Search for files with dot

[Thany]

I could be wrong, but when the Find Files feature sees a dot in the thing you search for, it becomes unrealiable.

When I search for asp.net files (no quotes) starting in C:\Windows, it does find C:\Windows\INF\ASP.NET (which doesn't match), but it doesn't find C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Temporary ASP.NET Files (which does match).

Isn't that strange? I've never had anything like this, so I suspect the dot has a magical effect on searching. But that doesn't make sense to me. Can anyone clear this up?

I'm on TC 9.21a, Windows 10.

[Stefan2]

Search dialog >>> F1 / [Help]

Search for:
Multiple search masks can be entered, separated by spaces (see examples below).
When the search string contains a dot, Total Commander will look for the exact name match.

So I think >asp.net files<
will look for >asp.net< exact name AND for something with >files< in name?


Perhaps try using >*asp.net?files<



 

[Thany]

I'm curious to what it was actually trying to match.

It is neither an AND search, nor an OR search. In either case I would've been able to find "Temporary ASP.NET Files".

Also, "When the search string contains a dot" which it did, then "Total Commander will look for the exact name match" is clearly not true. So then either the help is inaccurate, or there's a bug in the search algorithm.

[Hacker]

Thany,

I'm curious to what it was actually trying to match.

Exact matches for "asp.net" and "files". Space is considered a delimiter between exact filenames.

Roman

[petermad]

Just search for: *asp.net files
Or for: "*asp.net files" if you don't want for example C:\Windows\INF\ASP.NET to be found as well

[Thany]

Why can it then not search for (without the quotes), filenames containing "asp.net", filenames containing "files", and filenames containing "asp.net files"? Where the latter would be closer to the top of the list because it's a more exact match than the others.

Not search *at all* for "asp.net files" (without the quotes) when that's exactly what I type, is just wrong.

And why would I put an asterisk in front? If that works (not tested) it would introduce another bug: it would change the meaning of the space character magically. That would also be wrong.

[petermad]

And why would I put an asterisk in front?

Because the directory you want to find is: "Temporary ASP.NET Files" not "ASP.NET Files" - if there is a dot in the name TC searches for exactly what is written - putting an asterisk in front expands the search to everything that has "ASP.NET Files" in the end of the name.

[Usher]

Maybe it's not clear enough. I think it should be added something like that:
You are free to use free format search for a string before the first dot in a name. Otherwise you are allowed only to use strict search or explicit wildcards.