ACDataSeeker

Text and File Finder Version 0.41

an Alessandro Cantatore production :-)

Content

• License agreement
  
• Introduction
• What is new
  
• Installation
• Features and settings
• Main window
• Menu File  
• Menu Selected 
• Menu View 
• Menu Options 
• Menu Help
  
• Mouse features
  
• Startup parameters
  
• Planned features
• Registration

License agreement

• You are allowed to use this program for testing and evaluation until a next version is available.
• The program, in its current version, may be installed on as many machines as you like.
•  You are free to distribute the program provided that you include all the files in the original archive without any modification.
•  You are not allowed to sell the program, but can charge a reasonable amount to cover the cost of the distribution media. 
• Under no circumstances will the author be liable for any loss or damage that may be derived from the use of the program.
• ACDataSeeker is the copyrighted property of Alessandro Felice Cantatore, Bitonto, Bari, Italy.
  
  

Introduction

The program is currently quite basic as it is still lacks some essential PMSEEK features like the ability to drag files to an Enhanced editor window or to edit the selected file. On the other hand it already has some little extra option and a more attractive (I hope) interface.

Even if the program is far from complete, I decided to make it available in its current stage, as I want to start to get some feedback so I can easily modify it, while working on implementing the still missing features.

What's new

Installation

To uninstall the program just delete DATASEEK.EXE, DATASEEK.INI and DATASEEK.HTM.

Features and settings

• Multithreading
  All disk operations (scanning the disk, reading files, etc.) are performed via a separate thread.
• No drive scan on startup
  Unlikely PMSEEK.EXE you will not see any  "Drive not ready" message when starting multiple instances of ACDataSeeker.
  
• Multiple file names
  You can specify multiple file names in the Files to search for:  field using the an OR symbol (a vertical bar ' | ') to separate the file masks.
  For instance:
  

  D:\*.TXT|D:\*.HTM*|E:\*.TXT|E:\*.HTM*
  

  will find all the files in the drives D: and E: with the extensions TXT, HTM or HTML (and other extension starting with HTM).
  
• Multiple text strings
  You can specify multiple text strings separating them with the OR symbol ( | ) or with the AND symbol ( & ). You can also use the escape character ' ^ ' to make the program interpret  |, & and ^ as real characters rather than symbol.
  For instance if you specify int the Text to search for (if any): field :
  

  PFNWP|MIA_CHECKED|MIS_SINGLE

  The program will find all files which contain at least one occurrence of PFNWP or MIA_CHECKED or MIS_SINGLE.
  If you instead specify:
  

  PFNWP&MIA_CHECKED&MIS_SINGLE

  The program will find all files which contain at least one occurrence of all the specified words.
  You cannot use mixed or complex boolean logic: the text  strings to be searched must either be separated by OR symbols or by AND symbols.
  So in the following search string:
  

  PFNWP|MIA_CHECKED&MIS_SINGLE

  only the first  OR  character is interpreted as a boolean symbol and the program will look for the strings "PFNWP" or "MIA_CHECKED|MIS_SINGLE".
• File and text to search history
  The data of the searched files and text strings are saved in drop down boxes, so in case you have to make a new search of some text in a different path or of new text in a path you had already researched, you just have to select the data from the drop down lists.
  
• Result history
  A drop down box showing both the details of the searched files and text allows you to recall the result of a previous file search.
  
• Separate file and text lists
  There is a separate list for displaying the file with met the search criteria. Once a file is selected the text list is filled with all the occurrences of the found text.
  Two arrow buttons allow to resize the two lists according to your needs.
  
• Optionally display file date, time and size
  You can choose from the menu what level of details you need.
• Optionally sort the found files list
  You can display them unsorted, sorted ascending or descending. Sorting depends on the full file data, so if the file date are displayed the files are sorted according to the current date, if only the file size is displayed the file are sorted according to their size, if no additional details is displayed the file are sorted by name.
• Optionally display line numbers and hide leading spaces
  You can display line numbers in the list of found text. You can also optionally strip the leadings spaces (but you have to repeat the research to do that).
• Resizeable and customizable interface
  You can use the font palette to change the font used by the main window: drag a font from the palette and drop it on the window border. The window size and layout will change to adapt to the new font size.
  You can also use the font palette to change the font used by the entry fields and result lists.
  In order to get aligned entries in the result windows you should select a monospaced font (Courier, System VIO, etc.) and drop it on any entry field or list window, the other entry field/list windows will automatically adopt the new font.
  You can also resize and move the window where you like. The layout of the inner controls will adapt to the new window size.
  You can also drop a color on the Search , Stop  or Help buttons.
  The window size and position, the fonts and the button colors are saved in the DATASEEK.INI file and restored the next time you start the program.
• Subdirectory search
  Like with PMSEEK.EXE you can recursively search throught subdirectories.
• Exclude binary files
  You can optionally exclude files containing NUL characters (i.e. characters with ASCII value 0).
• Case option
  Like with PMSEEK.EXE you can perform case sensitive or case insensitive searches.
• Boolean operators
  See the previous notes about  multiple file names and multiple text strings.
• Settings dialog
  A settings dialog is provided in order to set the default view and search options, the size of the result history and the names of the default editor and command shell (these features will soon be implemented).

Main window

This first version of the program is based on a single resizeable window. A future version (2 ?) might be based on multiple windows in order to provide more and promptly available search options.

• Files to search for:
  You enter the specifications of the searched files here. Wildcard characters as ' * ' and ' ? ' are allowed as usual.
  You can specify multiple file names. See the notes above for more details.
  Once you click on the Search button the entered data are saved in the embedded list and can be recalled any time later by selecting them.
  To delete an entry from the list, select it and press Ctrl + D. To delete the whole list, give it the focus and then press Ctrl + Shift + D.
• Text to search for (if any):
  , BOOL bRemove, BOOL bRemoveYou optionally enter the text to be searched in the files(s) you specified. Currently no wildcard characters are allowed for searched text, although I might add GREP and E-GREP search capabilities in near future.
  You can use boolean operators to search for multiple text sentences. See the notes above for more details.
  Once you click on the Search button the entered data are saved in the embedded list and can be recalled any time later by selecting them there.
  To delete an entry from the list, select it and press Ctrl + D. To delete the whole list, give it the focus , BOOL bRemoveand then press Ctrl + Shift + D.
• Search results history:
  Once a search operation completes succesfully, the search criteria are added to this drop down list in the following format:
  

  [XXXX]  FILE_SPECIFICATIONS < TEXT_SPECIFICATIONS >

  where XXXX is the search attribute mask, i.e. the mask of the options used to perform the search operation:
  

  R

  Recursive search.

  T

  Text files (i.e. the Exclude binary files  option).

  I

  Case insensitive.

  B

  Boolean operators.

  When an option is not set it is displayed with a dash ' - ' (e.g. [R-I-] means that the recursive and case insensitive options were set).
  The list of found files and text is also internally stored by the program so you can select any time a previous search criteria to get back the results.
  To delete an entry from the list, select it and press Ctrl + D. To delete the whole list, give it the focus and then press Ctrl + Shift + D.
  The default limit for this list is 10 entries. You can increase this limit up to 100 via the Settings dialog.
• Files found:
  The files satisfying the search criteria are listed here.
  Use the View menu items to display more or less details or to sort the list items.
• Down/Up arrows:
  These buttons change the height of the Files found  listbox. For instance, if you are more interested in the list of the text lines matching the search criteria, you can reduce the Files found  list  height to the height of one text line, or you can just hide the Text found  list if you are only looking for files.
• Text found:
  The lines of text contained in the currently selected file and matching the search criteria are listed here.
  You can optionally display the line number and remove the leading spaces.
• Search
  Press this button to start the search operation.
  This button is disabled if the Files to search for  field is empty.
  
• Stop
  This button is enabled only if the program is executing a file search.
  You must use it to interrupt a search operation.
• Help
  Not yet working.

Menu File

• Open
  This will allow to load previously saved search criteria (i.e. what was in the Files to search  and Text to search   lists) or previously saved search results.
• Save
  This will allow to save the current content of the Files to search  and Text to search  lists, the currently displayed search result or all the full list of search results.
  Search results will optionally be save as readable text files or as re-loadable binary files.
  You can use Ctrl + S as keyboard shortcut for this command.
  
• Exit
  Just terminate the program. You can use F3 as keyboard shortcut for this command.

Menu Selected

• Edit
  Will start EPM.EXE or any other editor according to the user preferences.
  You can use Ctrl + E as keyboard shortcut for this command.
  
• Open
  Will open the selected file according to the current WPS association.
  You can use Ctrl + O as keyboard shortcut for this command.
• Settings
  Will open the settings notebook of the currently selected file.
  You can use Ctrl + P as keyboard shortcut for this command.
• Copy to clipboard
  Will copy the full name of the currently selected file to the clipboard.
  You can use Ctrl + C as keyboard shortcut for this command.
• Copy All to Clipboard
  Will copy the whole list of found files to the clipboard.
  You can use Ctrl + Shift + C as keyboard shortcut for this command.
• Folder
  Will open the folder containing the selected file.
  You can use Ctrl + F as keyboard shortcut for this command.
• Command line
  Will start the command shell selected by the user in the Settings dialog setting the path of the currently selected file as the working directory.
  You can use Ctrl + L as keyboard shortcut for this command.
• As parameter ...
  Will allow to execute a command againgst the currently selected file.
  You can use Ctrl + M as keyboard shortcut for this command.
  
  

Menu View

• Show file date
  The list of the found files includes the file last write date before the file name.
  
• Show fle time
  The list of the found files includes the file last write time before the file name.
  
• Show file size
  The list of the found files includes the file size before the file name.
  
• Show line numbers
  The list of the found lines of text includes the line number.
  
• Strip spaces
  Leading spaces are stripped from the found lines of text.
  In this case, to change the display of already found lines of text you have to repeat the search operation.
  
• Do not sort
  List the names of the files in the order they are found.
  
• Sort ascending
  Sort the file names according to the first detail displayed (file date, time, size or name).
  
• Sort descending
  Reverse sort the file names according to the first detail displayed (file date, time, size or name).

Menu Options

• Recursive search
  Search the specified file names recursively in the subdirectories of the starting paths.
  
• Exclude binary files
  Skip text search in files which contain NUL character i.e. characters with ASCII  value of 0.
  
• Case insensitive
  Do a case insensitive search. If this item is unchecked the search is case sensitive, that is "CaSe" will not match "case".
  
• Boolean operators
  Allow to find multiple text sentences with an OR or an AND logic.
  See the previous notes for more details.
  
• Settings ...
  Display the settings dialog.

Menu Help

Mouse features

• Double click on an item in the Files found  list
  The file is loaded file via the selected editor.
  If the selected editor is EPM.EXE and the Shift key is pressed, the program will load the file in the already running EPM.EXE window (if present), otherwise a new window will be opened.
  
• Double click on an item in the Text found  list
  The file is loaded the file via the selected editor.
  If the selected editor is EPM.EXE the cursor is moved to the currently selected line.
  If the selected editor is EPM.EXE and the Shift key is pressed, the program will load the file in the already running EPM.EXE window (if present), otherwise a new window will be opened.
• Drag of the selected item from the Files found  list to an EPM.EXE window
  The file is loaded in the EPM.EXE window or is brought to the top if already present in the EPM.EXE files ring.
  
• Drag of the selected item from the Text found  list to an EPM.EXE window
  The file is loaded in the EPM.EXE window or is brought to the top if already present in the EPM.EXE files ring. The cursor is moved to the selected line.
  
• Drag of the selected item from the Files found  list or the Text found  list to another WPS window
  The file is treated as a WPS object: it can be copied, moved, deleted (if dragged to the shredder).
  
• Drop a file (no additional key) on the Files to search for  entry
  The name of the file (including drive and path) is inserted into the entry field replacing the previous content.
  
• Drop a file (+ Ctrl key) on the Files to search for  entry
  The name of the file (including drive and path) is appended to the previous content of the entry field using ' | ' as separator.
  
• Drop a file (+ Shift key) on the Files to search for  entry
  The file extension (including drive and path - D:\PATH\*.EXT) is inserted in the entry field replacing the previous content.
  If the Ctrl key is also pressed (drop + Ctrl + Shift) the file extension is appended to the previous content of the entry field using ' | ' as separator.
  
• Drop a file (+ Alt key) on the Files to search for  entry
  The name of the file, including the drive letter and excluding the path, is inserted in the entry field replacing the previous content.
  If the Shift key is also pressed the extension of the file, including the drive letter and the excluding the path is used.
  If the Ctrl key is also pressed the data of the current file are appended to the previous entry field content.
  
• Drop a file (no additional key) on the Text to search for  entry
  The file content (the first line of text ) is inserted in the entry field replacing the previous content.
  
• Drop a file (+ Ctrl key) on the Text to search for  entry
  The file content (the first line of text ) is appended to the entry field content using ' & ' as separator and the Boolean operators  option is automatically activated.
• Drop a file (+ Shift key) on the Text to search for  entry
  The file content (the first line of text ) is appended to the entry field content using ' | ' as separator and the Boolean operators  option is automatically activated.
  
• Drop a file (+ Ctrl + Shift key) on the Text to search for  entry
  The file content (the first line of text ) is appended to the entry field content without any separator.
  
• Drop a file (+ Alt key) on the Text to search for  entry
  The full file name is inserted in the entry field.
  

Startup parameters

DATASEEK -L:<filename>

DATASEEK -P:<filename>

DATASEEK <file to search for> [text to search for]

will start the program, auto-filling the Files to search for  and Text to search for  fields.

Planned features

Registration