searching by full name (ie. file path) elements

Features wanted...
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Leopoldus
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searching by full name (ie. file path) elements

Post by Leopoldus »

Say, I have the correspondent John Smith and as I'm not too punctual user, so my letters to him are scattered throughout evrywhere at my computer. For example,
C:\My letters\John Smith.doc
D:\John Smith\my letter.doc
E:\My friends letters\Smiths family\John and Mary.doc

etc. etc.
If I don't mistake, there is no any option now to find all my letters to John (eg. by keywords: "letter & John & Smith"), because no one from those files or folders contains the both words in its name. But all they files what I need to find include the both words as the elements of theie full name... The document "John and Mary.doc" will not be founded at all even if I use search expression "John & Smith"... I hope you see now what I mean.

And vice aversa, in some occasions it's neccessary to exclude some folders from searching. Please consider, that menu "Exclude folders" is not proper for this task. Imagine, you have 100 folders at your five logical drives in very different locations, all those folders contain word "Mary" and you need to exclude all them from searching... :shock: :twisted:

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Re: searching by full name (ie. file path) elements

Post by admin »

Leopoldus wrote:... The document "John and Mary.doc" will not be founded at all even if I use search expression "John & Smith"...
Use OR: search expression "John OR Smith OR letter" will do the job.
Leopoldus wrote:Imagine, you have 100 folders at your five logical drives in very different locations, all those folders contain word "Mary" and you need to exclude all them from searching...
Easy: just add "Mary" to the Exclude list! This is explained in the sentence right on top of the Exlude Folders tab :wink:

Leopoldus
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Joined: 24 Jun 2004 10:58

Post by Leopoldus »

Use OR: search expression "John OR Smith OR letter" will do the job.
It will not, to my very big regret. Think, this John Smith is no my only friend. I have John Johnnson and Mary Smith among my friends as well, and all are my active coresponrents. Besides I'm afraid even to think about those 1 000 000 letters files, which will be founded for me by alternative "OR letter". Or I don't see some obvious thing again?
Easy: just add "Mary" to the Exclude list! This is explained in the sentence right on top of the Exlude Folders tab
:oops:

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Post by admin »

Leopoldus wrote:...full name (ie. file path)...
Oh, now I see what you mean! Unfortunately: it's not possible in the current version. I would have to add an option "Check full path" (or so)... hmmm, is that really a cool idea?? I never missed that option in my life...

Leopoldus
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Post by Leopoldus »

I would have to add an option "Check full path" (or so)... hmmm, is that really a cool idea??
As for me, it is surely cool idea. Indeed this was the reason why I wrote for you this long story about my friends' letters. My purpose was to demonstrate you, that this need is not something abstract I've invented from nothing, but it can be a real problem of many users, who do miss this option in fact, but who don't realize this missing as they don't think how cool this option could be...

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Post by admin »

Leopoldus wrote:... it can be a real problem of many users, who do miss this option in fact, but who don't realize this missing as they don't think how cool this option could be...
Do you know of any other Find Files tool that has this option?

Manifold
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Post by Manifold »

Do you know of any other Find Files tool that has this option?
Well. I've never used the TrackerV3 find file tool. I use a thing called EFS (Effective File Search). It's a commercial product, but I got a special free edition with a PC magazine. It has that Leopoludus. Maybe you could look at it?

Though what Leopoludus has suggested may not be a very frequently used tool, I can see it being a very useful and time-saving tool.

There you go, I've voiced my opinion. :D

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Post by admin »

Manifold wrote:Though what Leopoludus has suggested may not be a very frequently used tool, I can see it being a very useful and time-saving tool.
There you go, I've voiced my opinion. :D
Thank you! I'm seriously thinking about adding that feature.

Leopoldus
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Post by Leopoldus »

Well, I don't sure if there are more of such applications. But it does not mean, that nobody misses this option, does it? Always somebody is the first to meet the very urgent needs of users they don't realize themself: Microsoft, Adobe, Donald Lessau... Oh, sorry, I did not mean this! Indeed I wished to say: Donald Lessau, Microsoft, Adobe... :)

OK. Another wish in this topic. What do you think about option to exclude from searhing "Folder with all its subfolders - Yes/No"? (If no, than only files directly in the exluded folder are excluded).

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Post by admin »

Leopoldus wrote:Well, I don't sure if there are more of such applications. But it does not mean, that nobody misses this option, does it?
Sure! I just asked because I love to introduce unique features! Have you seen the new BETA? :D
Leopoldus wrote:OK. Another wish in this topic. What do you think about option to exclude from searhing "Folder with all its subfolders - Yes/No"? (If no, than only files directly in the exluded folder are excluded).
Exclude files in a folder but not in its subfolders? Why would one want to do that?

Leopoldus
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Post by Leopoldus »

Have you seen the new BETA?
GREATE!! 8)
Exclude files in a folder but not in its subfolders? Why would one want to do that?
Well, say I have the folder C:\John\, wich contains 1 000 files and the folder C:\John\Letters\ with 100 files, and another folder C:\Contracts\. If I need to find all letters and contracts concerning John, but not others documents (his novells, applications and photos), I have no any convenient option to do it now. But if you add this option I tell about, so I can create this inquire:
*John*
Exclude: C:\John\*.*, but not C:\John\Letters.

Another way to get the same result is a new option "To include folder", if this parameter is primary to "Exclude Folder". In this case I can exclude C:\John, but include C:\John\Letters.

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Post by admin »

Leopoldus wrote:... I have no any convenient option to do it now.
There is a way, maybe not that convenient, but managable, multi-directory search: enter this into the Location field:
C:\John\Letters\ | C:\Contracts\

To add the interface you suggested is an overkill to me: too much trouble for a, excuse me, rather exotic task.

Leopoldus
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Post by Leopoldus »

but managable, multi-directory search: enter this into the Location field: C:\John\Letters\ | C:\Contracts\
Agree! But you have not introduced this option before! According to the app's HEPL I'd understood, that only one-level multilocation was possibe. I think this option meet my (not very exotic) need.

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Post by admin »

Yeah, the help file... it's hard to keep up with the changes. I just added a small paragraph "Multiple Location Search (via Location combo)".
Thanks for pointing that out!

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