Author Topic: how to specify searching only in two specific folders? (Read 20,899 times)

cedardoc · « **on:** May 22, 2009, 11:13 PM »

Hi,

I found this topic that seems kind of related:
http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=12996.0

but I don't understand it.

Is there a simple way to specify only to search a certain folder and one of its subfolders? I'm using FARR to search for patient files while patients are in the treatment rooms and can see what comes up, so in that senario I don't want all my little text files in different directories coming up, but I don't want to just screen out all txt files. I'm using an autohotkey input box to get the patient's name and then sending it to FARR that way.

If I add "D:\Gaitscan\" (without quotes) in front of it, it'll find the one folder, and if I add another backslash it finds files in the subfolder but not the "parent" folder. I tried adding "--" like the thread above was talking about, but it didn't work.

Is there a way to have FARR search this way?

Thanks,
Dave Parker

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2009, 11:23 PM »

Quote

Is there a simple way to specify only to search a certain folder and one of its subfolders?

the way to do this would be to:
1. Add the main folder to the Search Folder list, and specify Subdirectory Search Depth = 0 (which prevents farr from searching subdirectories)
*and*
2. Add the one subfolder you also want searched to the list and also specify Subdirectory Search Depth = 0 (which prevents farr from searching that folders subdirectories)

cedardoc · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2009, 04:43 AM »

Thanks, but if I did that wouldn't it limit my search to those two folders for every search? (I think that's what you're saying).

What I'd like to be able to do is a) search all folders when I put in any "regular" word, and b) also search //only// those two by adding some indicator in front of what I want to search. I may however be missing something that would be obvious to others (I don't have any actual programming knowledge).

Would you mind elaborating please?
Thanks again,
-Dave

mouser · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2009, 05:10 AM »

ok so to do that just add the same keyword modifier to both of those search folder entries and use that to restrict search to those folders.

for example, for both of those search folder entries specify keyword modifier: patients

now to search those two folders (and only those two folders) specify your search like
+patients SEARCH STRING HERE

cedardoc · « **Reply #4 on:** May 23, 2009, 05:17 AM »

Great!

I'll try that out.

Thanks

cedardoc · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2009, 03:58 PM »

It works...

In case others have the same need, here's the autohotkey script that works

inputbox PatientName, patient name, enter patient's name,,,,0,500
clipboard = %PatientName%
sleep 100
send {break}
sleep 100
send {+}patients %PatientName%
return

(it took a while to figure out how to send a "+" sign in autohotkey )

thanks again,
Dave

mouser · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2009, 04:05 PM »

nice.
if you wanted to skip the autohotkey helper what you could do is configure a custom hotkey in farr that opened farr up and automatically started with the text "+patients" in the search box.
the advantage of that would be that it would be searching as you typed the patients name so you wouldn't have to type the full thing.

cedardoc · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2009, 04:11 PM »

Your right, that would be better.

I don't have experience with that - is a custom FARR hotkey the same thing as the word attached to an alias? Just a link to instructions is all I need :-)

Thanks for the added suggestion

mouser · « **Reply #8 on:** May 23, 2009, 09:25 PM »

if you go to farr options there is a hotkey page where you can add new hotkeys and specify what to do when they are triggered.

dwilbank · « **Reply #9 on:** October 15, 2010, 03:42 PM »

Hi. This thread isn't closed, so I think my question belongs here.

what if I want to restrict a search to just a specific drive (without going into prefs and unchecking the unwanted drives) ?

I could have sworn there was a way to type in something like "F: smallville" to restrict my search to just the F drive.

Thanks

mouser · « **Reply #10 on:** October 15, 2010, 05:11 PM »

Quote

what if I want to restrict a search to just a specific drive (without going into prefs and unchecking the unwanted drives) ?

the smartest way is by using Modifier keywords.

see this screencast for a quick tutorial: http://www.donationcoder.com/screencasts/dc/3ds/fr21/fr21.html

you could also do as you say and put the start of a directory like F:\ at start, but you have much less control when you do that. using modifiers lets you search multiple specific folders and for only certain extensions, etc.

dwilbank · « **Reply #11 on:** October 15, 2010, 05:40 PM »

I watched the screencast.
Good stuff.

When I use modifier keywords for 6 different drives, however, I have problems.
For my 6 directories, I have them keyworded as

8*
7*
6*
m*
evdtool*
hd6*

I want them to all be searched by default, but to restrict the search when I press "+m", for example.

Right now they're all being searched no matter what modifier I type.

Help?

mouser · « **Reply #12 on:** October 15, 2010, 06:28 PM »

im not sure i follow what you want, but maybe start out simpler:

let's just take the case of one drive/directory:

with Modifier keywords: m
it will ONLY search that drive/directory if you specify +m in your search.

with Modifier keywords: m *
it should search that drive/directory always by default, and also if you specify +m in your search
note the SPACE between the m and the *

you can specify as many keywords as you want, separate them by spaces.
multiple drives/directories can have the same keywords.

dwilbank · « **Reply #13 on:** October 15, 2010, 06:46 PM »

this is the sadness I have... (attached pictures)

in this particular case I don't want to search all m drives... JUST the M drive...

mouser · « **Reply #14 on:** October 15, 2010, 07:07 PM »

ok i apologize, i messed up.
to have it search by DEFAULT (ie with no modifier), dont use * instead specify the keyword: blank

using * does exactly what you are seeing, matches when you use ANY keyword.

sorry!

dwilbank · « **Reply #15 on:** October 15, 2010, 07:19 PM »

but then I get no results at all unless I manually type in the search box

+m +6 +7 +8

This is turning into a new feature request?

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2010, 07:40 PM »

show me now your search folder list.
maybe it's a bug.

dwilbank · « **Reply #17 on:** October 15, 2010, 08:30 PM »

this one shows, all together, my search folder list, the search I'm trying to run, and the file sitting in the drive that should be found

ps: new picture - can't believe I took such a useless first version
pps: the machine with FARR has zero internet connection with my email machine, so I can't take real screenshots

Fear not though - Screen Shot Captor is installed elsewhere

mouser · « **Reply #18 on:** October 15, 2010, 08:35 PM »

It just hit me that you are taking physical camera photos of your monitor.. someone needs to install Screenshot Captor.

i need to see the second column of your search folder list, so i can see what modifiers you have set.

dwilbank · « **Reply #19 on:** October 16, 2010, 03:32 PM »

I updated my picture, but don't know how to trash the old one...

mouser · « **Reply #20 on:** October 16, 2010, 03:36 PM »

you have to add the word "blank" to your Keyword modifier list (without quotes) for a search folder if you want it to be searched by default.
So if you want the m drive entry to be searched by default AND when you type +m then for keyword modifiers specify:
m blank

dwilbank · « **Reply #21 on:** October 16, 2010, 03:38 PM »

ah...

can't wait to try it when I get back to work

thanks!

dwilbank · « **Reply #22 on:** October 18, 2010, 08:01 PM »

well sir mouse, it seems to work

thanks

now no drive is too big for FARR to deal with

mouser · « **Reply #23 on:** October 18, 2010, 09:05 PM »

glad to hear it