Search Algorithm Improvement

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FruitFly
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Nov 16, 2022 3:37 am

Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by FruitFly »

I use both Listary and Everything, and one thing I miss in Everything is the ability to search inside of folders without typing the whole folder name in.

E.g.
Say I have the folder structure like this:
Folder\Bob\Jane\Peter\<files>

in Listary I could search for svgs in the Peter folder using:

Code: Select all

Pet\ .svg
in Everything I need to use the full folder name:

Code: Select all

Peter\ .svg
void
Developer
Posts: 16753
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by void »

Please try searching for:

\pet .svg



Consider enabling Match Path from the Search menu to match full paths and filenames.
With Match Path enabled, you can search for:

pet .svg



I will look into an option to allow searching for: pet\ to match \peter

Please consider /path_search_type=3 in Everything 1.5
-or-
Search for pet\\ in Everything 1.5.
ChrisGreaves
Posts: 684
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:29 pm

Re: Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by ChrisGreaves »

void wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 5:00 am Please try searching for:
\pet .svg
Thank you David. This works well for me when I search for Excel workbooks for the past two years in my \Greaves\Admin\ folders

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*.xls \202
The *.xls narrows the file name down to Excel workbooks.
The \202 indicates that I am looking for folders that contain the three digits 202.
Of course, this will collect workbooks from 2020 as well as 2021 and 2022, but it is a start, and an easy one that that.

Might you suggest a modification that would allow me to specify only the year-strings 2021 and 2022?

And if that is too easy for you (grin), perhaps a means to search for only the five folders 2014 through to 2018? (evil grin)

Thank
Chris
therube
Posts: 4979
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by therube »

One method (that would find directories):
folder: regex:\\201[4-8]

folder: regex:\\201[4-8] graves

folder: regex:\\201[4-8] graves admin
ChrisGreaves
Posts: 684
Joined: Wed Jan 05, 2022 9:29 pm

Re: Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by ChrisGreaves »

therube wrote: Wed Nov 16, 2022 3:57 pm One method (that would find directories):
Thank you therube; I noticed your emphasis, and the RegEx search does indeed return only folders that match.

I tried prefacing and suffixing your search strings with a file pattern *.xls but

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*.xls folder: regex:\\202[1-2]
returned an empty search results screen.

i must go back and study the basics of search strings yet again; I was under the impression that, in general, a succession of sub-strings narrowed the search.
That is, I expected that *.xls would return all Excel workbooks, and appending the folder search would reduce results to only those *.xls files that also satisfied (ANDed) the folder constraints.

Thanks again
Chris
void
Developer
Posts: 16753
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by void »

I think you might be confusing folder: with path: ?
folder: = match folders only
path: = match the full path and filename.



Please try the following search:

*.xls path:regex:202[1-2]

*.xls path:regex:201[4-8]
void
Developer
Posts: 16753
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Search Algorithm Improvement

Post by void »

Everything 1.5.0.1330a improves the path_search_type ini setting.

To match peter in the part part with pet\
  • Copy and paste the following into your Everything search box:
    /path_search_type=7
  • Press ENTER in your Everything search box.
  • If successful, thumbnail_medium_text_lines=7 is shown in the status bar for a few seconds.
Everything will now expand pet\ to pet**\**

Only folders starting with pet will be matched.
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