Add --files alias for -f

[markstos]

Some justifications for adding --files an alias for -f:

1. --files is more readable for scripting
2. --files could be easier to remember. Lot of CLI tools also use -f for "force".
3. For compatibility with rg. Even if you don't user ripgrep directly, it's a favorite choice of AI coding agents, so increasing number of people are seeing rg syntax scroll by, including --files.
4. It's backwards compatible.
5. --files is unlikely to be used for anything other than an anlias
   for -f in the future, so it's likely forward-compatible, too.

(I'm not suggesting adding any /further/ compatible with rg, only that's nice to align new flags with /something/)

[petdance]

Does it make sense to make one for -g as well?

[markstos]

Does it make sense to make one for -g as well?

I call YAGNI here-- rg clearly did by not implementing it at all (rg --files | rg 'PATTERN' works), and I apparently did because I forgot the flag existed. I'd probably also use ack --files | ack 'PATTERN' myself, as I need it rarely I can accomplish the same functionality easily with features I /do/ remember.

So if anything, I'd go the opposite direction with -g and remove it in a future breaking change release.

[petdance]

I don't get why I would remove -g

[markstos]

I don't get why I would remove -g

Because it's rarely used and there's an easy alternative: ack --files | ack 'PATTERN'

But that conversation is out of scope here. The direct question was whether to add a long-files flag for -g.

Personally, I wouldn't because I expect -g is rarely used. Unless there's another newer grep-like tool it would help compatibility with. rg at least doesn't have a flag like that.