RE: repeating a search a certain number of times

[Drew Adams <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> I have been looking for a way to repeat a search a certain number of
> times, and from the documentation i have found the search-forward
> function to do that:
> 
> (search-forward "something" nil nil 5)
> 
> But unfortunately this isn't bound to a key. The docstring says it is
> bound to <find>, but I don't know what that means. It isn't a lisp
> function. I thought maybe it is a menu item, but can't see that in the
> menu either.
> 
> So my question is, how can I bind this to a key so that when I press it,
> it asks me for the string, then the repetition count and then goes ahead
> and finds it?

`search-forward' is bound to `C-s RET'. Just repeat `C-s RET' to repeat
your search (no need to enter the same input again).

See the Emacs manual, node `Nonincremental Search': `C-h r g noni TAB RET'.

Is there some reason you do not want to use incremental search: `C-s'?
If you do that, then just repeat `C-s'.

See the Emacs manual, node `Incremental Search': `C-h r g incr TAB RET'.