Sophisticated Search Bar - Syntax Generator

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Stamimail
Posts: 1122
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 9:05 pm

Sophisticated Search Bar - Syntax Generator

Post by Stamimail »

Currently, the search bar in Everything is like a text box, which can contain only plain text. No colors. No DropdownLists. No LineBreaks. No buttons. No ComboBox etc.
The idea is to make a Sophisticated Search Bar which let the user to use some advanced controls,
and will also serve as a Syntax Generator: there will be a grayed-out TextBox below that will translate the Sophisticated Search Bar into EverythingSearch plain text syntax.
Example:
text1[ANDbutton]text2[ANDbutton][Filelist1DialogButton]
text1 text2 filelist:"C:\file1.txt|C:\file2.txt|C:\file.zip"

The plain text syntax generated could be copied-pasted into Exclude/Omit/Filter dialog boxes.
This mean:
1. The user gets a Preview in Result List which objects his search has captured.
2. You can remove all fields in Exclude tab. The user just copy-paste the plain text syntax that generated.

The Sophisticated Search Bar will help the user to get what he wants.
Hopefully this will help the user learn over time the syntax of Everything.
The Sophisticated Search Bar will try to simplify the "Advanced Search..."

Not exactly the same, but you can see here how to make something sophisticated that simplify the use of regex syntax:
WildGem
https://www.skytopia.com/software/wildgem/
void
Developer
Posts: 16753
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Sophisticated Search Bar - Syntax Generator

Post by void »

Thank you for the syntax highlighting suggestion Stamimail,

I have put this on my TODO list.

Thank you for the wildgem link.
Stamimail
Posts: 1122
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 9:05 pm

Re: Sophisticated Search Bar - Syntax Generator

Post by Stamimail »

The Sophisticated Search Bar will try to simplify the "Advanced Search..."
I would say that the Sophisticated Search Bar should replace the "Advanced Search..." (that under Search menu)
It doesn't have to be a bar. It can be any UI that simplifies the search and make things more intuitives, that is the user will be able to get any results he wants (as much as possible) without asking for help how to get those results.
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