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Everyone knows you can repeat the last I-search with C-s C-s, but that doesn't preserve all the parameters from the last search. As a concrete example, I often use symbol I-search (M-s _), and typing M-s _ C-s is a fair bit cumbersome when going through a lot of matches.

It would be nice if C-s C-s could see if the last I-search was a symbol search and reactivate that. Similar things can of course be said for other I-search states, like regex searches (though that isn't quite as cumbersome to do manually to begin with).

Is there a way to do this with the existing I-search implementation, or will I have to write it myself?

Dolda2000
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    What version of emacs? In current upstrean, toggling symbol search, quitting the search and restarting it with C-s C-s brings back both the symbol and the option for further searching. – NickD Oct 12 '22 at 03:36
  • @NickD: Would you look at that. I'm still using Emacs 26.1 on this computer, but on another computer with 27.1 you are indeed right that it does repeat the search as I wanted it to. That's great! – Dolda2000 Oct 12 '22 at 12:11

2 Answers2

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Per the comments, starting from Emacs 27.1 this happens automatically.

The NEWS item is:

*** Isearch now remembers the regexp-based search mode for words/symbols and case-sensitivity together with search strings in the search ring.

E.g. running emacs -Q and acting in the standard scratch buffer:

;; This buffer is for text that is not saved, and for Lisp evaluation.
;; To create a file, visit it with C-x C-f and enter text in its buffer.

Using M-s_ is and then repeatedly typing C-s will cycle through only the two instances of the word is, skipping Lisp and visit.

If you then exit the isearch with RET (and/or any other editing) and then use C-sC-s to repeat the previous search, it will again match only the two instances of the word is.

phils
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Use M-s . for symbol search, and M-p and M-n for retrieving previous search strings (or if it is the first search, suggested search strings).

M-s . runs the command isearch-forward-symbol-at-point (found in global-map), which is an interactive byte-compiled Lisp function in isearch.el.

When in minibuffer use M-p and M-n to retrieve previous search terms.

M-p runs the command isearch-ring-retreat (found in overriding-terminal-local-map), which is an interactive byte-compiled Lisp function in isearch.el.

M-n runs the command isearch-ring-advance (found in overriding-terminal-local-map), which is an interactive byte-compiled Lisp function in isearch.el.

You can use M-p and M-n almost always in the minibuffer to retrieve historical items. It works for simple search, as well as search and replace.

Toby Speight
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    This doesn't seem to answer the question that was asked - about repeating the same type of search, rather than using the history of search values. – Toby Speight Oct 12 '22 at 11:29