Faster search

Idea description

The current search in TC is quite powerful. There is no doubt - everything can be found using the search in TC. The basic search functions are already powerful and with content plug-ins metadata and full text searches can be performed. Unfortunately there is one huge disadvantage. TC always performs a "live search". That means the complete directory structure below the search start directory is searched for matching files.

The following suggestion is the result of discussions in the public forum.

The idea is to have a functionality as seen in Locate32 well integrated in TC. Locate creates a database which contains all file names. The user can choose to index more data like file sizes and file dates. If the user choose not to index this data all files which match the name string are selected first and the rest is retrieved dynamically. This is exactly how such a "fast search" in TC should work. The user should be able to select which data is actually indexed and which is not. The more data is indexed the faster the search result will be presented, but it requires more disk space for the index. In other words the user sets the tradeoff between disk space and time. The following list displays the levels of information which should be configurable. Each option can be either enabled or disabled.

• 1st level: File names only.
• 2nd level: Basic file attributes (date, size, attributes, ...).
• 3rd level: Simple content plug-in fields. The user should be able to manage which fields are indexed and which not.
• 4th level: Full text search. Index whole file contents. The user may choose which files are handled by TC internally, which are handled by content plug-ins and which are not handled.

Another important strength of TC that archives can be searched. This should of course be supported also be by the fast search. It's also important that file system plug-in paths can be searched.

Locates' database is updated manually or can be updated at a specific point of time. This should also be applied to TCs' fast search.

Implementation in Total Commander

Added in Total Commander 9.00 beta 1 by implementation of the integration with Everything tool:

06.02.15 Added: Use "Everything" also on indexed network shares, auto-detect which drives/shares are indexed (32/64)

04.02.15 Added: Use "Everything" search functions (if installed) to make search on NTFS drives faster (32/64)

External Links

• Locate32
• Avafind

Forum discussions

• Search queries in TC using 'Everything' — a tutorial by user tuska on ghisler.ch forum on usage of Everything tool from Total Commander

Older forum topics with request about faster search (in German)

[Req.] Desktopsuche

CD-Verzeichnisbaum

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