macOS: Selection for Find feature (#10192)

Adds the `selection_for_search` action, with Cmd+E keybind by default.
This action inputs the currently selected text into the search field
without changing focus, matching standard macOS behavior.

Implements discussion #9776 and #10036

<details><summary>AI Disclosure</summary>
<p>

Tab completions with Codestral.
Reviewed by Gemini 3 Flash via chatting.
No Agentic coding tools were involved.

</p>
</details>

include/ghostty.h

@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ typedef enum {
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_SEARCH_TOTAL,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_SEARCH_SELECTED,
   GHOSTTY_ACTION_READONLY,
-  } ghostty_action_tag_e;
+} ghostty_action_tag_e;
 
 typedef union {
   ghostty_action_split_direction_e new_split;

macos/Sources/App/macOS/AppDelegate.swift

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
     @IBOutlet private var menuSelectAll: NSMenuItem?
     @IBOutlet private var menuFindParent: NSMenuItem?
     @IBOutlet private var menuFind: NSMenuItem?
+    @IBOutlet private var menuSelectionForFind: NSMenuItem?
     @IBOutlet private var menuFindNext: NSMenuItem?
     @IBOutlet private var menuFindPrevious: NSMenuItem?
     @IBOutlet private var menuHideFindBar: NSMenuItem?
@@ -615,6 +616,7 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject,
         syncMenuShortcut(config, action: "paste_from_selection", menuItem: self.menuPasteSelection)
         syncMenuShortcut(config, action: "select_all", menuItem: self.menuSelectAll)
         syncMenuShortcut(config, action: "start_search", menuItem: self.menuFind)
+        syncMenuShortcut(config, action: "search_selection", menuItem: self.menuSelectionForFind)
         syncMenuShortcut(config, action: "search:next", menuItem: self.menuFindNext)
         syncMenuShortcut(config, action: "search:previous", menuItem: self.menuFindPrevious)
 

macos/Sources/App/macOS/MainMenu.xib

@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<document type="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder3.Cocoa.XIB" version="3.0" toolsVersion="24412" targetRuntime="MacOSX.Cocoa" propertyAccessControl="none" useAutolayout="YES" customObjectInstantitationMethod="direct">
+<document type="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder3.Cocoa.XIB" version="3.0" toolsVersion="24506" targetRuntime="MacOSX.Cocoa" propertyAccessControl="none" useAutolayout="YES" customObjectInstantitationMethod="direct">
     <dependencies>
         <deployment identifier="macosx"/>
-        <plugIn identifier="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder.CocoaPlugin" version="24412"/>
+        <plugIn identifier="com.apple.InterfaceBuilder.CocoaPlugin" version="24506"/>
     </dependencies>
     <objects>
         <customObject id="-2" userLabel="File's Owner" customClass="NSApplication">
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
                 <outlet property="menuSelectSplitBelow" destination="QDz-d9-CBr" id="FsH-Dq-jij"/>
                 <outlet property="menuSelectSplitLeft" destination="cTK-oy-KuV" id="Jpr-5q-dqz"/>
                 <outlet property="menuSelectSplitRight" destination="upj-mc-L7X" id="nLY-o1-lky"/>
+                <outlet property="menuSelectionForSearch" destination="TDN-42-Bu7" id="M04-1K-vze"/>
                 <outlet property="menuServices" destination="aQe-vS-j8Q" id="uWQ-Wo-T1L"/>
                 <outlet property="menuSplitDown" destination="UDZ-4y-6xL" id="ptr-mj-Azh"/>
                 <outlet property="menuSplitLeft" destination="Ppv-GP-lQU" id="Xd5-Cd-Jut"/>
@@ -281,6 +282,13 @@
                                                 <action selector="findHide:" target="-1" id="hGP-K9-yN9"/>
                                             </connections>
                                         </menuItem>
+                                        <menuItem isSeparatorItem="YES" id="2N8-Xz-RVc"/>
+                                        <menuItem title="Use Selection for Find" id="TDN-42-Bu7">
+                                            <modifierMask key="keyEquivalentModifierMask"/>
+                                            <connections>
+                                                <action selector="selectionForFind:" target="-1" id="rhL-7g-XQQ"/>
+                                            </connections>
+                                        </menuItem>
                                     </items>
                                 </menu>
                             </menuItem>

macos/Sources/Features/Terminal/BaseTerminalController.swift

@@ -1383,7 +1383,11 @@ class BaseTerminalController: NSWindowController,
     @IBAction func find(_ sender: Any) {
         focusedSurface?.find(sender)
     }
-    
+
+    @IBAction func selectionForFind(_ sender: Any) {
+        focusedSurface?.selectionForFind(sender)
+    }
+
     @IBAction func findNext(_ sender: Any) {
         focusedSurface?.findNext(sender)
     }

macos/Sources/Ghostty/Ghostty.App.swift

@@ -1869,11 +1869,15 @@ extension Ghostty {
 
                 let startSearch = Ghostty.Action.StartSearch(c: v)
                 DispatchQueue.main.async {
-                    if surfaceView.searchState != nil {
-                        NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .ghosttySearchFocus, object: surfaceView)
+                    if let searchState = surfaceView.searchState {
+                        if let needle = startSearch.needle, !needle.isEmpty {
+                            searchState.needle = needle
+                        }
                     } else {
                         surfaceView.searchState = Ghostty.SurfaceView.SearchState(from: startSearch)
                     }
+                                        
+                    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .ghosttySearchFocus, object: surfaceView)
                 }
 
             default:

macos/Sources/Ghostty/Surface View/SurfaceView.swift

@@ -475,7 +475,9 @@ extension Ghostty {
                 }
                 .onReceive(NotificationCenter.default.publisher(for: .ghosttySearchFocus)) { notification in
                     guard notification.object as? SurfaceView === surfaceView else { return }
-                    isSearchFieldFocused = true
+                    DispatchQueue.main.async {
+                        isSearchFieldFocused = true
+                    }
                 }
                 .background(
                     GeometryReader { barGeo in

macos/Sources/Ghostty/Surface View/SurfaceView_AppKit.swift

@@ -1519,6 +1519,14 @@ extension Ghostty {
             }
         }
 
+        @IBAction func selectionForFind(_ sender: Any?) {
+            guard let surface = self.surface else { return }
+            let action = "search_selection"
+            if (!ghostty_surface_binding_action(surface, action, UInt(action.lengthOfBytes(using: .utf8)))) {
+                AppDelegate.logger.warning("action failed action=\(action)")
+            }
+        }
+
         @IBAction func findNext(_ sender: Any?) {
             guard let surface = self.surface else { return }
             let action = "search:next"

src/Surface.zig

@@ -5163,6 +5163,15 @@ pub fn performBindingAction(self: *Surface, action: input.Binding.Action) !bool
             );
         },
 
+        .search_selection => {
+            const selection = try self.selectionString(self.alloc) orelse return false;
+            return try self.rt_app.performAction(
+                .{ .surface = self },
+                .start_search,
+                .{ .needle = selection },
+            );
+        },
+
         .end_search => {
             // We only return that this was performed if we actually
             // stopped a search, but we also send the apprt end_search so

src/apprt/action.zig

@@ -313,7 +313,9 @@ pub const Action = union(Key) {
     /// A command has finished,
     command_finished: CommandFinished,
 
-    /// Start the search overlay with an optional initial needle.
+    /// Start the search overlay with an optional initial needle. If the
+    /// search is already active and the needle is non-empty, update the
+    /// current search needle and focus the search input.
     start_search: StartSearch,
 
     /// End the search overlay, clearing the search state and hiding it.

src/config/Config.zig

@@ -6585,6 +6585,12 @@ pub const Keybinds = struct {
                 .start_search,
                 .{ .performable = true },
             );
+            try self.set.putFlags(
+                alloc,
+                .{ .key = .{ .unicode = 'e' }, .mods = .{ .super = true } },
+                .search_selection,
+                .{ .performable = true },
+            );
             try self.set.putFlags(
                 alloc,
                 .{ .key = .{ .unicode = 'f' }, .mods = .{ .super = true, .shift = true } },

src/input/Binding.zig

@@ -368,6 +368,11 @@ pub const Action = union(enum) {
     /// If a previous search is active, it is replaced.
     search: []const u8,
 
+    /// Start a search for the current text selection. If there is no
+    /// selection, this does nothing. If a search is already active, this
+    /// changes the search terms.
+    search_selection,
+
     /// Navigate the search results. If there is no active search, this
     /// is not performed.
     navigate_search: NavigateSearch,
@@ -1284,6 +1289,7 @@ pub const Action = union(enum) {
             .cursor_key,
             .search,
             .navigate_search,
+            .search_selection,
             .start_search,
             .end_search,
             .reset,

src/input/command.zig

@@ -189,6 +189,12 @@ fn actionCommands(action: Action.Key) []const Command {
             .description = "Start a search if one isn't already active.",
         }},
 
+        .search_selection => comptime &.{.{
+            .action = .search_selection,
+            .title = "Search Selection",
+            .description = "Start a search for the current text selection.",
+        }},
+
         .end_search => comptime &.{.{
             .action = .end_search,
             .title = "End Search",