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Searching Through Wordpress Files (backend)?

by Ghalt
5 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
I find that many times, as I build a WordPress site, I need to edit the plugins or themes to my liking.

It sure would be handy to have a quick way of searching the entire contents for a phrase, or an HTML or PHP code snippet.

Is there a plugin, or an easy way to search these files?

For example, I install a plugin, and I don't like the way that a certain phrase is worded that it displays, but I don't know which file (out of MANY) in the plugin contains that phrase for me to edit. Is there a tool I can use to search the files on the back end?

THANKS!
#backend #files #searching #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author mywebwork
    You may be able to do this with the "Search and Replace Plugin":

    WordPress › Search and Replace WordPress Plugins

    Otherwise you could also do this directly in the MySQL database, but the plugin makes it a lot easier.

    Bill
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  • Profile picture of the author Ghalt
    Thanks. I had taken a look at Search & Replace. But 1) it doesn't let you do a search only (it makes you replace), and 2) it looks through the data stored in the db, like posts, comments, etc., but not through the files in the wp-content folder, like the .php and .css files for plugins.
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  • Profile picture of the author mywebwork
    I don't think you'l find anything that looks at both the files and the database simultaneously, at least I've never seen anything.

    A not perfect but fairly workable method would be to develop on a local server (perhaps XAMPP) and use a good text editor that can do a "Search & Replace in Files" (as well as "Search in files"). You could export your database into a .sql file and include it along with the rest of your site files when you did a search & replace. Then drop and rebuild the database instance and import the edited .sql file.

    Again not automated but it would get the job done.

    Bill
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  • Profile picture of the author sparkingproducts
    I am a wordpress designer and use Dreamweaver. It integrates with wordpress completely, however it is quite expensive.
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    • Profile picture of the author mywebwork
      Originally Posted by sparkingproducts View Post

      I am a wordpress designer and use Dreamweaver. It integrates with wordpress completely, however it is quite expensive.
      How does Dreamweaver resolve the search & replace issue - can it also search the WP database?

      Just curious!

      Bill
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