Author Topic: FARR plugin: FARR Windows Search 0.3.0 (Read 194,704 times)

phitsc · « **on:** April 23, 2009, 09:52 PM »

Description
This plugin allows querying the Windows Search index using FARR. The full power of Windows Search's advanced query syntax is supported. And thanks to hamradio Outlook user will get nice icons when searching for their Outlook emails, contacts, calendar items, tasks and notes!

System requirements
Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista and Window Search 3 or newer.

Download & Install
Download the FarrWindowsSearch installer attached to this post then double-click FarrWindowsSearchSetup.exe to start the installation. I've tested the installer on both Windows XP and Windows 7 32-bit. If you'd rather install the plugin manually, you can download the zip file attached to this post, then unzip it into the FARR plugins directory (usually C:\Program Files\FindAndRunRobot\Plugins) and restart FARR.

Usage
Type

ws [search term]

to query the Windows Search index.

See Windows Search advanced query syntax for a detailed description of how to narrow and refine your search.

Typing /a at the end of a query will switch to FARR's extended results list mode.

Credits
Thanks to Carroll (hamradio on donationcoder.com forums) for designing the icons!

Version history
0.3.0 - 18. November 2011

Added option to use natural language search and made it the default
Further attempt to improve stability
Removed link to AQS web page as Microsoft removed it

0.2.0 - 18. February 2011

Attempt to improve stability

0.1.0 - 23. April 2009

First release

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2009, 11:04 PM »

wow this could be big.. can't wait to try.

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2009, 11:10 PM »

works flawlessly here.

pretty damn amazing..
just a note for people who don't understand what this means: Windows Search *indexes* the *contents* of files.
so you can now type ws KEYWORDS and get instant live file searching of the CONTENTS of files.

wow

d4ni · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2009, 02:10 PM »

Nice there's a plugin to talk to a desktop search tool now

As I do not really use WDS at this moment other than to index my e-mails I will not yet try it, but I could give it a go once I figure out the advantages of indexing my files -- I know exactly where my files are and what their contents are so I don't think I really need to.

Mouser; it's not exactly instant live file searching of contents as the file has to be indexed first

But perhaps WDM indexes on file changes (I don't know), so then it's semi-live searching anyway

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2009, 04:51 PM »

Search as you type is what i should have said..

Now that phitsc has the framework working.. how long before he adds the other index search engines to it like Google Desktop Search, etc.

kartal · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2009, 07:03 AM »

I would have used this if damn WDS would index Thunderbird emails and contacts

phitsc · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2009, 08:45 AM »

Quote from: kartal on April 25, 2009, 07:03 AM

I would have used this if damn WDS would index Thunderbird emails and contacts

Looks like this is planned (at least for email and news), but not quite there yet.

See here: http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/3.0b1/releasenotes/

phitsc · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2009, 12:21 PM »

Quote from: mouser on April 24, 2009, 04:51 PM

Now that phitsc has the framework working.. how long before he adds the other index search engines to it like Google Desktop Search, etc.

Looking at the Google Desktop Search API description this seems like a perfect addition to s.newave's GooglePlus plugin. I can make a plugin for it though if s.newave doesn't want to add it to GooglePlus. Mouser, are you going to ask him?

IainB · « **Reply #8 on:** May 06, 2009, 06:29 AM »

If a FARR search plugin could usefully include Google Desktop Search that could be v-e-r-y interesting - I use GDS quite a lot. It is brilliant.

However, If FARR included the MS Index Search, I have to say that I wouldn't be able to make use of it. The MS Indexing is the biggest resource hog and performance reducer I have ever come across, and for those reasons it is the first thing to be disabled on any PC that I use. Because of that, I thought that nobody actually used it! (But I guess some people must do, no?)

phitsc · « **Reply #9 on:** May 06, 2009, 09:17 AM »

Quote from: IainB on May 06, 2009, 06:29 AM

If a FARR search plugin could usefully include Google Desktop Search that could be v-e-r-y interesting - I use GDS quite a lot. It is brilliant.

However, If FARR included the MS Index Search, I have to say that I wouldn't be able to make use of it. The MS Indexing is the biggest resource hog and performance reducer I have ever come across, and for those reasons it is the first thing to be disabled on any PC that I use. Because of that, I thought that nobody actually used it! (But I guess some people must do, no?)

You might be confusing the Microsoft Indexing Service with Windows Search. The FARR Windows Search plugin will let you query the Windows (Desktop) Search index, which I think is different to the Indexing Service. I have Windows Search running and to be honest I don't think it is influencing my machine's performance noticeably. I have the indexing service disabled as well by the way.

Jabberwock · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2009, 12:14 PM »

I realize it might be a stupid question, but how WS compare to Locate32 or Everything (I do not mean content search, of course, just files...)?

phitsc · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2009, 03:26 PM »

Quote from: Jabberwock on May 06, 2009, 12:14 PM

I realize it might be a stupid question, but how WS compare to Locate32 or Everything (I do not mean content search, of course, just files...)?

With 'how' you mean concerning performance? or something else? (I probably can't answer your question anyway, but maybe someone else can...)

Jabberwock · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2009, 04:00 PM »

How? I do not know „how”... You don't expect a stupid question to make sense, do you?

OK, I'll make it less stupid (think first, post later *sigh*).

WS seems interesting, especially with content search. On the other hand, I am a heavy user of locate32 (which with FARR provides a nice „two-tier” search structure). I would rather not run two very similar tools at the same time, so it would have to be one or the other... So probably the question is: is WS a good replacement for Locate32?

IainB · « **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2009, 01:01 PM »

@phitsc
OIC! Thanks for the correction. Yes, it looks like I was confusing things.

CWuestefeld · « **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:26 PM »

The biggest problem I've got with WDS is that there's no real GUI for it, you've got to know all their secret incantations for any specific filtering.

So I've just put together a cheat sheet containing all the interesting property names, and some other miscellaneous information. Attached is a PNG of the sheet, as well as a ZIPped PDF.

(mouser: any reason not to allow PDFs to be used as attachments directly?

mouser · « **Reply #15 on:** May 07, 2009, 09:48 PM »

great stuff! thanks for the cheat sheet

Quote

mouser: any reason not to allow PDFs to be used as attachments directly?

im not sure.. with all the pdf vulnerabilities i just felt it was less of a risk to have a zip file.. less risk of accidental click.

phitsc · « **Reply #16 on:** May 08, 2009, 09:51 AM »

Quote from: CWuestefeld on May 07, 2009, 09:26 PM

The biggest problem I've got with WDS is that there's no real GUI for it, you've got to know all their secret incantations for any specific filtering.

Well, if you're not using the Windows Search Deskbar but the GUI that comes up if you double-click the WS tray icon, you are provided with a limited set of filtering options.

I was actually thinking about adding something like this to the FARR WS plugin. The plan was that if you typed 'ws' the first entry would be 'Search for...' and if you selected that (i.e. hit enter), you'd get a list like:
Appointments
Contacts
Email
Files
Music
Pictures
etc.

but as the interest for this plugin seems to be fairly limited I saved myself the work. And then hamradio would obviously also have to provide additional icons.

peter moore · « **Reply #17 on:** May 11, 2009, 12:47 PM »

what about other search tools? i think there are some really interesting tools available!
i personally use Lookeen which sorts the results similar to PHITSC´s suggestion

Quote from: phitsc on May 08, 2009, 03:51:22 AM

I was actually thinking about adding something like this to the FARR WS plugin. The plan was that if you typed 'ws' the first entry would be 'Search for...' and if you selected that (i.e. hit enter), you'd get a list like:
Appointments
Contacts
Email
Files
Music
Pictures
etc.

and you can search multiple .pst-files, archives (also closed), open folders, exchange (..)

drking · « **Reply #18 on:** May 13, 2009, 02:51 AM »

Quote from: mouser on April 23, 2009, 11:10 PM

works flawlessly here.

pretty damn amazing..
just a note for people who don't understand what this means: Windows Search *indexes* the *contents* of files.
so you can now type ws KEYWORDS and get instant live file searching of the CONTENTS of files.

wow

Mouser / Phitsc: How to do this? Can you give an example? I can't get this option to work. Thanks.

phitsc · « **Reply #19 on:** May 13, 2009, 05:54 AM »

Hi drking

To use this plugin, you'll first have to download and install Windows Search from the Microsoft website:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/getitnow.mspx

then download and install the plugin as described in my first post.

Then you'll have to wait until Windows Search has indexed all your files. If you're running Windows XP, you'll see an animated tray icon (a magnifying glass) while it's indexing. If you're running Windows Vista chances are you already have Windows Search installed and your files are already indexed. When indexing is done, launch FARR and type ws search terms to query the index.

If you need further explanations just ask again.

drking · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2009, 07:18 PM »

Phitsc,

got it! hot-digity-dog! this plugin's awesome!

thanks!

btw, i did have ms windows search 4.0 already installed, however a few things i had to fix on my end to get full function: had to put ms search back into the startup folder - I guess I thought it was running since it was checked as running in msconfig/services.msc (well, you know... what can I say, I'm just a user, not an expert). :-) Also, I had many months ago unchecked 'allow indexing' via Mycomputer>properties>C:, so re-indexed ---now instead of searching just 1400 files, is searching "10's of thousands'.

thanks again!

Regina (drking)

phitsc · « **Reply #21 on:** May 13, 2009, 08:26 PM »

You're welcome! Glad to hear you got it working.

phitsc · « **Reply #22 on:** May 15, 2009, 12:31 PM »

Quote from: Jabberwock on May 06, 2009, 04:00 PM

WS seems interesting, especially with content search. On the other hand, I am a heavy user of locate32 (which with FARR provides a nice „two-tier” search structure). I would rather not run two very similar tools at the same time, so it would have to be one or the other... So probably the question is: is WS a good replacement for Locate32?

Looks like you'll have to try them both yourself and answer your own question for the benefit of the rest of us

achmed13 · « **Reply #23 on:** May 20, 2009, 03:17 PM »

When I use this plugin, it lets me search just fine, and FARR displays the results, and I can use the enter key to open the first result, but if I try to open any of the other results or if I just type "ws" and try to access the "options" choice, I receive the following error:

[attach=#]

I am using Vista SP1 with UAC disabled, and FARR 2.61.02.

Thanks.

phitsc · « **Reply #24 on:** May 20, 2009, 03:26 PM »

Are you using any FScript-based plugins? If yes, make sure to update them to the newest FScript version (see here)