grep Ref by Libor Benes

grep Ref is a lightweight Firefox sidebar extension providing efficient offline access to 89 essential grep commands, flags, pattern examples, and practical usage scenarios. Designed as a rapid reference for the powerful text search utility

grep (globally search a regular expression and print) was created by Ken Thompson in 1973 as part of early Unix development at Bell Labs. It emerged from the ed editor's search functionality (g/re/p command) and became one of the most fundamental Unix utilities, influencing countless text processing tools that followed.

grep Ref continues this tradition of powerful, focused text processing tools by providing immediate access to grep's extensive capabilities without leaving the browser environment. The extension embodies the Unix philosophy of doing one thing well: providing grep reference information efficiently and securely.

Perfect for rapid reference while crafting complex search patterns, filtering logs, extracting data, or debugging text processing pipelines in shell scripts. grep Ref delivers immediate value with emphasis on user security and system performance.

Target Audience:
• System Administrators troubleshooting logs and configurations.
• Developers searching codebases and debugging output.
• Data Analysts extracting patterns from datasets.
• Shell Scripting Enthusiasts automating text processing tasks.
• DevOps Engineers monitoring and filtering system output.

Features:
• Comprehensive Database: 89 entries covering core options (-i, -r, -v, -n), regex patterns, context display, file filtering, and practical real-world examples.
• Instant Search: Real-time filtering by flag, pattern, or description for immediate reference.
• Compact Interface: Space-efficient sidebar design optimized for quick lookups in command line.
• Click-to-Copy: One-click copying of any command for immediate use in terminal.

Content Coverage:
The extension includes essential grep elements:
• Basic Operations: Simple searches, case-insensitive matching, inverted matches.
• Recursive Search: Directory traversal with file inclusion/exclusion patterns.
• Output Control: Line numbering, match counting, filename listing.
• RegEx Modes: Basic (BRE), extended (ERE), and Perl-compatible (PCRE) patterns.
• Context Display: Before/After context lines for better match visibility.
• File Management: Binary file handling, multiple file searching.
• Practical Patterns: IP address extraction, email matching, URL finding, log filtering.
• Performance Tips: Fixed string searches for speed, match limiting.

Security-First:
• Zero Permissions Required: No special browser permissions requested.
• No Data Collection.
• No Tracking.
• Entirely Offline: No network dependencies with all data stored locally.
• Local Processing Only: All operations occur within the sidebar with no external calls and connections.
• Secure Implementation: Uses only safe DOM methods.
• No Third-Party Dependencies: Pure JavaScript/HTML/CSS with no external libraries.
• Manifest v2 Compliant: Adheres to Mozilla's security standards.

Design Philosophy:
• Color Scheme: Terminal-inspired colors matching typical grep output highlighting.
• Readability: Clear formatting with bold commands and hanging indent descriptions.
• Efficiency: Minimal interface focused on rapid information retrieval.
• Stability: No animations or effects that could interfere with browsing.

Technical Details:
• Compatibility: Firefox 109.0+ (64-bit desktop).
• Resource-Efficient: 32 KB.
• Storage: All command data embedded in a local file.
• Performance: Instant search response with efficient filtering algorithms.
• Testing: Verified on Firefox 147.0.1 (January 2026).