Mouser,
All my FARR-use so far falls under Case One. I don't even understand when Case Two would apply. Can you give an example of such a case?

(The only thing I can think of would be a case where a user is not sure what exactly he's looking for, thus choosing for example only action "edit image" which then filters the search to only include editable images. But that could be had more directly through a filter for image file types.)

I find that 99% of the target files for my searches are for one of these file type categories (in the order given):
text (txt, pdf, doc ...)
application/script (exe, bat, vbs ...)
image (png, jpg, gif ...)
music (mp3...)

If many other users use of FARR also fall into a few categories like that, then filters of the kind I described above would be ideal.

BTW, It would be interesting with a poll on what kinds of searches FARR-users actually do!

Hi,
Thanks for the welcoming!  :) And for refs to FARR v2 threads. I guess I mostly rehashed thoughts already discussed.  :-[ Anyway, browsing through the threads on actions and filters stimulated me (well that and the fact that I immediately liked FARR's simplicity a whole lot) to elaborate my suggestion a bit more. So here's req 3 & 4 revisited.

My aim was a solution for users that only need 1-3 special filters and (mostly) 1-3 special actions for each file category.

STRUCTURE & SETTINGS -------------------
Shift, Ctrl & Alt are MODKEYS (not changeable)

On some settings page, let users set
- CATEGORIES = files/folders grouped through some property (basic: file extension(s), max/min size, older/newer than date x, folder. Advanced: combos of properties, arrays of (different) combos ...)
- 1-3 FILTERS (defined via categories)
- ACTIONS = copy path; kill; edit; do checksum ...

- Let users tie each FILTER to a MODKEY
- Let users tie 1-3 ACTIONS to each CATEGORY (advanced: even more actions)

- For alternative 1 (below): also tie MODKEY 1-3 to ACTION 1-3 for each CATEGORY

(Presets/templates would simplify all these settings of course.)


OPERATION -------------------

When focus is on search field
[input]      >>> [result]         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
type text      >>> do default search
enter/F2/F3...   >>> do default action on result1/2/3...                 
tab/arrow down   >>> stop search & focus result1      


hold modkey1/2/3 (during/after type)  >>> run filtered search 1/2/3                             
release modkey                             >>> snap back and do default search           
modkey + tab/arrow down                 >>>  stop search & focus result1                     
      

When focus is on results list
[input]      >>> [result]         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
release modkey   >>> DO NOT snap back to default search (only snap back when search field has focus)

arrows up/down    >>> navigate list
enter/F2/F3...   >>> default action on result1/2/3...

Alternative 1:
hold modkey1/2/3 + enter       >>> Action1/2/3 on selected
press+release modkey1/2/3    >>> Action1/2/3 on selected
hold modkey1/2/3 + F2/F3...   >>> Action1/2/3 on result2/3...

Alternative 2:
press CTRL + enter       >>> context menu list with Action1/2/3 and more as options
arrows up/down       >>> navigate list
release CTRL or enter again    >>> do action selected in list
(Advanced: instead of list, use 3x3 cell matrix. Hold up & right to  select upper right cell. And so on.)

To help remember filters & actions and their modkeys, add three small boxes forming an L shape somewhere in the GUI. The tags on the boxes describes available modkey filters/actions and correspond to the relative placement of the shift, ctrl and alt keys on standard keyboards. When holding a modkey, its box is colored/highlighted.