[RFE] always show buffer content on start when pattern specified via CLI matches nothing

[ryenus]

Version: less 580

Currently, in case the search pattern is passed via the command line options, and if there's no match, like the case with the following command:

echo abc | less +/d

In this case, upon starting, less doesn't show the buffer content, namely abc in this case, instead it only displays the error message:

Pattern not found (press RETURN)

It would be better that the buffer content is also made visible before the above error message is dismissed.

[cben]

Same with less --pattern=foo (which is really alias for +/foo).

workarounds I discovered:

• Pressing RETURN proceeds to show the file content. (Same as "Pattern not found" message behaves after interactive search — just less obvious if the message is all you see at first... I mean, it says "press RETURN" right there in the message, but it hadn't occurred to me 🙈)
• less +r --pattern=foo — r does repaint. It may still show "Pattern not found", but at least you'll see (the first screen of) the text.
• if your goal of searching is highlighting, not movement, try less +r --pattern='foo|$'. The |$ makes it match the empty string at end of any line, preventing "Pattern not found" (except on entirely empty file). Naturally, it breaks the n/p keys as every line will match.

I still wish paint-before-message was default behavior.

[ryenus]

• less +r --pattern=foo — r does repaint. It may still show "Pattern not found", but at least you'll see (the first screen of) the text.

^This does the trick for me, thank you so much @cben 👍

Naturally, it breaks the n/p keys as every line will match.

Edit: however matching every line and break n/N feels like another deal breaker 😂