Searches with "#" blow up

[jacquescrocker]

I often need to search for strings that begin with "#" when finding id divs in haml/css

However Ack.vim explodes when using:

:Ack -Q "#something"

error:

E194: No alternate file name to substitute for "#"

ack -Q "#something" works fine from the command line so something in ack.vim is screwing it up

[mileszs]

Can you tell me your operating system, version of ack/ack-grep, etc.? I can't recreate your issue.

[jacquescrocker]

Sure, I'm using MacVim Snapshot 52 along with OSX 10.6.4. Ack version is 1.92 (perl 5.10). I'll try it with my Terminal vim instead, maybe its just a macvim bug

[jacquescrocker]

Same issue in pure terminal vim (version 7.2.108)

[jacquescrocker]

Here's all my config settings (http://github.com/railsjedi/vimconfig). Let me know if you can repro with this setup. Thanks!

[blueyed]

The issue at hand is that '#' will get replaced with the alternate file name.
If you do not get E194 you'll have the alternative file name in that position instead.

You have to escape it like this :Ack '\\\#define foo' to search for #define foo.

I do not know if there is anything ack.vim could do about this to make it simpler (i.e. not require any escaping.

The same issue should apply to %, too.

[dxuehu]

thank you. i thought i was going crazy (searching exactly for # and % strings...gah)

[ignovak]

Have encountered this issue too. Escaping with '#' works, but I've spent some time to find it out:).
Perhaps, it'd make sense to mention this point in the doc.

[mileszs]

Done.

[Konfekt]

@blueyed, why the triple slash to escape #, does one not suffice?

[lkraav]

I can confirm, triple is needed.

[Konfekt]

Ok. Is this under Linux? Still so if shellescape() is applied? I am wondering because # is not a special regex character.

[weakish]

Is this under Linux? Still so if shellescape() is applied? I am wondering because # is not a special regex character.

@Konfekt This is under all platforms.
# is neither a special character in shell nor a special character in regex.
As @blueyed pointed out, vim treats # specially.
See :help expand for more information.

[Konfekt]

Ok, thank you. Now that I know about # as last buffer in the Vim command line it makes sense.

[Sean-Lan]

Hi, guys. I have just tried that with my MacVim (version 7.4.622), and it seems that only one back slash is enough and when I input three, nothing will be found.