grep
/ɡɹɛp/verb
To grep means to search text for a word or pattern, usually across several files or in a program's output. The term comes from the Unix program grep.
We grep across all campaign files to find where the old product name still appears.
The grep program searches text for lines matching a given pattern. This can be a literal word, such as a product name, or a pattern that recognises several spellings. Developers use it to find an error message in log files, for example.
Why is searchable text useful?
When all your ad copy lives in files, you can search it in one go. This shows which campaigns mention a particular service without opening each campaign separately. The results tell you where to look next or make a change.
Grepping is about searching. It does not automatically replace the matching text. To make a change, you use your editor or another program, then inspect the result in a Glossary · In briefdiffA diff is an overview of the differences between two versions of a file or two states. It shows what has been added, removed or changed.Read more.