wish: mistyping errors ignoring (fuzzy search mode)

[Leopoldus]

Some of files searching apps has this option to repair usual mistyping errors either in a filename or in the query. E.g. a query "TarckerV" should find filename "TrackerV" (and of cause "TarckerV" as well). And a query "TrackerV" finds not only all "Tracker"-s, but all mystyped filenames "TarckerV", "TrakkerV", "TravkerV" etc.

[admin]

Here's my wish: don't mistype!

[Leopoldus]

Here's my wish: don't mistype!

That's usefull advice, thank you!
But I thought you to be a fan of your Travker and are intrested in its deveponing and improoving. BTW, how many new features have been added in the program for the last 2 months?
Indeed a man can do heself without a computer every of tasks any program does for him; the only question is how much time and efforts it needs.

[admin]

But I thought you to be a fan of your Travker and are intrested in its deveponing and improoving.

You mistyped it on purpose, right?

Yeah, of course I'm interested in improving the program. But it's a tool, not more and not less. It's built to be used by intelligence, not to replace intelligence. And its usefulness is not measured by the growth rate of its features.

And concerning your wish: to develop a fuzzy string search engine is quite a task (especially when you want to make it run fast). Even if I felt the same need for it as you do I would not have the time for it.

But thanks for an interesting idea!

[Leopoldus]

It's built to be used by intelligence, not to replace intelligence.

Very good!! It seems to be as a a latin proverb, really: essential and short. If you are author of this phrase yourself - my respect.

However I'm sure that some chores are to be automated to free man's intelligence for more creative tasks. That's way I've requested this feature. But as I am not a programmer, I was not able to rate how hard this task is. Now I know that it is not a question of a pair lines of code

[admin]

It's built to be used by intelligence, not to replace intelligence.

Very good!! It seems to be as a a latin proverb, really: essential and short. If you are author of this phrase yourself - my respect.

Well, thanks!

Actually, I did some research and found a relatively easy way (the Ratcliff-Obershelp method if you wanna know) to measure degrees of string similarity. I'm starting to like your idea...

[admin]

I did it! Check the new BETA. Now only 75% of your typing has to be correct

[Gandolf]

Great idea the Fuzzy search, I'm getting to like it but I think it needs some refining.

The ability to change the degree of similarity of the fuzziness (you hinted you might make it configurable). "bg" finds "ing", "yb", "gld"... in fact almost all filenames containing either "b" or "g"! This setting needs to be available from the find dialogue and not in the ini setting since it may be necessary to "tighten up" a search that has found too many entries.

Wildcards for the extension - I want to find files with jpg, gif, png... extensions but with a fuzzy base name and I'm too lazy to use the "or" option!!

Turn off non-valid options in the find dialogue - Exact and Fuzzy can both be checked so I don't know which is valid, except from the list of files found (and the information in History.txt). Entering "bg.*" with Fuzzy selected uses an Exact match, Match case and Fuzzy are valid and produce a case sensitive fuzzy list. Name "bg.gif" with Fuzzy and Invert selected lists "6bgline.gif" & "6bnbg.jpg" but "6bgline.gif" is not listed if only Fuzzy is selected - strange logic!

[Leopoldus]

Thank you, Donald!
You've proved once more, that your TrackerV is really dinamic and fast developing application. Good job.
But I agree with Grandolf remarks, especially concering Fuzzy seaching option checking locating directly in "Find File" dialog, not in setting menu. You have now at this panel enough free space on the right side, haven't you?
Concerning options "Exact" and "Fuzzy" relations. As for me, it is normal, that the both options may be checked at once. E.g. searching
big & building
must return all "big building" and "bug biuldungs" etc, but not "biggest building". Am I right?

P.S.
What is the next great fortress TrackerV is going to capture?

[admin]

The ability to change the degree of similarity of the fuzziness ... This setting needs to be available from the find dialogue...

I placed it in Configuration/General, just one F9 click away. See if that works. I can't see a cool place anywhere else.

Wildcards for the extension...

I expected that wish and I wished I could fulfill it, but it's not easy. Fuzzy search uses a very different computing strategy from wildcard search, and the two are not combinable at all. However, I'll keep it at the back of my head and hope I can do something about later.

Turn off non-valid options in the find dialogue.

Yes, it can be improved by some degree.

Name "bg.gif" with Fuzzy and Invert selected lists "6bgline.gif" & "6bnbg.jpg" but "6bgline.gif" is not listed if only Fuzzy is selected - strange logic!

Strange? The logic sounds alright to me.

[admin]

Concerning options "Exact" and "Fuzzy" relations. As for me, it is normal, that the both options may be checked at once. E.g. searching
big & building
must return all "big building" and "bug biuldungs" etc, but not "biggest building". Am I right?

Yes, the example is correct. But is hasn't anything to do with the "Exact match" option. When Fuzzy is checked, "Exact" is ignored (and treated as if set to False).

[Leopoldus]

I understand, why option "Fuzzy search" might be in contrary with "Exact match" option and disable it when "Fuzzy search" is enabled.
But why Fuzzy search is in contrary with "Check full path" option? I don't see any reason here. Why path of file can not be an object of fuzzy search as well (C:\My Doukaments\My Peacturis\

[admin]

That's because fuzzy search does not allow wildcards, so your search pattern will be compared with the whole path of the files in search location, and a match would be impossible unless you set fuzziness extremely high (which will render it useless).
If I ever get around writing a new fuzzy algorithm that does allow for wildcards (= allow a match where search pattern is part of the file name) then Check Full Path will be compatible with fuzzy search.