[TC11.02] Inaccurate file search results

[andry81]

If create these directories with files:

.../aaa/bbb.txt
.../aaa bbb/aaa bbb.txt

And open Fine Files dialog to search for the file `aaa bbb.txt` from a directory with these subdirectories.

The the results would be:

[.../aaa]
.../aaa bbb/aaa bbb.txt
.../aaa/bbb.txt

This looks like is not accurate result.

If use `"aaa bbb.txt"`, then the result is accurate as expected:

.../aaa bbb/aaa bbb.txt

If use the list of files: `aaa bbb.txt;bbb.txt`, then the result is even more strange:

[.../aaa]
.../aaa/bbb.txt

Is that by design?

Why not to put the check box ([x] Exact match) to the Find File dialog, which will automatically (re)quote the strings to guarantee the exact match?

[Dalai]

This is not a bug.

A space in the "Search for" field denotes a separation of different search terms - when it's not in quotes. In your example the input "aaa bbb.txt" (without quotes) searches for anything containing "aaa" as well as "bbb.txt" as an exact match (due to the dot). It's documented in TC help like this (highlight added by me):

Search for:
In this field, you can enter the search mask for the files you want to find. A question mark ? stands for exactly one character, and an asterisk * stands for any number of characters. Multiple search masks can be entered, separated by spaces (see examples below). All masks after the pipe character | will be treated as exclude masks.

Regards
Dalai

[andry81]

2Dalai

This does not explain why the `aaa bbb.txt;bbb.txt` search is missed to find the `aaa bbb.txt` file.

[Dalai]

Not sure what a search string containing a semi-colon tries to find, so I can't explain the search results you get with that (hence I didn't say anything about it).

[Horst.Epp]

2Dalai

This does not explain why the `aaa bbb.txt;bbb.txt` search is missed to find the `aaa bbb.txt` file.

The ; is a normal character in filenames.
There is no file named `aaa bbb.txt;bbb.txt` in your list, so why should TC find one ?

[sqa_wizard]

Nevertheless:

Code: Select all

Search: aaa ccc

This will not find "aaa bbb.txt" either, but it should search for aaa as well as ccc as a part of a filename

While:

Code: Select all

Search: aaa

This will find "aaa bbb.txt" as defined

[andry81]

2Horst.Epp

The ; is a normal character in filenames.
There is no file named `aaa bbb.txt;bbb.txt` in your list, so why should TC find one ?

But it finds `bbb.txt`, which means it is not just a normal character.

[Dalai]

2sqa_wizard
It looks like the wildcard (glob) search gets disabled in case of multiple search terms - just as when there's a single term with a dot in it. Example: "txt foo" won't find "aaa bbb.txt" either, but "txt" will.

It's the same topic discussed in the past about glob search and exact matches. I don't think it's necessary to repeat the same arguments over and over again.

Regards
Dalai

[petermad]

There are some problems with Search for with spaces but no quotes. The Help says:

Names with spaces do not need to be put in double quotes, e.g. Letter to Mr. Smith.doc, Total Commander looks for both the entire name and the name parts individually.

But if i make thes files:
Letter to Mr. Smith.doc
Letter
to
Mr
Smith

then I get these results:
Search for: Letter to Mr. Smith.doc
Finds:
Letter
to
Mr
Letter to Mr. Smith.doc
as expected

Search for: Letter to Mr. Smith
Finds:
Letter
to
Mr
Smith
as expected

Search for: Letter to Mr Smith (no dot after Mr)
Finds: Nothing
Expected:
Letter
to
Mr
Smith

Search for: Letter to Mr. (with dot after Mr)
Finds:
Letter
to
Mr
Expected:
Letter
to
Mr
Letter to Mr. Smith.doc

Search for: Letter to Mr (no dot after Mr)
Finds:
Letter to Mr. Smith.doc
Expected:
Letter
to
Mr

Search for: Letter to
Finds:
Letter to Mr. Smith.doc
Expected:
Letter
to
Letter to Mr. Smith.doc

Search for: Letter Mr (no dot after Mr)
Finds: Nothing
Expected:
Letter
Mr

Search for: Letter Mr. (with dot after Mr)
Finds:
Letter
Mr
as expected

There seem to be problems finding files without extension if there is not a dot in the Search string.

[white]

2petermad

Confusion about Total Commander's Search for field is understandable. It's quite complex and the help text is not very clear. Here is my understanding of the feature.

There are 2 search modes:

Condition for search mode	Description of search mode
The Search for field does NOT contain a dot, wildcard or backslash	Find filenames where part of the filename matches the entire Search for field. Notes: Spaces and the pipe symbol have no special meaning and are interpreted literally. So be careful with the number of spaces and leading and trailing spaces. Searching for "test|crap" will not find a file named "test". ⠀ A double quote character at the beginning and an optional matching quote character are ignored. So the following search terms have the same results: Total Commander "Total Commander" "Total Com"mander
The Search for field DOES contain a dot, wildcard or backslash	Find filenames where ⠀(a) the whole filename matches one of the expressions in the Search for field or ⠀(b) the whole filename matches the entire Search for field (no character is interpreted as separator character and the entire Search for field is seen as 1 expression). Notes: The space character is a separator character except when inside a quoted text. The backslash character and the pipe character have special meaning as explained in Help. When the Search for field contains a backslash or the pipe character, (b) is not done or gives no results.

[petermad]

2white
I guess that your table is a correct interpretation.

But I still find it illogical that
Search for: Letter to mr
Finds: nothing

when
Search for: Letter to mr . (SPACE and dot after Mr)
finds:
Letter
to
Mr

to me, it would be more logic if the second search did not find anything, since there is no filename with just a dot in it (except for the folder itself, but it is not listed in the result).

[gdpr deleted 6]

2white
your table explains parts of TC's arcane "Find File" search mask rules nicely in a comprehensible manner.
Too bad something like it didn't (yet?) find its way into TC's help file...

[ghisler(Author)]

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