Multiple file patterns - EVERYTHING TIP 001

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Multiple file patterns - EVERYTHING TIP 001

Post by ChrisGreaves »

I plan to post here various "clever things" to do with the search strings in VoidTools's application Everything.exe.
If you already use Everything as I do - by typing in a file name template and examining the delivered file list - then you might find these occasional features interesting. They should arrive at a digestible pace. Because the tips are prompted by my curiousity, this thread would have served as a good basic tutorial for me over six years ago ...

I found the following topics on Eileen's Lounge, linked here, in case you would like to do some background reading:-
Everything
Everything is not working ...
Everything Says that I Have 350000 Objects on my System
Search Everything Query
Everything.exe file monitor
BETA upgrade to Everything (from VoidTools)

At this time I am Win10 and using Everything Version 1.5.0.1315a(64 bit).
Everything is portable - no registry was harmed in the installation of this application, and there is an excellent forum which runs phpBB software, just as does Eileen's Lounge, so you will feel right at home there ...

And now for the first tip.

EVERYTHING TIP 001
Like me you enter a file template in the search box
"*.doc"
or
"sprouts"
But you can enter two or more terms separated by a space.
"sprouts *.doc"
or "sprouts *.doc bean"

Chris
Multiple file patterns - EVERYTHING TIP 001
Search by Path length - EVERYTHING TIP 002
Search/sort by frequency of file extension - EVERYTHING TIP 003
Find duplicates - EVERYTHING TIP 004
only Folders - EVERYTHING TIP 005
folder Depth - EVERYTHING TIP 006
Regular Expressions (RegEx) - EVERYTHING TIP 007
Search Under Folders - EVERYTHING TIP 008
Excluding folders - EVERYTHING TIP 009
Search by FOUR dates - EVERYTHING TIP 010
Too many objects returned - EVERYTHING TIP 011
Folders that contain a child file or folder - EVERYTHING TIP 012
Searching for multiple words in a document - EVERYTHING TIP 013
Omit folders from results - EVERYTHING TIP 014
Partial folder names - EVERYTHING TIP 015
Command-line searches - EVERYTHING TIP 016
Search History - EVERYTHING TIP 017
multiple Extensions - EVERYTHING TIP 018
Matching case-sensitive objects - EVERYTHING TIP 019
Removing punctuation - EVERYTHING TIP 020
Partnered file names - EVERYTHING TIP 021
Length vs. Size - EVERYTHING TIP 022
AND and character strings- EVERYTHING TIP 023

A quick-reference ("cheat-sheet") for searching can be found at https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/searching/
Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 11 Jan 2023, 09:47, edited 23 times in total.
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Re: File search software Everything.exe - tips and tricks EVERYTHING TIP 001

Post by BobH »

:time:




we need a popcorn smiley
Last edited by BobH on 03 Sep 2022, 18:15, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: BETA upgrade to Everything (from VoidTools)

Post by Sundog »

Chris, thanks for keeping us up to date re Everything (the software, that is--unless you're up for a much bigger task...).

Q1) How does one get on the list for access to Alpha and Beta releases of Everything (same disclaimer...).
Q2) How is 1.5 Alpha working out?
Q3) Rather than sloooowwwlllllyyyyyy copying your Everything tips one at a time over many eons, how about a link to Chris's Compiled Everything Tips List?
Q4) Or would such a list be a duplicate of the Searching function at https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/searching/?
Q5) Or would such a list be a shortened list of the Searching list, but be Chris's Greatest Hits?

Thanks again.
Sundog

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Re: BETA upgrade to Everything (from VoidTools)

Post by HansV »

@Sundog: did you intend your post, or at least points Q3 to Q5, as a reply to File search software Everything.exe - tips and tricks EVERYTHING TIP 001?
Best wishes,
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Re: BETA upgrade to Everything (from VoidTools)

Post by Sundog »

Yes, as well as info on Alpha and Beta.
Sundog

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Re: File search software Everything.exe - tips and tricks EVERYTHING TIP 001

Post by HansV »

I have moved the previous three replies into this topic.
Best wishes,
Hans

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Re: BETA upgrade to Everything (from VoidTools)

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Sundog wrote:
28 Aug 2022, 21:49
Chris, thanks for keeping us up to date re Everything (the software, that is--unless you're up for a much bigger task...).
You are [all] more than welcome. I knew that there were several aficionados here. I know little about Everything, used it for years as a simple search "recip*.doc" and until six months ago did not realize that it is a massively powerful and (as you know) blindingly fast application. I was impressed with the support I received in response to my topic Understanding Indexing and USN Journal - 3 Questions, and by virtue of joining the forum started to see the features that I had not known.
Q1) How does one get on the list for access to Alpha and Beta releases of Everything (same disclaimer...).
I don't know, but you already know that I am going to suggest that you browse the forum! The Great Guru "void" is the font of all knowledge, but he is on a two-month sabbatical having found paid work. He might be back by now ...
Q2) How is 1.5 Alpha working out?
1.5.0 is working fine for me, although I am still on my baby steps away from "recipe*.doc". My questions of four months ago uncovered a minor bug that I wasn't aware of. i wish that Word2003 were as free of faults as Everything [rueful grin]
Q3) Rather than sloooowwwlllllyyyyyy copying your Everything tips one at a time over many eons, how about a link to Chris's Compiled Everything Tips List?
[another rueful grin] I don't have a list of tips. I thought to build a list by adding posts at a rate of about one per week as I stumble across ideas that surface in posts on the Everything forum. Usually I spot a suggestion that says <<< we can do this, but why can't we do that?>>> and I think "I didn't know that we could do this!", and if it seems useful to me, I try it. If you are a casual user or a baby like me, you could use this thread as a painless way to explore some of the power of Everything, and years from now it could be used as a tutorial by a New Arrival.
Crudely put, if, like me, you are lazy, then use this thread as a fast way of learning about tips, without having to read all the new posts on Voidtools each morning. I will serve as a volunteer to sift through the chaff.
Q4) Or would such a list be a duplicate of the Searching function at https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/searching/?
Such a list would not duplicate a search on the Voidtools forum; phpBB search is a terrible search mechanism. Your excellent link provides an exhausting and somewhat terrifyingly magnificent view of using Everything to search one's hard drive/computer/network/world/ ... and that sort of list ("massively powerful") can be intimidating.
So I thought to get some of us up to speed by dribbling out tips in a slow but steady stream.
Q5) Or would such a list be a shortened list of the Searching list, but be Chris's Greatest Hits?
"Chris's Greatest Hits" is close to the mark. whimsical :evilgrin: is the word that comes to mind. I have been spotting the features as they appear randomly in other people's posts, and think "Ooh! I didn't know that you could do that. That looks as if it might be useful to me", and try it.

Cheers, Chris
Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 31 Aug 2022, 09:20, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: File search software Everything.exe - tips and tricks

Post by ChrisGreaves »

HansV wrote:
29 Aug 2022, 07:06
I have moved the previous three replies into this topic.
Thank you, Hans.
Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 03 Sep 2022, 15:10, edited 1 time in total.
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Search by Path length - EVERYTHING TIP 002

Post by ChrisGreaves »

PathLengthGT259.png
In the search bar use path:len:>259
I found this at this post.

I believe that most of these tips in isolation will be curiousity-value, but that as my repertoire increases I will be able to combine the search strings to isolate specific groups of files.
Cheers, Chris
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Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 03 Sep 2022, 15:04, edited 1 time in total.
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Search/sort by frequency of file extension - EVERYTHING TIP 003

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Frequency of Extension.png
I found this at this post.
I haven't worked it out fully, but in the image above you see that I have 46,507 JPG files on my C: & T: drives, and 2,748 PNG files.

Of course, this trick is not just for EXTensions ...

... and remember, the purpose of this thread is only to plant a seed in your memory "I once saw a way to ...", not to turn you into a master-expert.

Cheers, Chris
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Find duplicates - EVERYTHING TIP 004

Post by ChrisGreaves »

SizeDupe.png
The second part of This Post told me about     sizedupe:

Finding duplicates is a popular set of topics in the Everything.exe forum, so if you are serious about finding duplicates by file identification [name, date, size, ...] you will have your homework cut out for you, but a simple     sizedupe:     can deliver some preliminary data on which you can base a decision whether or not it makes sense to "eliminate duplicate files to improve disk space" or to "reduce confusion about versions".

My experience with audio (MP3) files tells me that the definition of "duplicate" is critical. I might have trimmed one version of Tannheuser.mp3 to remove the ovations at each end, and even between acts, and left the original MP3 file in place. "Duplicate" in this case would be defined as "contains at least three identical frames within the audio".

I recall seeing a post which suggests a way to standardize non-Anglo and diacritical characters within file names, using Everything.exe
Cheers, Chris
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only Folders - EVERYTHING TIP 005

Post by ChrisGreaves »

FolderModifier.png
This post told me about     folder:

When I was younger (grin) I would type "seed" and get a list of a few folders and many files.
The "folder:" modifier shows me only the folders which match my search string.

Cheers, Chris
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Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 10 Sep 2022, 11:41, edited 1 time in total.
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folder Depth - EVERYTHING TIP 006

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Depth.png
I found this tip here.
Like all these tips, my aim is only to alert you to the fact that features do exist. I know that mastering any specific feature will require you to embark on some study.
In my example above:
(a) Drive T: is my (encrypted) data partition.
(b) T:\Greaves\ is the path to my "corporate" work, as distinct from T:\Pers or T:\Appl
(c) depth:2 seems to suggest the roor directory and the one directory below it. You can change the 2 to 0, 1, 3, 4 etc to see the impact.
Cheers, Chris
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Regular Expressions (RegEx) - EVERYTHING TIP 007

Post by ChrisGreaves »

ChrisGreaves wrote:
28 Aug 2022, 13:12
I plan to post here various "clever things" to do with the search strings in VoidTools's application Everything.exe.
I have seen RegEx being used in Everything.exe, but being a rank amateur with RegEx, have been reluctant to try it. After all, if I am not proficient in RegEx and institute a search, how can I trust the results of that search?
With this topic I now have a reason to experiment with RegEx.

As usual I have merely copied and pasted an example from someone else's post and tried it out on my data partition T:
This RegEx - "to find filenames containing non-ascii characters" - finds 429 objects - files and folders.

Code: Select all

regex:[^]a-zA-Z0-9`~!@#$%^&*()[\;',<>./:">?{}|_+= -]
A topic-search of the Audacity forums provides enough fodder for another seven-month winter. Enjoy!

If you want to use RegEx to find content of files, knock yourself out!

Cheers, Chris
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Search Under Folders - EVERYTHING TIP 008

Post by ChrisGreaves »

The problem posed was "I am trying to search all files with the extension of txt(readme.txt for example) under the folder names which include blue."

The solution was:-

Code: Select all

*blue*\**.txt
UnderFolder.png
I used as a search string:-

Code: Select all

*clea*\*s*.txt 
which found for me all TXT files which had the letter "s" in their names AND had a parent folder containing the sting "clea".

Cheers, Chris
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Excluding folders - EVERYTHING TIP 009

Post by ChrisGreaves »

NOTE: Since making this post I have posted what I believe is a strong argument against Excluding Folders from Everything's search. 2022/12/22

"How can I make the search to search all subfolders of a disk for files but not in folders that have a specific name?"
The answer was simple "The ! is a NOT operator, so NOT within \sonny or NOT within \DELTACAD\sonny."

I used the following search string to find all DOCuments that suggested training in \Greaves that were NOT in \Greaves\Training\

Code: Select all

*.doc train \greaves !\training
That is a search for training-related documents that might have escaped from the proper folder.
Untitled.png
You can read more in the original topic.

Cheers, Chris
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Last edited by ChrisGreaves on 22 Dec 2022, 11:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Search by FOUR dates - EVERYTHING TIP 010

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Elsewhere there is discussion about dates like "access" - is a file accessed every time it is inspected for the nightly backup routine? - so I am still a tad suspicious of Dates in DOS and Windows.
That said, consider searching with a date parameter added to your search string, date accessed, date created, date modified, date run.
Datesref.png
DatesACMR.png
In the image above I see seventeen files that I have "run" this month, presumably by executing them from within File Explorer. Or possibly by executing them from within Everything.exe.
I found this hint in this post, and accessed the reference (Edit Find "date" or "modified")
Cheers, Chris
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Re: Multiple file patterns - EVERYTHING TIP 001

Post by BobH »

When I run Everything I find hundreds, if not thousands of folders and many, many small files.

My old days as a systems programmer makes me want to clean up the clutter and make more disk space available (from back in the day when disk space was very limited and expensive).

Should I just leave them alone? Yes, very little space is wasted; but aren't catalogs unnecessarily large slowing down reads and writes?

:cheers: :chocciebar: :thankyou:
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Re: Multiple file patterns - EVERYTHING TIP 001

Post by ChrisGreaves »

BobH wrote:
09 Oct 2022, 17:59
When I run Everything I find hundreds, if not thousands of folders and many, many small files.
Hi Bob.
I believe that the name Everything.exe is appropriate?
My old days as a systems programmer makes me want to clean up the clutter and make more disk space available (from back in the day when disk space was very limited and expensive). Should I just leave them alone? Yes, very little space is wasted; but aren't catalogs unnecessarily large slowing down reads and writes?
:yep: Absolutely! I remember the day when I learned how to fit 81 columns of Hollerith data on a punched card, and the day Quentin and I squeezed the 1401 bootstrap loader down to one card, from two cards.
I'm with you there, buddy!

Today I should leave the clutter alone. Today, when I find myself corralling all those ~*.* and Backup Of and *.bak and *.tmp files, I take that as a sign that I am tired and should go to bed, or fatigued - and should go outside and play. I don't see catalogues as being large unless they impact my life:-
(1) I am not running out of disk space
(2) While the nightly backup is running, I am in the kitchen re-heating leftovers for supper
(3) While the weekly backup is running, I am in the laundry loading the washing machine with garments which really DO need a good cleanup!

Everything.exe is a miracle of software engineering with its amazing speed, not to mention is facilities. (A quick-reference ("cheat-sheet") for searching can be found at https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/searching/)
Cheers, Chris
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Too many objects returned - EVERYTHING TIP 011

Post by ChrisGreaves »

A recent post in Eileen's Lounge said "When I run Everything I find hundreds, if not thousands of folders and many, many small files.". I too find many small files.

There are two methods to avoid spurious files turning up in a search. One involves Tools, Options, and one involves specifying one or more folders to be Excluded from searches.
Before.png
Here is Everything.exe showing 483,980 objects on my system. In Tools, Options, Exclude the checkboxes for "Exclude hidden files and folders", Exclude system files and folders" and "Enable exclude list" are all toggled OFF.
After.png
Above is what I see with "Exclude hidden files and folders" and "Exclude system files and folders" toggled ON. Everything.exe shows 341, 722 objects, a reduction of almost 30% in the number of objects returned.
AfterExclude.png
Above I have inserted a single folder declaration in the Exclude List ("C:\Users\") and the number of objects found drops to 341,649, not much of a drop at all.
Chances are high that toggling the first two switches OFF will reduce the number of found files by eliminating results of insignificant value.

Cheers, Chris
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