How to filter in Sublime Text?

To filter lines in Sublime Text based on their content, you can effectively use the built-in search and multi-selection features to isolate, copy, or delete specific lines.

How to Filter and Extract Specific Lines by Content in Sublime Text

Sublime Text doesn't have a dedicated "filter view" like some other editors, but it offers a powerful workflow to achieve line-based filtering using its Find functionality. This method allows you to select all lines containing a specific string, which you can then easily copy to a new file or delete from the current one.

Step-by-Step Guide to Filter Lines for Copying or Deleting

Follow these steps to filter your file for lines containing a specific string:

1. Open the Find Panel:

   • Press Ctrl+F (Windows/Linux) or ⌘+F (macOS) to bring up the Find panel at the bottom of your Sublime Text window.
   • This is where you'll enter the text or pattern you wish to filter by.

2. Enter Your Search Term:

   • Type the string or regular expression you want to find into the search field.
   • You can toggle options like Case Sensitive (Aa button), Whole Word (square button), or Regular Expression (.* button) for more precise matching.

3. Select All Occurrences:

   • After entering your search term, select all instances of it in the file.
   • Press Alt+Enter (Windows/Linux) or ⌘+Alt+G (macOS). Alternatively, you can click the "Find All" button (often represented by two arrows pointing right) in the Find panel.
   • This action will select every occurrence of your search term throughout the file.

4. Expand Selection to Entire Lines:

   • With all occurrences selected, press Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux) or ⌘+L (macOS).
   • This crucial step expands each individual selection to encompass its entire line. Now, all lines containing your search term are fully selected.

5. Perform Your Desired Action (Copy or Delete):

   • To Copy Filtered Lines: Press Ctrl+C (Windows/Linux) or ⌘+C (macOS). You can then paste these lines into a new file or another location.
   • To Delete Filtered Lines: Press Ctrl+Shift+K (Windows/Linux) or ⌃＋⇧＋K (macOS). This will remove all the selected lines from your document.

Key Bindings for Filtering Workflow

Here's a quick reference for the essential keyboard shortcuts in this filtering process:

Action	Windows/Linux Keybinding	macOS Keybinding	Description
Open Find Panel	Ctrl+F	⌘+F	Initiate the search bar.
Find All Matches	Alt+Enter	⌘+Alt+G	Select all instances of the search term.
Expand Selection to Line	Ctrl+L	⌘+L	Convert character selections into full line selections.
Copy Selected Lines	Ctrl+C	⌘+C	Copy all fully selected lines to the clipboard.
Delete Selected Lines	Ctrl+Shift+K	⌃＋⇧＋K	Remove all fully selected lines from the document.

For more detailed information on Sublime Text's search capabilities and key bindings, you can refer to the official Sublime Text documentation.

Practical Tips for Effective Filtering

• Regular Expressions: For more complex filtering patterns, enable the Regular Expression option (.* button) in the Find panel. This allows for powerful pattern matching beyond simple strings.
• Case Sensitivity: Use the "Case Sensitive" (Aa button) option to refine your search, ensuring only matches with exact casing are found.
• Whole Word: The "Whole Word" ([] button) option prevents partial matches (e.g., finding "the" in "their").

This method provides a robust and flexible way to filter your files in Sublime Text, whether you're extracting data or cleaning up code.