Awesome

vim-searchhi

Highlight the current search result in a different style than the other search results.

Demo gif

Credits

This plugin would not have existed without vim-searchant. It uses the same basic implementation for highlighting the current search result.

Features

Smooth integration with standard search as well as other search-enhancing plugins (e.g. vim-anzu, vim-asterisk).
Uses a custom highlight group for the cursor when it's inside a search result.
Behaves appropriately in Visual mode.
Highlighting is updated predictably when the cursor is moved, as well as when switching buffers and windows. It can also be toggled with custom autocommands.
User autocommands are provided and executed when highlighting is turned on and off.

Note: This plugin uses a lot of <Plug> mappings. An alternative plugin is vim-searchlight, which has the same basic functionality but doesn't require any mappings.

Quick start

nmap n <Plug>(searchhi-n)
nmap N <Plug>(searchhi-N)
nmap * <Plug>(searchhi-*)
nmap g* <Plug>(searchhi-g*)
nmap # <Plug>(searchhi-#)
nmap g# <Plug>(searchhi-g#)
nmap gd <Plug>(searchhi-gd)
nmap gD <Plug>(searchhi-gD)

vmap n <Plug>(searchhi-v-n)
vmap N <Plug>(searchhi-v-N)
vmap * <Plug>(searchhi-v-*)
vmap g* <Plug>(searchhi-v-g*)
vmap # <Plug>(searchhi-v-#)
vmap g# <Plug>(searchhi-v-g#)
vmap gd <Plug>(searchhi-v-gd)
vmap gD <Plug>(searchhi-v-gD)

nmap <silent> <C-L> <Plug>(searchhi-clear-all)
vmap <silent> <C-L> <Plug>(searchhi-v-clear-all)

Integration with vim-anzu:

let g:searchhi_user_autocmds_enabled = 1
let g:searchhi_redraw_before_on = 1

augroup searchhi
    autocmd!
    autocmd User SearchHiOn AnzuUpdateSearchStatusOutput
    autocmd User SearchHiOff echo g:anzu_no_match_word
augroup END

Example with vim-asterisk:

map * <Plug>(asterisk-*)<Plug>(searchhi-update)
map # <Plug>(asterisk-#)<Plug>(searchhi-update)
map g* <Plug>(asterisk-g*)<Plug>(searchhi-update)
map g# <Plug>(asterisk-g#)<Plug>(searchhi-update)

map z* <Plug>(asterisk-z*)<Plug>(searchhi-update)
map z# <Plug>(asterisk-z#)<Plug>(searchhi-update)
map gz* <Plug>(asterisk-gz*)<Plug>(searchhi-update)
map gz# <Plug>(asterisk-gz#)<Plug>(searchhi-update)

Customization

Highlight style

The current search result is highlighted with CurrentSearch, and the cursor when it's inside a search result is highlighted with SearchCursor. Example:

highlight CurrentSearch
    \ cterm=reverse,bold ctermfg=108 ctermbg=235
    \ gui=reverse,bold guifg=#8ec07c guibg=#282828

highlight link SearchCursor WarningMsg

By default, CurrentSearch is linked to Incsearch, which works nicely if your Incsearch and Search highlight groups are visually distinguishable. SearchCursor is linked to Normal by default.

Autocommands

The autocommands SearchHiOn and SearchHiOff are executed when highlighting is turned on or off. Below is an example that blinks the cursor when search highlighting is turned on, making the cursor easier to find. vim-anzu is also used to echo the search count.

let g:searchhi_user_autocmds_enabled = 1
let g:searchhi_redraw_before_on = 1

augroup searchhi
    autocmd!

    autocmd User SearchHiOn
        \ set guicursor=
            \c-sm:block,i-ci-ve:ver25,r-cr-o:hor20,
            \n-v:block-blinkwait20-blinkon20-blinkoff20 |
        \ AnzuUpdateSearchStatusOutput

    autocmd User SearchHiOff set guicursor& | echo g:anzu_no_match_word
augroup END

Autocommands for toggling search highlighting

Highlighting for all search results can be toggled with custom autocommands. Example:

let g:searchhi_clear_all_autocmds = 'InsertEnter'
let g:searchhi_update_all_autocmds = 'InsertLeave'

Note: Using CursorMoved for these will cause issues. If you want search highlighting to be cleared as soon as the cursor moves, use this:

let g:searchhi_clear_all_asap = 1

Because g:searchhi_clear_all_asap and g:searchhi_clear_all_autocmds both use a hack that directly sets nohlsearch, you may also need to use the following maps to make sure that incsearch works properly when searching:

nmap / <Plug>(searchhi-/)
nmap ? <Plug>(searchhi-?)

vmap / <Plug>(searchhi-v-/)
vmap ? <Plug>(searchhi-v-?)