Simple Google Search from the command line for fish shell

This is a simple fish plugin for Google searching from the command line.
Easy to manipulate Google query parameters with command options.
You can do the things below with this plugin.

• URL encoding for multibyte character (CJK)
• Choose your favorite browser
• Google Search Options (minimal but enough):
  • Exact Match
  • Image Search
  • Specific Language Search
  • Disable Personalized Search
  • Restrict search results within specified time range
  • Exclude multiple words from your search
  • Suffix addtinal search parameters
  • Autosuggest these options
• Simple search on specific sites:
  • Github
  • Youtube
  • Stack overflow
  • fish shell docs
  • Specified URL (if query is possible)
  • For Japanese Users: Zenn, Qiita
• Interactive Search Mode (from v1.6.0)
  • Option Selective Search Mode (Base mode)
  • Sequential Search Mode
• Web Search Interface for frontend developers (from v1.7.0)
  • easy & quick search with sepcific docs using fin command (warpper of ggl)

This plugin is developed mainly for macOS.
For Linux distributions, ggl internally excutes xdg-open instead of macOS's open command.

• fish shell 3.2.0+
• For Linux distributions: xdg-utils

Using fisher:

fisher install yo-goto/ggl.fish

Update

fisher update yo-goto/ggl.fish

ggl [OPTIONS] SEARCHWORDS

ggl command can accept mutiple strings (like "how to use fish shell") for searching.

Examples:

ggl how to use fish shell
# search by a phrase "how to use fish shell"

ggl -p how to use fish shell
# search with exact match, ues -p or --perfect option

ggl -l=en English search
ggl -l=ja 日本語検索
# specific language search with -l or --lang option 
# language option is helpful to search with non native language

ggl -e English search
# search in English, you can alse use -e or --english option

ggl.fish internally generates searchable URLs.
To confirm a generated URL, use -t or --test option.
This test option can be combined with any other options.

Test Examples:

$ ggl -t how to use fish shell
 Keyword    :  how to use fish shell
 Encoded    :  how+to+use+fish+shell
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+use+fish+shell
$ ggl -tei cat cute photo
 Keyword    :  cat cute photo
 Encoded    :  cat+cute+photo
 Language   :  English
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=cat+cute+photo&lr=lang_en&tbm=isch
$ ggl fish plugin -g --test
 Keyword    :  fish plugin
 Encoded    :  fish+plugin
 Site       :  Github
 Search URL :  https://github.com/search?q=fish+plugin
$ ggl fish shell -x=advanced -x=bash --test
 Keyword    :  fish shell
 Excluded   :  advanced bash
 Encoded    :  fish+shell+-advanced+-bash
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=fish+shell+-advanced+-bash
$ ggl fishシェル -x=シェルダー -l=ja --test
 Keyword    :  fishシェル
 Excluded   :  シェルダー
 Encoded    :  fish%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB+-%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC
 Language   :  Japanese
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=fish%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB+-%E3%82%B7%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%80%E3%83%BC&lr=lang_ja
$ ggl fish plugin -x=fisher -r=y1 -e --test
 Keyword    :  fish plugin
 Excluded   :  fisher
 Encoded    :  fish+plugin+-fisher
 Language   :  English
 Time Range :  y1
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=fish+plugin+-fisher&lr=lang_en&tbs=qdr:y1
$ ggl --test fish swimming -a=tbm=vid -a=filter=1
 Keyword    :  fish swimming
 Encoded    :  fish+swimming
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=fish+swimming&tbm=vid&filter=1

These test results can be seen with -d or --debug option without opening a browser. The debug option internally runs ggl --test for some test cases.

To pass a generated URL to any text proceccing, use -o or --output option. It just prints the URL.

$ ggl -o how to use fish shell
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+use+fish+shell
$ string split '/' (ggl -o how to use fish shell)
https:

www.google.com
search?q=how+to+use+fish+shell

Help Options

• -h, --help : Show Help
• -v, --version : Show Version Info

Utility Options

• -t, --test : Test URL Generation
• -o, --output : Print generated URL
• -d, --debug : Print some tests
• --quiet : Open URL without printing anything

Special Option

• -m, --mode : Interactive Search Mode

Browser Options (uppercase letter)
If not specified, ggl opens URL with default browser.

• -C, --Chrome : Google Chrome
• -S, --Safari : Safari
• -F, --Firefox : Firefox
• -V, --Vivaldi : Vivaldi
• -B, --Brave : Brave
• -b, --browser : Other Browser

After -b option, type browser name (ex: -b=Opera).

Google Search Options

• -e, --english : English Search
• -i, --image : Image Search
• -p, --perfect : Exact Match
• -n, --nonperson : Disable Personalized Search
• -l, --lang : Specific Language Search
• -r, --range : Time Range for Searching
• -x, --exclude : Exclude words from search
• -a, --additional : Suffix addtional search parameters to URL

After language option -l, specify language flag (ex: -l=en).

After -r or --range option, spcify time range (ex: -r=y2). If no numbers are specified (like -r=y), the time range becomes the same as -r=y1.

Site Options

• -g, --github : Github
• -y, --youtube : YouTube
• -s, --stackoverflow : Stack overflow
• -f, --fishdoc : fish shell docs

Sites For Japaense Users

• -z, --zenn : Zenn
• -q, --qiita : Qiita

Other URL options

• -u, --url : Specified URL with =
• -L, --local : Open local host with specified port number (by default, ggl opens localhost:3000)
• --site : Search within specific site
• --noq : Open a site without any keywords

$ ggl -t javascript -u=https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/search?q=
 Keyword    :  javascript
 Encoded    :  javascript
 Site       :  specified URL
 Search URL :  https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/search?q=javascript
$ ggl -t --local
 Keyword    :
 Encoded    :
 Site       :  localhost:3000
 Search URL :  https://localhost:3000
$ ggl test/page --local=6000 --test
 Keyword    :  test/page
 Encoded    :  test/page
 Site       :  localhost:6000
 Search URL :  https://localhost:6000/test/page
$ ggl typescript --site=deno.land --test
 Keyword    :  typescript
 Encoded    :  typescript
 Site       :  Within "deno.land" on Google
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=typescript&as_sitesearch=deno.land 

To enter the interactive search mode, use -m or --mode option flag. In this mode, you can interactively set search options, and you can search for the things with the same options you set once.

$ ggl --mode
> Interactive Mode
>> Base Mode
<< [y/yes | k/keyword | t/test | s/seq-mode | o/option | c/check-option | e/exit] >>
ggl? :

From v1.7.0, you can use fin command which is the ggl wrapper for frontend developers and learners. "fin" is the abbreviation of "Frontend search INterface"

fin has many subcommands to search for the things familiar to frontend dev. fin is a just wrapper, so you can also use ggl command option flags like -t or --test.

Usage:

Usage:
      fin [fin-OPTION]
      fin [KEYWORDS...] [ggl-OPTIONS...]
      fin g [KEYWORDS...] [ggl-OPTIONS...]
      fin ggl [KEYWORDS...] [ggl-OPTIONS...]
      fin SUBCOMMAND [KEYWORDS...] [ggl-OPTIONS...]
Options:
      -v, --version   Show version info
      -h, --help      Show help
      -d, --debug     Show debug tests
          --list      Show the list of all urls & sites
Subcommands:
      [base]          g(ggl) help ls
      [basic]         youtube github stackoverflow
      [MDN]           mdn
      [shell]         fish
      [terminal]      tmux iterm2
      [japanese]      zenn qiita
      [emoji]         emojipedia
      [js runtime]    node deno
      [pkg manager]   npm yarn
      [framework]     vue react angular nextjs storybook
      [language]      rust typescript
      [css]           bem
      [other]         codepen

fin offers the completions of all of these subcommands. After typing fin & a space character, use tab key, then you can see the list of all subcommands (you can also use -l or --list option flags to the list).

To see help, use -h or --help option flags (fin help is also available). To see the ggl command options, execute fin g -h. If you want to add some options familiar to frontend dev, you can create a pull request. I'm planning to add more options.

Test Examples:

$ fin deno fetch -t
 Keyword    :  fetch
 Encoded    :  fetch
 Site       :  Within "deno.land" on Google
 Search URL :  https://www.google.com/search?q=fetch&as_sitesearch=deno.land
$ fin npm gray-matter --test
 Keyword    :  gray-matter
 Encoded    :  gray-matter
 Site       :  https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=
 Search URL :  https://www.npmjs.com/search?q=gray-matter
$ fin mdn JavaScript --test
 Keyword    :  JavaScript
 Encoded    :  JavaScript
 Site       :  https://developer.mozilla.org/search?q=
 Search URL :  https://developer.mozilla.org/search?q=JavaScript

These test results can be seen with -d or --debug option without opening a browser.

For developers and learners like me, searching and then gaining knowledge about the technology we are learning as soon as possible is a so important skill. Whenever we get something ambiguous, unknown things or usage of any commands in our mind while touching the terminal and shell, we should be able to search for keywords seamlessly and quickly from the command line. (Of course, help and man commands are also important.)

I found other tools to search from the command line, but there is no ideal tool fit for my use case. For instance, those who are not native to English need a feature to search by both their mother tongue and English (with -e flag). Also, I prefer to use a modern browser such as Chrome and Vivaldi for reading articles. No need to use my terminal as a browser.

Just a helpful wrapper of the open command is enough for me.

I wanted a minimal and easy-to-use searching tool with useful search options for my use case and fish shell, so I've developed this plugin for my study and practical use. This is my motivation.

• This code is originally based on my gist.
• Code explanation is here (in Japanese).

• Logo font: Fish font
• I got my base idea and inspired by this article - WhiteNote
• The article about Google URL parameters is this - fragment.database.
• fin command was inspired by ohmyzsh/plugins/frontend-search

Pull requests are welcom.

• CHANGELOG.md