modification request: unify grep documentation

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#19922 opened on Dec 11, 2025

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Description

Command description

Currently there is a ton of repeated and mismatching documentation. This should be unified. I cut down some of it in #19920, but more work could be done.

While the most commonly used methods like invert match and ignore case should be documented in all of them, do take into account the individual needs and usecases of each tool.

  • grep
  • ack
  • ag
  • pt
  • bgpgrep
  • bzgrep
  • csvgrep
  • exiqgrep
  • git grep
  • ngrep
  • pgrep
  • pdfgrep
  • ptargrep
  • rg
  • sift (no page yet)
  • ucg (no page yet)
  • ugrep
  • xzgrep
  • zgrep
  • zipgrep

Platform

Common

Commands (probably) in common

  • Fixed string
  • Recursive
  • Context -A, -B, -C
  • Invert match
  • Extended regex

Contributor guide

Tech stack
shell
Domain
documentation
Issue type
documentation
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
3-5 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
familiarity with grep and similar toolsbasic knowledge of tldr page format
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
Review the current tldr pages for each tool listed (grep, ack, ag, etc.) and identify repeated or mismatching documentation. Reference the changes made in PR #19920 for grep. For each tool, ensure that commonly used options (e.g., i, v, r, A, B, C) are documented while respecting tool specific features. For tools without existing pages (sift, ucg), create new pages following the unified style. Check the repository's CONTRIBUTING.md for page format guidelines.