Replace matching strings and regexes in files
npm install --global replace-in-files-cli$ replace-in-files --help Usage $ replace-in-files <files…> Options --regex Regex pattern to find (Can be set multiple times) --string String to find (Can be set multiple times) --replacement Replacement string (Required) --ignore-case Search case-insensitively --no-glob Disable globbing --dry-run Show what would be replaced without making changes Examples $ replace-in-files --string='horse' --regex='unicorn|rainbow' --replacement='🦄' foo.md $ replace-in-files --regex='v\d+\.\d+\.\d+' --replacement=v$npm_package_version foo.css $ replace-in-files --string='blob' --replacement='blog' 'some/**/[gb]lob/*' '!some/glob/foo' $ replace-in-files --dry-run --string='old' --replacement='new' file.txt You can use the same replacement patterns as with `String#replace()`, like `$&`. When working with quotes in shell commands, escape them with backslashes: $ replace-in-files --string='\"use strict\";' --replacement='\"use strict\";\nrequire(\"module\");' file.js Real-world use-case: Bumping version number in a file when publishing to npm
The regex should be JavaScript flavor.
You can also use this package programmatically:
import replaceInFiles from 'replace-in-files-cli'; // Find and replace await replaceInFiles('*.js', { find: ['old', /version \d+/], replacement: 'new' }); // Transform entire file content await replaceInFiles('*.js', { transform: (content, filePath) => `/* Banner */\n${content}` }); // Combine find/replace with transform (transform runs after find/replace) await replaceInFiles('*.js', { find: ['old'], replacement: 'new', transform: (content, filePath) => `/* ${filePath} */\n${content}` });The transform option provides full control over file content:
- Standalone: Use alone for prepend, append, or complex transformations
- Combined: Use with
find/replacement- transform runs after find/replace operations - Parameters: Receives
(content, filePath)for context-aware transformations
