How does folder search work?

[Kylotan]

The Search Syntax in the help suggests that folder:<folder name> will show me every folder that matches the name provided - but it shows me nothing, no matter what I seem to type.

But if I remove the folder: prefix, it will then show me folders of the name provided! (Along with all the similarly-named files, making it less useful.)

How can I get a search to work and filter to just matching folders?

This is on Windows 11, NTFS drives. I've seen this behaviour on 2 separate machines.

[void]

Please make sure regex is not enabled under the Search menu.

Does the issue persist?



Have you created a folder macro?
Please check if

::folder:<folder name>

works.
If it does, please check for any folder macros under Search -> Organize Filters and Bookmarks -> Organize bookmarks.

[Kylotan]

Hello, and sorry for taking so long to reply.

It does appear that disabling regex allows the search for a folder to work, thanks.

Does this mean that regex cannot be used with any of the options in Help > Search Syntax?

Or is it a specific problem with the folder: option?

[void]

Regular Expressions will override the Everything search syntax.



Please leave regex disabled under the Search menu, when you want to perform a regex search, prefix your search pattern with

regex:

For example:

regex:^foo\d\d\d\d

regex:

is an Everything search modifier and allows you to use regex with the Everything search syntax.



If you have Everything 1.5, there is a pure_regex advanced setting under Tools -> Options -> Advanced.
When disabled and Search -> Regex is enabled, the regex search modifier is applied to all search terms by default.
This allows you to use the Everything search syntax with regex without having to specific regex:.
Just be aware that you have to escape spaces with quotes.

[therube]

If you have Everything 1.5, there is a pure_regex advanced setting under Tools -> Options -> Advanced.
When disabled and Search -> Regex is enabled, the regex search modifier is applied to all search terms by default.
This allows you to use the Everything search syntax with regex without having to specific regex:.
Just be aware that you have to escape spaces with quotes.

Again, pure_regex=1, is default (it sure looks like).
And

456.*9 huh

finds nothing where

regex:456.*9 huh

- with Search | Regular Expression NOT enabled, finds:
4565-huh-what-4603B9F6177D45D0CD6B1ZZZ60153xxxC11FFxxxD863ZZZ-271223

Oh, wait...

OK, so you need to set, pure_regex=0 (disabled), AND set Search | Regular Expression, & with that you can use

456.*9 huh

alone, to find:
4565-huh-what-4603B9F6177D45D0CD6B1ZZZ60153xxxC11FFxxxD863ZZZ-271223

Oh, wait...

No.
Color me confused. I think something is wrong here?

If I'm not misunderstanding too much, I don't think the

pure_regex=

setting is making any difference?

[void]

pure_regex enabled (default):
spaces are treated literally. (not treated as AND operator)

pure_regex disabled:
spaces are treated as the AND operator.
Use double quotes (") to escape spaces.

With pure_regex disabled and Search -> Regular expressions enabled:

456.*9 huh

=>

regex:456.*9

AND

regex:huh