Find files fast using locate

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gbo
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Find files fast using locate

Post by *gbo »

There is one tool that I use very often on Linux and that I find handy which is a command line called locate (locate allows to search the system using an indexed database of files updated by a daily cron job) and I was wondering if someone knows something "similar" which could have a good integration with TC (plugin? or external tool).

Now I use Google Desktop Search but I would like something less cumbersome and I am also a bit concerned about privacy...

Thanks
Gil
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Post by *icfu »

GNU stuff is available on Windows, too:
http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/

"locate" is in package http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/findutils.htm.

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Post by *gbo »

Thanks Icfu but the problem with this package findutils is that you also need to install a Unix shell to use it (eg Cygwin -> bash) this is due to updatedb which is a shell script.

So I searched for an alternative on google and I found this nice tool that do nearly what I wanted Wilbur (Wilbur is a Windows utility which indexes the files on your disk and can then quickly find files based on a variety of criteria including content.)

The next step will be to try to redirect the output of this tool to TC ideally in the search result panel of the search command [alt + F7] or eventualy in the current dir panel but I have no idea if this is possible, if someone has any clues how to do that I will be interested.

PS The output of Wilbur can be copy to clipboard cf example below (2 files) :

hes_review_cern_indico.doc 1 doc c:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Indico\ jeu. janv. 20, 2005 94208 a W2000
indico_validation_report.doc 1 doc c:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Indico\ jeu. janv. 20, 2005 68608 a W2000
Gil
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Post by *icfu »

You don't need Cygwin, all those commandline tools are Windows PORTS that only depend on some dlls which are installed automatically with the setuparchive. If you prefer manual installation they can be download separately, too.

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Post by *gbo »

2Icfu
icfu wrote:You don't need Cygwin, all those commandline tools are Windows PORTS that only depend on some dlls which are installed automatically with the setuparchive. If you prefer manual installation they can be download separately, too.

Icfu
If you are interested here is the reason why you need cygwin but I guess it is only specific to this package http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?thread_id=1271298&forum_id=74807

But anyway I prefer the wilbur solution, do you know if what I suggest is possible?
gbo wrote:The next step will be to try to redirect the output of this tool to TC ideally in the search result panel of the search command [alt + F7] or eventualy in the current dir panel but I have no idea if this is possible, if someone has any clues how to do that I will be interested.

PS The output of Wilbur can be copy to clipboard cf example below (2 files) :

hes_review_cern_indico.doc 1 doc c:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Indico\ jeu. janv. 20, 2005 94208 a W2000
indico_validation_report.doc 1 doc c:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Indico\ jeu. janv. 20, 2005 68608 a W2000


Have a nice week-end
Gil
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Post by *icfu »

The file panel is not accessible from the outside, you can't load other stuff in there.
If this was possible there would not have been so many threads about temporary panels. ;)

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Post by *gbo »

OK thanks, I looked at temporary panel on the forum and I understood correctly this feature (virtual folder/temporary panel) is not implemented yet, so which plugin(s) will you advice ?
Gil
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Post by *icfu »

You mean for virtual folders?

The best is http://www.totalcmd.net/plugring/FileRedirector.html I'd say.
But, on the contrary it misses parsing features for dirlist, .m3u files, etc... like http://www.totalcmd.net/plugring/temporarypanel.html has.

There is another one, TempDrive, see this thread for some comparison:
http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?t=1822

File Redirector wasn't available at that time.

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Re: Find files fast using locate

Post by *Horst.Epp »

gbo wrote:There is one tool that I use very often on Linux and that I find handy which is a command line called locate (locate allows to search the system using an indexed database of files updated by a daily cron job) and I was wondering if someone knows something "similar" which could have a good integration with TC (plugin? or external tool).

Now I use Google Desktop Search but I would like something less cumbersome and I am also a bit concerned about privacy...

Thanks
There is a nice free Windows implementation of Locate
http://www.uku.fi/~jmhuttun/english/softwares.shtml
It does not need any Unix DLLs or anything special.

You can even tell the program to open TotalCommander for folders !
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Re: Find files fast using locate

Post by *gbo »

Horst.Epp wrote: There is a nice free Windows implementation of Locate
http://www.uku.fi/~jmhuttun/english/softwares.shtml
It does not need any Unix DLLs or anything special.
Yes, great tool! Thanks.
Horst.Epp wrote: You can even tell the program to open TotalCommander for folders !
How can you do that ? (I use ver 3.0 beta 5.1230)
Gil
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Horst.Epp
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Re: Find files fast using locate

Post by *Horst.Epp »

gbo wrote:
Horst.Epp wrote: There is a nice free Windows implementation of Locate
http://www.uku.fi/~jmhuttun/english/softwares.shtml
It does not need any Unix DLLs or anything special.
Yes, great tool! Thanks.
Horst.Epp wrote: You can even tell the program to open TotalCommander for folders !
How can you do that ? (I use ver 3.0 beta 5.1230)
Options, Settings, Advanced, Use other program to open folders
c:\your_path\totalcmd.exe /o %d
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Re: Find files fast using locate

Post by *gbo »

Horst.Epp wrote: Options, Settings, Advanced, Use other program to open folders
c:\your_path\totalcmd.exe /o %d
Thanks, it works (right click on the file's name and choose Open containing folder -> it will activate already running Total Commander and set the left path to %d)

I noticed that it works only for short paths (>30 char) but when I do that with long path it doesn't work (it only select the drive at root), do you have the same behaviour on your machine?

Do you know if it is possible to assign a shortcut to the command Open containing folder?
Gil
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Re: Find files fast using locate

Post by *gbo »

gbo wrote: I noticed that it works only for short paths (<30 char) but when I do that with long path it doesn't work (it only select the drive at root), do you have the same behaviour on your machine?
I found how to solve this problem, infact it was not due to long paths but to paths with blank space in them (ex: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Letters to Mr. Smith).

The solution was simply to add double quotes around %d
c:\your_path\totalcmd.exe /o "%d"

HTH
Gil
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Re: Find files fast using locate

Post by *Horst.Epp »

gbo wrote:
Horst.Epp wrote: ...
Do you know if it is possible to assign a shortcut to the command Open containing folder?
There are many options but unfortunately, no shortcuts.
But at least the "Open Containing Folder" is on the top of the context menu.
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Post by *van Dusen »

I gave Janne Huttunen's Locate a try and I like it too: nice tool!

But I wonder, what the advantages of Locate compared to DiskDirExtended packer plugin are:
  • Database update for local drives is fast with Loacate, but it isn't for network resources.
    Creation of a fresh DiskDirExtended archive ist fast for local drives, but takes a long time for network drives too.
  • DiskDirExtended handles files in archives, while Locate doesn't.
  • DiskDirExtended is due to its "nature" better integrated in TC, while Locate is an external tool.
Please don't flame due to my stupid question, I really like to know, why Locate could be preferable (so don't answer "simple solution: don't use Locate", please ;) )

Thanks in advance for any explanation!
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