search in specific folder

[use]

Hi, I'm new to x1 and have 2 questions:

1. I wish for X1 to search in a specific folder in my laptop (differenrt folder on each search, not the entire drive).
i have indexed this folder only (containes severalsub folders with thousands of coduments divides between them, from which in need several per search).
I can't find the way to direct X1 to search only that forder (or any specific folder/sub folder).
How is that done? (like for example the way the standard Windows explorer allows you to dive from the main folder until the last of sub folders)

2. I've searched for a word. when the search was complete the results (several pdf documents), were shown and the first file was presented in preview with the search words colored.
Is there an option to go to the document previewed and be able to search in it for the word i need without activating the (adobe in this case) built is search or having the built in search activated automaticly with the needed word already in it?
can that be done in the preview window?


thanks.

[Kenward]

You should investigate the various "columns" available to you in X1.

The columns you see with depend on the search that you use to start with. Your reference to PDF files suggests that you may start with the "Documents" search.

If you "right click" the "columns" area at the top, you can add things like "path". You can then enter search terms into that to home in on a particular folder.

On the second question, when you have a file in the preview window, hit the "+" key and the view will move to the next occurrence of the search term.

This is all from memory. I have just fired up X1 but it is just sitting there doing nothing. (I normally use X1 Pro.) So I can't experiment at my end.

[hxl7]

A similar question, please:
For years I have not been able to figure out how to search a given drive.
I have Drives C: D: E: F: G: H: I: on my computer.

PLEASE: How do I search for a file on just one drive ?

Thank you very much.
Bill

[Chris Wheaton]

Bill - The approach for searching a single drive will depend on what types of disks these are and how X1 recognizes them in the index.

For instance, C: is certainly a local hard drive internal to the computer. D: may be a second internal hard drive (or a CD/DVD drive which means it is not indexed by X1). E:, F:, G: etc may be External or removable disks. These disks may not be in the X1 index by drive letter. Rather, because they can be plugged in and unplugged and another device plugged into the same slot X1 will assign to each of these a unique identifier.

Lets assume the following:

C: - Internal disk
D: - Internal disk
E: - X1identifier1
F: - X1identifier2

You set X1 up to perform a file search. The file search has files from all 4 disks. You want to focus the search on F:

In the Path column simply enter X1identifier2 (where the identifier is the actual identifier number for that disk).

By doing that you immediately focus the search on the one removable disk.

If this were my system and I had a regular need of a targeted search like that I would then save this search and call it File Search F: (or something like that). By saving the search you can use it again and again; any time you want to search F:. For more on Saving searches see this KB: http://help.x1.com/entries/21074471-save-a-search.

I hope this helps get your better search results.

[mrwul]

A similar question, please:
For years I have not been able to figure out how to search a given drive.
I have Drives C: D: E: F: G: H: I: on my computer.

PLEASE: How do I search for a file on just one drive ?

Thank you very much.
Bill

Eh ...
what about just enter (e.g.) F: in the path box ?
and enter whatever text in the Name box or Search box ?

Or do I misunderstand the question?
Could be

=

[Kenward]

what about just enter (e.g.) F: in the path box ?
and enter whatever text in the Name box or Search box ?

That doesn't work.

It will pick up the existence of "F" anywhere in the filename. The ":\" bits are punctuation and get ignored.

And there is no way to tell X1 to look for the F at the start of the string.

I'd start with that and then sort ion the "Path". Probably as the second sort after establishing the one that matters.

That at least would push the unwanted ones out of the way.

[Greg Dawes]

While not perfect, you could search the path column for: F=

Adding the '=' sign will limit the results to the exact string. That would eliminate a lot of filenames which have 'f' as the first letter of any individual string.

[Kenward]

That one works very badly here.

Here are just some of the paths that "D=" yields.

e:\research\journals\iopp\j phys d\2013\
e:\research\journals\iopp\j phys d\2013\
e:\research\journals\iopp\j phys d\2013\
e:\research\subjects\energy\r&d\
e:\research\subjects\policy\r&d\
e:\research\subjects\policy\r&d\r&d funding forecast\
e:\research\subjects\policy\r&d\
e:\research\subjects\policy\r&d\
e:\research\journals\iopp\j phys d\2013\
e:\research\journals\iopp\j phys d\2013\
e:\research\journals\iopp\j phys d\2013\


I was thinking that one way around this would be to devise some sort of "network path" strategy, but that doesn't work.

I don't really use this search myself, but it seems like a sensible thing to add a column for "drive" or "drive label".

[mrwul]

So, anything like F: or F:\
inthe path box does not work ?

Like this?



=

[Chris Wheaton]

Mrwul - notice that in your screen shot - while you entered a search of F:\ - on the letter F is actually highlighted. This, as I'm sure you're aware, is because X1 ignores the : and the / in the search string. Therefore, while your search does produce hits for the F drive; if you have a directory tree on that disk such as F:/Farming/Feathers - all three of these directories would be "hit" with that search.

The one thing this discussion shows is that, unfortunately, it is not particularly easy to search simply for F or D or whatever drive letter.

My advice, if workable for those looking for a solution to this matter is to format your path search so that you're searching within specific directories. For instance, in Kenward's example, if I wanted to limit my results to the E drive I'd try to be a bit more specific by entering Subjects or Policy or Energy in the path field. This limits the search to that directory and its sub-directories. In case my description above is not clear you have this:

- Search box contains primary search string
- Path column has the word Policy (NOTE: You do not need to type the entire drive path to focus your search on a specific directory and its sub-directories).

And again, the above search produces hits for the primary search string limited to the Policy directory and its sub-directories.

[Kenward]

I do, indeed, use the strategy that Chris suggests. I drill down by using folder names rather than drive letters.

With that in mind, I am careful to create logical folder structures on different drives to avoid any unwanted finds.

Then, if I do get any from other drives, I can use the column sort trick. Sort first on the thing that matters, usually date, then the path.

Hang on, the path doesn't actually sort on the path. Hmmm.

[Chris Wheaton]

Kenward - but remember you can use the minus sign (-) to remove unwanted results from the path column. So, if despite your best efforts to search within only a specific folder /Farm/ you came back with /Farmer/ as well you should be able to enter -Farmer to remove that folder.

[ckent]

Bill - The approach for searching a single drive will depend on what types of disks these are and how X1 recognizes them in the index.

For instance, C: is certainly a local hard drive internal to the computer. D: may be a second internal hard drive (or a CD/DVD drive which means it is not indexed by X1). E:, F:, G: etc may be External or removable disks. These disks may not be in the X1 index by drive letter. Rather, because they can be plugged in and unplugged and another device plugged into the same slot X1 will assign to each of these a unique identifier.

Lets assume the following:

C: - Internal disk
D: - Internal disk
E: - X1identifier1
F: - X1identifier2

You set X1 up to perform a file search. The file search has files from all 4 disks. You want to focus the search on F:

In the Path column simply enter X1identifier2 (where the identifier is the actual identifier number for that disk).

By doing that you immediately focus the search on the one removable disk.

Can you comment on how this works for multiple internal hard drives - eg. when I type 'Internal disk' for either my C: or D: drives I get no search results?

I'm using X1 Search 8.0 (latest beta).

[Chris Wheaton]

CKent - You're internal hard drives would be searchable as C: or D: but... by default X1 is only indexing your My Documents area of the disk so you may have to configure for additional disks or folders to be included in the index.

For X1 Search 8 click the Menu button. Select Data Sources. Select the Files data source by clicking the Pencil looking icon. In that screen you can configure additional folders or disk drives to add to the index. Once added of course, the index will have to update before these items are searchable, but the need to specify that you want these disks and folders included in the index should be the first step.

[ckent]

Thanks, Chris. Yes, I have set up indexing for my internal hard drives (3 disks with five partitions) but I would like to know how to limit the search to one or more partitions using your example above.

Neither 'Internal disk" nor 'X1identifierX" works for me.

Please advise.

[Chris Wheaton]

Ckent - so you have in the main search box "tomato". You see matching results from C: D: and F: but you only want to see the results from F:. The best you can do is use the Path column and say =F:.

[Utomo]

+ 1 for Search on specific folder features.

[mrwul]

Hi there,

Doesn't this work?

=



=

[Mcalex]

+ 1 for Search on specific folder features.

Will this feature be added soon. It would be a big timesaver to be able to search specific folders.

[Kenward]

It works already for most of us.

But without an example of what you want to do no one can explain who you might go about it.

[curmudgeon]

What is the syntax if I want to limit the search, or search results only to a lower level directory on a given drive?

For instance:

g:/top_level_directory/lower/one_I_want_results_for/

Thanks in advance!

[Kenward]

Type the path details into the "folder" field until you land where you want to be.

Start with:

one_I_want_results_for

Too many hits because you have the same folder in different places?

Add

g=


Still too many? Keep adding bits until you land on the right answer. Or sort the folder column on name.