Search Syntax Help

[meteorquake]

In Help - Search Syntax some of the categories (particularly Functions but also Modifiers) are quite long, can I recommend the long ones somehow be broken into several smaller categories (eg "Functions (Dates)")

David

[tuska]

Hi,

What is the point of splitting the "modifiers"?
There are only 25 lines(!)

If I am looking for something, I can use the alphabetical sorting as a guide.
Filtering would also be possible in an editor, for example, if you copy the content.

In my opinion, a further division does not bring much.

[meteorquake]

In the version 1.5a I am using there are almost 60 entries for that subsection - it could be you are using an older version?

d

[tuska]

No, I use Everything 1.5.0.1303a (x64).
In the "Functions:" there are a total of 57 entries.

You and I don't want to talk about the number of Modifiers either.

In my opinion, I still don't find it necessary from the alphabetically sorted entries to extract and separate a topic ("Dates").
[If you press F1 in Everything you can select the menu item "Searching" and also carry out a targeted search there].

In Everything 1.5 there are certainly other issues that are much more important
or at least would like to be seen (Search -> Insert Function...).

[NotNull]

Everything 1.5 is still evolving and that includes the documentation too.

The list of search functions is currently here and it is still on my plate to reorganize these functions into categories [1]
So in the near future search functions will be categorized (roughly the same as Everything Properties categories).
I dont know if that eventually will end up in Menu:Help > Search Syntax.


[1] .. which I forgot, tbh Thanks for the reminder!

[raccoon]

In my long ponderings on the matter, I would assign multiple category tags to many of the verbs (functions, modifiers, et al) such that they can appear in multiple categories. Such as verbs that accept a date, a path, a number/do math, a string, or no parameter.

I would like a way to access all recognized verbs, documented and undocumented, official root verbs and each of their aliases. Before I even get started. about:verbs ?

[meteorquake]

OK quick additional idea to this...
Currently the Help - Search Syntax has a lot of entries. I think the following would be helpful -
* Ability to type in the Search Syntax List and it filters them (a bit like how the Add Columns box does that); each line should have hidden keywords to help the matching, so your typing would look in the modifier name, description and hidden keywords. For example, you type "path" and it filters down to items relevant to path, and "parent:" would be one of the results.
* When you click or double-click an item in the results (or click a symbol beside it) where appropriate it inserts it into the search line, much as happens when you right-click a column title and choose a "search for ..." and it inserts. This saves manually highlighting, copying and pasting.
* When you right-click a column title, the "search for" instead of just a single item could pull up the above Search Syntax box appropriately filtered/restricted(/ordered) (you can start typing in the filter and it will choose your typing instead). So you right-click the Path title, choose Search For and a filtered list comes up, you click one of them and it appears in the search bar.
David

[void]

I would like to keep Help -> Search Syntax minimal.

Help -> Search Syntax does mention:
For more functions, please see Search -> Insert Function...

Insert Function still needs a lot of work..

I will look into more ways to get to the Search -> Insert function.

Thank you for your suggestions.



I still have on my TODO list to add search function suggestions after typing :

for example, if you type:

:s

Everything will show a popup window where you can select:

:sha256:
:sibling:
:size:
:software:
etc...

[meteorquake]

Ah I think "Insert Function..." is basically what I'm speaking of, and I see it had been mentioned and I totally forgot. Perhaps some of the ideas I'd mentioned could be adopted to it (like hidden keywords and column headings' right-click menu item to pull it up filtered).

I think one of the challenges is mastering all the features the program has, so anything that makes things more intuitive is helpful even if by putting references in multiple places. For example perhaps "Insert Function..." could also be added to the right-click menu for the search box itself.

For the "find while typing" you mention, that's a good idea. I could suggest that 1-2 characters it uses "beginning of word" matching but once you've typed 3 characters it switches to general part-matching in the word and also hidden keywords with "most relevant" first (probably it could also keep track of ones you frequently use since we all have our regular subsets of usage), and if the functions are categorised, maybe it could be useful if the keywords for the category can be picked up on, so the category "date/time functions" could have keyword "datetime", and then all the words in that category inherit that, so if you type :datetime it will pull up all the items within that category.

David