topbanner_forum
  *

avatar image

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
  • Tuesday March 19, 2024, 2:00 am
  • Proudly celebrating 15+ years online.
  • Donate now to become a lifetime supporting member of the site and get a non-expiring license key for all of our programs.
  • donate

Author Topic: I have some questions about FARR  (Read 7195 times)

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
I have some questions about FARR
« on: September 28, 2011, 09:12 AM »
Maybe I didn't understand something

1.If I add optional modifier to the search folders to some directory,then if I don't write the modifier when I search,FARR will not search only in folder that don't have modifiers...for example if I add 3 different files with almost the same name into 3 different sub-folders and add the main folder to FARR and add some modifier,when I search for those 3 files,FARR will not display anything,but if I add the modifier then it will display all 3 files.

I thought that adding the modifier will limit the search to only a certain folder and FARR will search everywhere if I don't(including the location on which I set modifier)

Another example:
Add program files to the search directories and add for example "programs" for modifier.
Now if I search like this "+programs FindAndRun" FARR will display the result but if I don't add +programs,FARR will not find anything.

2.Am I doing something wrong or I didn't understand how it works...I don't have any plugins and anything that I try to install,don't appear.

3.Is there is a way when I start FARR with Pause/Break to make it search in the directory that I currently am(without typing the path to it...just add some alias and to make it search only there)

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2011, 09:17 AM »
Hi vsub,

It's fun to get a question about modifiers since I don't think many people use them!

To answer your question:
  • Once you add a modifier keyword to a path, it will NOT be searched by default when you do not specify that modifier.
  • To change it so it will be, add to the modifier list the word: blank



For more information see the "Keyword Modifiers" help page under the Advanced Use section of the FARR Help file, which I will paste here as well:

Keyword modifiers are new as of version 2.02.01 (January 7th, 2007)

They let you indicate that certain search directories and pattern matching scores should be engaged only when the user specifies special modifier keywords during search, using the +KEYWORD syntax.

This can be extremely useful if you want to search certain directories only in special cases.

For example, you might normally search only your start menu, but you want to search your "MyDocuments" folder and your "Documents and Settings" folders when the modifier "mydocs" is used.
To do this, add the new directories and specify the keyword mydocs in each case.
Now, to search for a file with "money" in its name, in these folders you could type: "money +mydocs" or "+mydocs money".
FARR will know that in this case it should search in these two additional folders

Note that the choice of keywords is entirely up to you, you can use any strings you want for them.  

You can also use keyword modifiers on scoring patterns:

For example, you might not normally care about search for mp3 files, but you want to be able to find them easily.
So add a new score pattern of *.mp3 with a score of 3000, and use the keyword modifier mp3.
Now when you type in +mp3 in your search, all mp3 files will get a huge boost in score.


WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ENTRY HAS NO KEYWORDS
The default search directories and scores have no keyword modifiers.  This means they apply ONLY when no keyword modifiers are specified in search string (or when one is specified but it doesn't match anything).  Sometimes you want an entry to run if certain keywords are specified OR if no keywords at all are specified.


ADD blank TO MATCH ON NO KEYWORD AS WELL AS THE ONES SPECIFIED
To specify that a directory should be searched when NO keyword modifiers are specified in addition to when others are, add the special term blank as one of the space separated keywords.


ADD * TO MATCH ON ANY KEYWORD
You can also specify a keyword of * to say that the entry should be used when any keywords are specified.


TIPS AND TRICKS

Each directory pattern or score pattern entry can have multiple keyword modifiers, separated by spaces.
You don't specify the + when you are configuring an entry, but you must specify it when typing a search in the main form.
Feel free to use the same keyword modifiers in multiple scoring and directory entries for maximum benefit.
If you want to match on all keywords except a specific one or two, use the keyword * followed by "-KEYWORD" for keywords to reject.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2011, 09:20 AM »
Is there is a way when I start FARR with Pause/Break to make it search in the directory that I currently am(without typing the path to it...just add some alias and to make it search only there)

If I understand your question correctly, i'm afraid not.  Let's clarify -- do you mean that you are using some other program (a DOS commandline terminal?) and you want to bring up farr and have it default to search in the directory that the commandline was open to?

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2011, 09:47 AM »
Thanks for the "blank" modifier,it works(the help file is too big and I guess I didn't reach reading that section yet :p )

About the other thing...for example I enter in C:\Program Files\Tools and then press Pause/Break.Now if I use some kind of modifier,plugin,alias to the search it will search only the Tools folder.This is not really than important but till now I searched this way...enter the folder=>right click on it=>search and search for what I want(either for file or text inside it)

And what about the plugins...I just installed the program and I don't see anything in Options=>Program Options=>Settings=>Plugins and Updates=>Click to Examine and Configure Plugins
The list is always empty no matter what I try.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2011, 11:22 AM »
And what about the plugins...I just installed the program and I don't see anything in Options=>Program Options=>Settings=>Plugins and Updates=>Click to Examine and Configure Plugins
The list is always empty no matter what I try.

That dialog is only for configuring installed plugins.
To install plugins, find one you want and install it here: https://www.donation...user/findrun/addons/


vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2011, 12:04 PM »
Then how to actually use those that are already installed(those that I see in the plugins directory when I install the program)
I see here for example,if I type "mrum" I will see the windows most recently items/documents but nothing appear on the result and even if I type mru,again nothing appear

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2011, 12:09 PM »
Then how to actually use those that are already installed(those that I see in the plugins directory when I install the program)
This is a common confusion.  If you look in that plugin directory you will see that those are actually just placeholders -- the plugins aren't actually installed.

Their presence will actually help DcUpdater install the plugins for you if you install that tool.  But basically they are just placeholders and no plugins are installed by default.

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #7 on: September 28, 2011, 12:15 PM »
Ok now I understand,thanks

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #8 on: October 06, 2011, 07:38 AM »
Some questions(maybe I didn't understand something)and some ideas for features

1.In the Launch History settings,if I right click on some history item or add a new one,I can modify the location and scores but I can't do anything in the "Optional Modifier keyword"...clicking there don't do anything,it's like the text field is disabled(the mouse cursor don't switch to typing mode when I'm over that text field)

2.Is there is some reason "%FARRDIR%\scripts" to be always added even if I delete it?

3.What "+" is searching for when I just type "+" ...is it trying to display all of the files that are in the search locations?
If yes,why...when you type + with in mind to add some modifier,until you start typing it,the program is trying to display all of the files that you have in the search locations

4.Is the space button(one time)not acceptable as a "Required Alias Prefix"...it works until I restart the program.

5.Can the search result be displayed in normal view mode until it reaches what I set in "Max entries to display in normal result view" but the "launch History" items to be displayed in

6.Switch between normal and extended view hotkey(and if possible,when you are switching between view modes,to not start searching again)

7.Limit(on/off)the result...if the program find for example 5(you can set the limit)files/folders that match what you are searching for,to stop searching.

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #9 on: October 06, 2011, 07:03 PM »
Ok let me try to answer some..

  • 1.In the Launch History settings,if I right click on some history item or add a new one,I can modify the location and scores but I can't do anything in the "Optional Modifier keyword"...clicking there don't do anything,it's like the text field is disabled(the mouse cursor don't switch to typing mode when I'm over that text field)

Launch history is not for this kind of thing -- it's a dynamic list of previously launched items whose contents should not be relied upon to be permanent.

If you want to add a specific program with a specific score and keyword, use an alias.


  • 2.Is there is some reason "%FARRDIR%\scripts" to be always added even if I delete it?

hmm.. didn't recall that it was, but regardless -- if you don't want that directory searched, just UNCHECK it rather than delete it.


  • 3.What "+" is searching for when I just type "+" ...is it trying to display all of the files that are in the search locations?
  • If yes,why...when you type + with in mind to add some modifier,until you start typing it,the program is trying to display all of the files that you have in the search locations

hmm that's a good question, it should probably just do nothing in that case; you could say the results are undetermined. it's probably matching EVERYTHING.  until you start typing words after the + then it is looking for modifier matches.


  • 4.Is the space button(one time)not acceptable as a "Required Alias Prefix"...it works until I restart the program.

that tells me its being stripped off during save.  i can make it allowable.


  • 5.Can the search result be displayed in normal view mode until it reaches what I set in "Max entries to display in normal result view" but the "launch History" items to be displayed in

hmm i didnt follow this question.


  • 6.Switch between normal and extended view hotkey(and if possible,when you are switching between view modes,to not start searching again)

yes i could add a hotkey that would do same thing as typing +showall


  • 7.Limit(on/off)the result...if the program find for example 5(you can set the limit)files/folders that match what you are searching for,to stop searching.

 didn't understand this question either.

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #10 on: October 06, 2011, 11:35 PM »
5.Guess I didn't finish this sentence :p
An option to display the Launch History always in Small or Large view mode(everything else should remain the same)

6.Yes this will be good but I hope the search wont start again while switching modes like it is now

7.For example a option on which you can set the limit of the finded items.If you set 5 for that option,the program will start searching and when it reaches the limit(5)it will stop searching even if there are more files that could be possible results

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #11 on: October 19, 2011, 07:41 AM »
Again my first problem(from my first post)but this time extension

Add a folder named Tools and add t and blank as keyword modifiers and also for example exe for extension restriction.Now if I try to search for a file that is in that folder(just type the name without anything else...like I want to search all of the search folders)and that file is not exe,FARR will not find it

I thought that the modifiers and extension restrictions are only applied when you use +and the modifier.
Now the modifier only limit to where to search but the extension restriction settings on any of your search folders is always applied(no matter what you do,you won't find anything other than exe or folder in that Tools folder)

Is there is something like "blank" for keyword modifier but but extensions

mouser

  • First Author
  • Administrator
  • Joined in 2005
  • *****
  • Posts: 40,896
    • View Profile
    • Mouser's Software Zone on DonationCoder.com
    • Read more about this member.
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #12 on: October 19, 2011, 12:00 PM »
im not clear exactly what you want to do -- can you rephrase it?

vsub

  • Participant
  • Joined in 2011
  • *
  • default avatar
  • Posts: 16
    • View Profile
    • Donate to Member
Re: I have some questions about FARR
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2011, 12:38 PM »
For example you don't have any folder in the "Search Folders"(or uncheck all),now add some folder,add to it some modifier and blank modifier and also add some extension(for example exe)in extension restriction.

Now try to search normally for some file that is not exe...FARR will not find the file.

Is there is a way to search only for the extension restrictions only when I type the keyword modifier for that folder and if I don't type it,to search for files regardless of the extension

Tools folder with t and blank keyword modifiers and exe for extension restriction.

+t will search the Tools folder and display results that are with exe extension
without +t will search the Tools folder(and any folder added to "Search Folders" )but will display any file with the name I'm searching for(not just exe)

Maybe some special modifier(like +sall)to search for all file types...ignoring the extension restriction.