Instead of tokens, provide a drop-down list of presets

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Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Instead of tokens, provide a drop-down list of presets

Post by Raindrops »

There are a lot of tokens, which provide specialized functions.
While their main use seems to be for command line, IMHO some of them (not all) can be also used in the Everything GUI itself.

Please consider providing suitable tokens in a drop-down list that is placed next to the Search bar.
For example, the GUI can have "grab text from clipboard" option, which is equivalent of the #clipboard: token.

Also, please provide a checkbox before the drop-down list.
When this checkbox is unticked, the drop-down list would be disabled, and the search box would accept text.

Each entry in the drop-down list should show the function, not the syntax of the token.
For example, the drop-down list should say Grab text from clipboard instead of #clipboard:.
  • If the token has modifiers (/ or #), please provide check boxes so that user can select those modified behaviors.
void
Developer
Posts: 16733
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Instead of tokens, provide a drop-down list of presets

Post by void »

I have on my TODO list to add a search box -> right click -> Insert function... context menu item.

I will consider a insert preprocessor function item here.

I would like to keep the UI simple and clean.

Thank you for the suggestions.
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: Instead of tokens, provide a drop-down list of presets

Post by Raindrops »

I would like to keep the UI simple and clean.
Sure!

But the current search bar is too wide (it takes up almost the entire screen width).
We never have anything that long to search.
So there is plenty of spare space to be put to good use!

IMHO if the search bar width is set to half of the screen width, it should be more than sufficient.
That way, the placement of a drop-down list at its right would look balanced.
(The drop-down list should not be placed in the far right corner of the screen.)
void
Developer
Posts: 16733
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Instead of tokens, provide a drop-down list of presets

Post by void »

Please try the filter bar:
  • In Everything, from the View menu, check Filter Bar.


To swap the filter bar / search bar sides:
  • Double click the divider.
    -or-
  • Drag the divider all the way to the left.
    -or-
  • Right click the Filter bar and click Move Filter Bar to Left/Right (Everything 1.5)


To create a #clipboard: filter:
  • In Everything, from the Search menu, click Add to filters....
  • Change the Name to: Clipboard
  • Change the Search to: #clipboard:
  • Click OK.
Filters can be activated from the Search menu, Filter bar (View -> Filters), right clicking the status bar, filter macro or filter keyboard shortcut.
Raindrops
Posts: 247
Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:04 am

Re: Instead of tokens, provide a drop-down list of presets

Post by Raindrops »

IMHO this is not a real filter like the others, and therefore it cannot serve like the proposed feature (drop-down list next to Search Bar).

Specifically, there are three reasons:

1. This is not a real filter:
By definition, a "search condition" and a "filter" are distinct: Everything is supposed to search for all items that match the search results and then hide the entries that do NOT match a filter condition.

For example, the "Folders" filter will hide files from the search results.

But this "clipboard" filter does not meet this definition at all.
In fact, this filter is equivalent to a search condition.

In fact, this is a search preset (and not a filter), and a very good candidate for the drop-down list I proposed!

2. We cannot switch filters with the given search condition

All the other filters work on the list of search results.
With the same search condition entered in the Search Bar, we can select different filters to view only matching results.

But with this "filter", it is not possible to change filters, because this by itself is a filter!

3. This filter works only when Everything is launched after copy-to-clipboard operation

All the other filters work when Everything GUI is active. But this filter does not work like that: To make it work, we have to place text on clipboard and then launch Everything. If I just switch to Everything windows with ALT+Tab, the content of the clipboard is not passed to Everything, and so this "filter" does not work!
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