the documentation for --replace should clarify that it doesn't write to files

[samuelcolvin]

(This time I have had read the README properly, at least I hope so)

The documentation in the readme doesn't explicitly say that --replace actually writes the replacement to file, but neither does it say the opposite. I would have assumed "Search and replace" meant write changes to file.

The current functionally appears to replace correctly in the output, but provide no way (I can see) to write those changes to file:

samuel:~ || echo hello world > foo
samuel:~ || rg hello --replace "good bye" foo
1:good bye world
samuel:~ || cat foo
hello world

Same happens for recursive search and (don't) replace.

Again version 0.2.1 on ubuntu 16.04.

[BurntSushi]

Indeed, it does not. It was requested to do in #74, but I'm pretty firmly oppposed.

A "search and replace" isn't really a standard option. Even a tool like sed won't do it without explicitly asking for it.

I agree the docs could be clarified.

[samuelcolvin]

I've continued the feature request on #74, personally I find sed a complete mind f**k and as you say it's not a standard option of other commands which is why I'm so keen for it here.