Find files and folders

[Ysl]

Hi

I want to type a few words or letters to find a folder, in any order but it doesn't work...

this is the name of the folder : "norman connors - 1977 - romantic journey"

When I search for it typing "norman romantic" it doesnt find it (if I do the same with explorer search (Windows+F) it find it...)

I also would like to find the folder by typing "norm conn" for another example

So what I want to know is how I can do a search for a few words/letters contained in any order in a folder name

Thanks for your help

Ysl

[jacky]

Hi,

Yes XY's Find Files feature is a bit different (and much more powerfull&fast) than Explorers.

First off, if you enter a pattern with no wildchars ( * ? # ) then XY will use its "loose match" mode, meaning it will be treated as if you had entered "*pattern*" (that's the way Explorer works)
So typing "connors" or even "conn" should work for you. But not "norman romantic" or "norm conn" since XY treats the space as space, while it seems Explorer treats them as *
So to get the same results, in XY you'll have to enter "*norman*romantic*" or "*norm*conn*"

Also, words (or letters) have to be entered in order in XY, meaning a search for "*romantic*norman*" will not get any results, while it seems in Explorer the order of the words doesn't matter, so when you enter "romantic norman" it would find "norman connors - 1977 - romantic journey".

I personnally don't use the loose match feature, but maybe it could mimic Explorer's way a bit more, like treat spaces as * (one could still enter "*some words* (with a quote to deactivate loose match) if needed anyways)

That said, you can use the Boolean mode to get what you want also. For example, if you enter ":romantic and norman" as pattern, you'll get your results (order doesn't matter in Boolean mode), just like ":norm & conn" will work aswell.

Boolean mode is probably the easiest way to go I'd say, just start your pattern with prefix : (to activate Boolean mode) then enter each words you want, separated by either the word AND or the sign &
Note that you can also use OR instead, combine them, etc (more about this in the wiki)

[admin]

... while it seems in Explorer the order of the words doesn't matter, so when you enter "romantic norman" it would find "norman connors - 1977 - romantic journey".

Very interesting, jacky! I did not know that at all. Shouldn't I simply mimic this behavior if there are spaces and no wild cards in the pattern?? Would be extremely easy to do...

[j_c_hallgren]

... while it seems in Explorer the order of the words doesn't matter, so when you enter "romantic norman" it would find "norman connors - 1977 - romantic journey".

Very interesting, jacky! I did not know that at all. Shouldn't I simply mimic this behavior if there are spaces and no wild cards in the pattern?? Would be extremely easy to do...

So....our guru says he doesn't know it all! (That's a very friendly razz)...
Hey, I'll be the FIRST to admit I don't know a lot of things, and that was one of them also...
but, given that XY should be Win Expl souped up and/or on steroids, etc, I'd suggest that, unless there is some hidden downside risk, it match WE functions whenever possible.

[lukescammell]

I'm mimic the search behaviour by default like you said Don, but perhaps you can squeeze in one more check box and have a "precise mode" or even instead of that a "loose search" which is checked by default?

[admin]

I'm mimic the search behaviour by default like you said Don, but perhaps you can squeeze in one more check box and have a "precise mode" or even instead of that a "loose search" which is checked by default?

"precise mode" is there already: put pattern in quotes!

[admin]

So what I want to know is how I can do a search for a few words/letters contained in any order in a folder name...

You get that tomorrow. Thanks for the idea!

[Ysl]

Just back from work just to say thanks to you all !!

Ysl

[j_c_hallgren]

Thanks Ysl! You brought up an issue that I didn't know existed, but which the solution for will definitely came in handy! As at times, for example, I have year (2004, etc) at various places in filename, and other words in varying order, so now I can find those files easier...