Why Does Search Fail?

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CityguyUSA
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:10 am

Why Does Search Fail?

Post by CityguyUSA »

So my initial search was

Code: Select all

 \mempad\
which worked fine.
image.png
image.png (74.44 KiB) Viewed 7428 times
Then I added

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*.lst
which should have yielded a smaller list of like 4 files but instead I got nothing returned so I lossened the search to

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*.*
which should have returned the same results as the first search but again I got no results.
image.png
image.png (16.66 KiB) Viewed 7428 times
Any ideas?

Version 1.4.1.1024
Last edited by CityguyUSA on Thu Jun 19, 2025 11:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
void
Developer
Posts: 19839
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Why Does Search Fail?

Post by void »

Everything matches the whole path and filename when using wildcards by default.

Please try searching for:

*\mempad\*.*


-or-

To disable matching the whole path and filename when using wildcards:
  • In Everything 1.5, from the Tools menu, click Options.
  • Click the Search tab on the left.
  • Uncheck Match whole filename when using wildcards.
  • Click OK.
With "Match whole filename when using wildcards" disabled your searches will work as expected.



Everything 1.5 will be a little smarter and your searches will work as expected, even with matching the whole path and filename when using wildcards is enabled.
therube
Posts: 5711
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 6:48 pm

Re: Why Does Search Fail?

Post by therube »

Thank you.
I guess I should have known, realized, heh.


I had these thoughts lingering (but no more)...

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Wildcard matching:
	*	Matches zero or more characters (except \).
	**	Matches zero or more characters.
	?	Matches one character (except \).
	The whole filename is matched when using a wildcard.
- why is wfn: enbabled by default?

is there a setting to toggle that?

(should also be noted in es /? ?)

> Tools | Options -> Search ---> Match whole filename when using wildcards (uncheck) !!!
void
Developer
Posts: 19839
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Why Does Search Fail?

Post by void »

- why is wfn: enbabled by default?
Everything uses globbing which match the whole filename.

Everything shouldn't match
notes.about.mp3.txt
with
*.mp3

When specifying *.extension only the extension should match.

It's the same glob functionality as DOS and Windows Explorer.

The important start-with and end-with functionality is lost when the wildcard match can occur anywhere in the filename.


is there a setting to toggle that?
Tools -> Options -> Search -> Match whole filename when using wildcards


should also be noted in es /? ?
ES will use your Everything "Match whole filename when using wildcards" setting.

Use nowfn: or wfn: to override.

-or-

To search anywhere in the filename, please make sure your search starts and ends with *
For example:

*.mp3
=>
*.mp3*

foo*
=>
*foo*
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