---
title: Widgets - Search and Replace
header-includes:
---
The _find and replace_ widget allows to find and replace text patterns in the focused source editor.
- **first field**: The pattern, the exact string or the substring to find.
- **second field**: The string used as replacement, only active when **"replace with"** is checked.
- **whole word**: Only searches for the whole string.
- **backward**: Searches from the current position to the top.
- **from cursor**: When not checked the operation always starts from the top of the document.
- **case sensitive**: When unchecked the characters case is ignored. Note that this affects the way regexes are compiled.
- **prompt**: A confirmation is required to replace a match.
- **allow regex**: When checked, the search is performed by a regex engine.
By default CTRL + F is used to pass the current identifier to the first field and F3 to execute a search.
The _Find all_ results are displayed in the [messages widget](widgets_messages.html), with the context and they can be clicked.
The scope of _Find all_ can be set either to the current editor, to the selection, to the whole project or to the opened documents by clicking the icon at the right.
The scope of _Replace all_ only works in the current document or its selection, according to the text displayed on the button mentioned above.
Notes:
- To find the declaration of a symbol, Ctrl + MB Left or the [symbol list](widgets_symbol_list.html) are faster.
- To rename a variable or a type, local identifier renaming (Ctrl + F2) can be more accurate than _Replace all_ since the action uses the semantic.