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Yes, you got my suggestions perfectly. Sorry if I wasn't clear...
What you do is exactly what should be done ws, space, and then the query -- which is what one would expect anyway.
Not sure what's going on in your case (or justauser's) case. Strange.

Hi phitsc, I still get the EAccess violation error (mentioned in the thread earlier).

@ewemoa : I'm using it on XP sp3. Works well. except for the errors.
Normally you need to add a space after ws before typing ?
Did you try changing the default alias ? I changed it to ^ws (.*), so actual search starts when I insert a space after "ws" [EDIT : Note that this shouldn't be necessary -- I do that as a precaution]. And I configured ctr+alt+space to automatically insert ws[space] in the farr text box.

One thing I'm wondering, and didn't have the time to research fully : is Windows Search 4.0 on XP exactly the same as the one used by Windows 7 ?

Hi phitsc,

Sorry again for my late answer. I'm having troubles keeping everything up to date these days... 

Of course I want to give FarrWindowsSearch another try. It's currently working pretty well. I turned on the natural language search and I like it !

Unfortunately, I still get crashes. Crashes almost always happen when I'm typing fast and making corrections to my queries. I got a memory exceptions error and a crash without any message. However, it seems more stable. Sorry if I'm not more precise... Just didn't get the time to note the first error when it occurred.

I didn't see the OLEAUT32.dll access violation or EAccess violation errors... yet.

Let's see if I can get more specific in the next few days.

Just wondering : who uses or has tried phitsc's farr Windows Search's plugin ? Here, apart from the  occasional crashes (EAccessViolation : I seem to be the minority with that problem), it's pretty quick searching about 190 000 files (it's not that much... but...) and a 1.53 GB PST file's content : usually 1s, but might take up to 4s for longer queries. I can definitely live with that.

[abandonware]

Is it abandonware? Nope, it is something more/worse than that.

My suggestion: it's "googleware".

In this thread, Google Desktop Search is an example, and so (apparently) might Everything be.

AFAIK Google do have a three years "deprecation period" for their "out of the lab" products. And those 3 years aren't set in stone and could transform into more years, depending on the APIs popularity. That said, it wouldn't be a smart move to start using GDS now that it's been discontinued, but for those using it, it's not "dead" per se. It's just... dying.

In any case, I never liked Google Desktop search... In my extensive personal tests (while I was doing research for my PhD.), GDS missed a lot of content. The only desktop search software that didn't miss a thing was Archivarius. So I use Archivarius for content indexing (except for Outlook, which it indexes much too slowly for my taste) & windows search/everything for all file names and Outlook indexing. (Archivarius is far from being as user friendly as the other Desktop search software out there, and it doesn't index in real time -- you need to set it on a schedule... But it works well and is reliable -- and that was my main priority.)

Strange, my experiences with Windows Search have been consistently awful, ever since Vista and including Win7. Maybe I should give it another try, but it's hard to trust it after blatantly missing files I was clearly and easily able to find with other tools (and simple folder browsing).

Everything is certainly not the only indexer/search option, it's just the best and fastest, in my experience (by far). As for its status, sure it's a good indexer already, so what more needs to be done, right? Well, how about icons/thumbnails for file types, for example? On the developer's list, I know that much, but after a year of no updates, well one starts to wonder if anything more will ever happen. How important is it? Not terribly, I guess, but future OS or file system upgrades may break it, for example. It's a real bummer when you come to rely deeply on a tool - and Everything is exactly the kind of tool that gets deep into your regular computer experience - and then it goes away. Hard to adjust.

- Oshyan

Don't know what the problem could be with windows search. I haven't thoroughly tested it [Edit: well, I did, but not recently], but it seems reliable here. Note that i use it only to 1- index file names and properties, 2- fully index Outlook's PST.

Usually what happens with Windows Search is that (at least on XP) some folders/file have the file indexing feature specifically disabled. To change that you have to basically deselect the "Allow Indexing Service to Index this disk for fast file searching" in the drive's/folder's property, Cancel the deselection process when it starts, and then reselect it and let it do its job. That solved the unreachable files problems on my side, a while ago.

But maybe you've tried all that already, and the problem is elsewhere.

As far as everything goes... Well, I haven't said it is "the" solution. And I agree with the all the points you make. But would farr need all those everything features, or would it need only its indexing capabilities ? (BTW, here I get icons with the everything plugin for farr, but maybe I misunderstood what you're saying.)

Cool -- and if it works with XP, even better !
Yes, I already had a look at the syntax -- much more intuitive and more concise.
I don't know what others think about it, but it seems like the better choice.

Hi phitsc, Sorry about the delay.

Yes, natural search actually seems like a better way. I haven't got the chance to read a whole lot about it, but... is this function limited to Vista/Win 7 ? I have the feeling it is. But maybe it's just something you can enable and that's completely independent from the OS... Haven't checked the API.

In any case, offering it as an option can't do any harm !

P.S. : I haven't upgraded to Windows 7 yet. I just don't have enough time to do so these days (contrarily to what I hear around me, it takes me much, much more than a few hours to reinstall and configure an OS and all the software -- no to mention the inevitable compatibility headaches !

+1... 

[1- search all2- search emails3- search contacts4- search documents5- etc....9- show keywords list]

One thing that could be done to make this plugin more powerful : when the keyword is written in farr's textbox (WS), offer options in the results :

1- search all
2- search emails
3- search contacts
4- search documents
5- etc.
...
9- show keywords list

User presses the corresponding number and this (e.g. F3) appears in the text box

ws Kind:contacts

...and starts to write what to search.

ws Kind:contacts Helen

...and of course farr shows the corresponding results.

What this does is : 1- narrows down search more easily when one has a vast number of data to search through, 2- teaches the user that some keywords exist and can be used with windows search.

The "9- show keyword list" option there would show all common keywords (cheat sheet) to use with WS... Either as a popup or as HTML in the result area.


This could be set as an option in the plugin "options" maybe, for those who think it's a drag...

Anyway... That was my suggestion of the day.

Hi Phitsc - I like the integration with farr. I think the focus should be put on that.

My only gripe is that it still crashes farr too often in my specific case (using XP sp3). I know I'm not the majority (and for those without any stability problems, I wonder why they don't use it... It's SUPER FAST). If only I knew what did it (the problem), I'd use it much more. More than "Everything" as I don't have the accentuated chars problem with Windows Search...

In any case I'll go to the other thread as this one is dedicated to farr's index.

Hi Tranglos -- just to let you know that there's another build, W3,  adding a couple new useful features and solving a few problems (like clipping when IE9 is installed).

I'd be very surprised if windows search got worse and not better... or if it even got abandoned. It's one very important function of windows 7.

[EDIT : just fully read IanB's post. I pretty much agree...]

However... Relying on a 3rd party could mean have an indexing option rapidly with minimal efforts on mouser's part. And if the 3rd party options doen't get updated/don't work after a while (a couple years?), mouser can then develop his own indexing mechanism...

Isn't that exactly what happened with the Everything plugin?

- Oshyan

Not sure what you're referring to... but IMO : No... as the current "integration" with Everything hasn't been worked on by mouser but by some other developper who -- while doing a great job -- is not the main FARR coder... And might not be able to / have the incentive to work on these little details.

Otherwise, if you're referring to Everything relative abandonment... Maybe, but it seems already perfectly usable as an indexer as it is.  And in any case, Everything is not the only solution out there.


[EDIT] That said, in an ideal world, I'm all for an indexer purely developed by mouser. It's just that, given the choice, for similar performance and functionality... a) in 2 weeks b) or in a year... I'd choose the first option.

True.

But right now, there is some support for accentuated chars. I hope it won't be less than that. (E.g. : The Everything plugin, for some reasons doesn't allow me to run/open any file with accentuated chars -- Everything as such doesn't have that problem.)

In any case... Whatever the kind of indexing, I hope it can work with various languages/character sets (i.e. : Unicode) and not just English...  

However... Relying on a 3rd party could mean have an indexing option rapidly with minimal efforts on mouser's part. And if the 3rd party options doen't get updated/don't work after a while (a couple years?), mouser can then develop his own indexing mechanism...

Eheh. I see.

Well, I know nothing about Mouser's home appliance repair skills... which is too bad it seems, as it sounds like an entertaining subject. 

Anxiously waiting... 

Hehe... Nice. My grandparents were from France, Ireland and Quebec/Canada (what a mix)... All speaking in their native tongue though -- a good variety of accents, but... no great "foreign accent".

Thinkgs are working just great !  
[Edit... Sounded like a German here...]

[2.06]

Hi Armando! I was using InfoQube0.9.25W1Portable. What happened was that I would click New -> New IQBase with sample data, and as soon as the file was loaded and I tried to resize the two panels, the application would freeze like this:

Yes, exactly. I'm still on XP so I never experienced that. Good to know that was the problem.

Your list of how InfoQube handles pretty much all my requirements and nice-to-have's is amazing! I'll be giving it a try.

Yes, I think it handles pretty much all your requirements and much more. However, you can really use it like a simple one pane outliner and don't bother with all the other features (equations, calendar, etc.). Many many things are configurable in the options and in other menus -- which is both good and bad, depending on your perspective and needs...

I've been using it for almost... 4 years ! and still am. Note that a few things are still unfinished (the calendar, mostly, and some features haven't been implemented yet. The UI is supposed to be rethought to ease filter use.)

A couple suggestions :
- start to build your DB with the Sample DB. NOT the blank one.  It's much easier to understand the basic principles if you start with the sample.
- you can probably figure the software by yourself, but I'd say that sections 2.05 and mostly 2.06 of the manual will help you understand IQ's basic principle (it covers what are grids, items and fields and how IQ basically works).


What are those basic principles ? Mainly that the grids just show items depending on chosen filters. Items don't belong to grids. Hence, you can have a DB full of items but don't see any in any grids because you haven't set the right filters in your grids (To see those filters in a grid, just press alt-s : here's the "source" bar.)

Here's an excerpt of section 2.05 :

1- All the information in IQ is stored in a database.

2- In the database, there are multiple items which can have different characteristics.

3- These items characteristics are recorded in fields

4- Items and fields are displayed/showed in grids (tables) : the items are displayed as rows, the fields are columns. (Note : we won't go into the details of a grid for now, but... let's just say that grid isn't like a traditional folder : an item doesn't "belong" to a grid as it can show any item that meets certain filter criteria. We'll learn about filters later.)

So, to summarize :  we usually talk about items (rows) and their fields (columns) inside a grid (table).

Don't hesitate to ask questions in the forum or here.

IMO, IQ's basic principles are simple, but there are so many ways to achieve stuff that it can get complex. Especially when you use functions and try to filter out/in items in a grid, etc., as you can either do that through the columns headers or through the source bar (alt-s)... or through both, etc.

[YES]

InfoQube: probably too big for what I need, and unfortunately doesn't seem usable just yet. (Open the sample file, then try resizing the panes: IQ starts to "reflow" the text and never seems to finish, have to kill the process every time.)

Hi tranglos,

What IQ version are you using ? There was a compatibility problem with IE 9 and some of the components IQ uses. The last build solves that problem AFAIK.
Otherwise, I really don't see what could be the problem as I've never seen anyone complain about that in the forums -- apart from the IE9 compatibility problem.

IQ might not be what you're looking for anyway, but I'm curious about what caused that problem.


For your information:

Required

- Ability to hold more than 1 line of text in an item : YES
- Fast instant search with filtering, just like WorkFlowy : KINDA. There are many ways of searching in IQ, filtering the grids, etc. But the prefered way is... Ctrl-F.
- Virtual views, where items are filtered based on user criteria (and shown as a flat list): YES. This is what IQ is based on.
- Keyboard shortcuts to edit/rearrange the outline structure: YES
- Some form of appending additional, unobtrusive notes to items : YES

Nice-to-have

- Desktop app : YES
- Ability to add some formatting to items (make bold, make larger, change color) : YES
- Same as above, but automated: YES, for the most part (you can automate all kinds of formatting), but there are still features to be implemented (outline styles)
- Checkboxes : YES
- Metadata: timestamps for items (date created, date modified), importance level, etc : YES
- Ideally, user-defined columns for items (but with the possibility of hiding the columns and only showing the outline) : YES
- Rich text inside items : YES
- Since tree hierarchy is very rigid, it'd be nice to be able to "associate" items with each other somehow: YES
- Easy switching between bulleted and numbered list, with various numbering styles (1, 2, 3; I, II, III, i, ii, iii, a, b, c etc.) : NO. Not at this point. Maybe later. There are numbers and bullets but it's rudimentary.