Suggestion: Any chance to search in background?

[sidefx88]

I've -surely as most TC users- found the brand new 'calculate size of folders' running in background really fast and positive!

Is there any chance to do the same with the Search (Alt+F7) function?

I mean, launching it in a different thread/window ("alt+tabeable"), while one thread search for files, the main thread remains totally active and operative.

Thanks

[ghisler(Author)]

Unfortunately not, because the search uses several functions (packers, plugins) which are not thread-safe. I have added the possibility to write thread-safe plugins to TC 7.55, but 99% are NOT.

[sidefx88]

I understand.

Thanks, Christian!

[sidefx88]

I guess that the most of the searches only involve files or text inside files (not plugins).

What if the conventional search is done in background and search including plugins remain in the same thread?

[Flint]

Or, better, allow background search for files and thread-safe plugins, and foreground for anything else.

[Thorz]

+1
Full support for what Flint says here!

[Gingo]

What I do when doing long-running searches is simply to start a second instance of TC. Works fine for me.

[pisoir]

I know that opening a second instance of TC works, but it is just annoying. I see no real reason why the proposition by Flint couldn't be done. I've been using Total commander many many years. I have bought the program because I thought it's worth it. But throughout these years I've been waiting for the "background search" feature, and in every new version I was hoping that it would be there finally, but still nothing:(
So, I can say nothing more than please add it...maybe in version 7.6? huh?

[nova]

Hi all,
I'm not sure to understand. When I search for a single file on disk (wich is 99% of my use) , I type only the filename in the search field and then start the search (no others options) . Did this kind of search use plugins and packers ?
Thx

Nova.

[MVV]

nova, search doesn't use any plugins until you check option 'Search archives (all except for UC2)' and/or 'Search in plugins' (on 'Plugins' tab) .

[Lefteous]

2MVV
I think you are the one who is missing the point here. if it's true that almost searches don't require plugins of any kind then search in background is also possible almost always. So why not cover the typical case?

The problem that must be solved here is how to display the search window not modally if you don't know if search in background is possible.
As this is a UI problem I have some nice ideas in petto...

[MVV]

Lefteous, you're right, I understood nova's post incorrectly. I will correct my previous post.

BTW I think it is not a problem to add a button for background searching (or to make search dialog non-modal so it will be always background like BTM window).

[Hacker]

BTW, now that we have Sync in background, why can't we start Search as another process?

Roman

[Lefteous]

2Hacker

BTW, now that we have Sync in background, why can't we start Search as another process?

This could be done but introduces new problems. The problem is that search results must be displayed inside the TC main window. So the new instance would not only perform the search but also display the results in a new main window. This would lead to an additional instance per search.
An alternative is inter process communication but this has many problems like communicating with already closed instances.

Anyway - isn't this all last century technology? On a Mac I can find as I type, on Windows there is at least the try to do the same. Here we are talking about modal windows...

[Venkman]

2Hacker
Anyway - isn't this all last century technology? On a Mac I can find as I type, on Windows there is at least the try to do the same. Here we are talking about modal windows...

Far from it: I am on a corporate network and my Windows does not index the shared drives we need to access. As my searches take place over a network and are thus slower, I also would like for search to be running in the background.

I am all for the suggestion here; 95% of my searches are search for - or within - text files (code).

-V