Search a textfile with grep and output the results with dmenu/rofi

Description

The script can be used as a quick way to look up words in a dictionary.

Usage

• Set a shortcut to start the script. I use the i3 window-manager with these bindings in the i3-config file:

bindsym Mod1+0 exec bash $HOME/Dropbox/mydictionaries/dmenu_grep_dict.sh "$HOME/Dropbox/mydictionaries/frde.txt"
bindsym Mod1+9 exec bash $HOME/Dropbox/mydictionaries/dmenu_grep_dict.sh "$HOME/Dropbox/mydictionaries/ende.txt"

• The script invokes a dmenu prompt.
• Type in search. The script pipes the string to grep (regex search is possible, e.g. <Hello>).
• Dmenu/rofi displays the lines matching the search (output of grep). You can search the results.
• Selecting one of the result with Return or mouse click copies the whole line to the clipboard (using xclip) and closes the menu.
• Pressing escape (or Return with an empty string selected) returns to the search prompt.
• Pressing escape (or Return with an empty string selected) at the search prompt closes the menu.

Dictionary files

I use the dictionaries from www.dict.cc. You can download them as txt-files at http://www.dict.cc/?s=about%3Awordlist&l=e. I'm not allowed to upload the files here.

Test

• Run directly from the terminal using the test file:

$ bash dmenu_grep_dict.sh "./exampledict.txt"