Advanced File Find

Search and Create a Virtual Folder

This dialog is used to search for files which are then put into a Virtual Folder. Virtual Folders (the results of a search) can contain one file or all the files and folders on multiple drives. The great advantage of Virtual Folders over Explore Views is that files in multiple folders can be manipulated at the same time, e.g. copied, renamed and much, much more.

For more ways of finding files and creating Virtual Virtual Folders see:

Find Files,

Find Recently Modified Files,

Find Old Files,

Find Files Containing Specific Text,

Find Long Filenames,

Find Files by Attributes,

Find Files by Size and

Advanced File Find the master, do it all routine.

And Virtual Folder definitions can be saved to be reused again and can even be written to disk. When these files are opened File Boss will automatically start and perform the defined search.

Whenever the dialog is closed up to the simple form many of the options in the advanced section of the dialog are reset to their default settings.

Create Virtual Folder

Paths Field

(In some dialogs the Search Subfolders will not be displayed in which case all subfolders will be searched automatically.)

Specifies one or more paths to be scanned. For instance to scan the My Documents directory on drive C: enter:

C:\My Documents

(Note: if you are comparing folders either from the Compare Folders or Paths dialog or directly in the Create Virtual Folder dialog two and only two paths must be entered in this field)

Including Multiple Paths

Separate multiple paths with the bar character '|'.

To scan the My Documents directory on drive C: and the Temp directory on drive D: enter:

C:\My Documents | D:\Temp

(The maximum length of this field is over 65,000 bytes.)

Using Wildcards

If you would like to collect files on all of drive D: and in the My Documents and My Installations folders on drive C: enter the following.

D:\ | C:\My *s

(Of course, the entry C:\My * would search all folders in the root of drive C: which began with My then a space and end with an s.)

The use of a wild card is restricted to the last element of the path. For instance, the following examples will not work:

D:\*\Backup

C:\My *\*

C:\Program Files\Iront*\FileBoss

But the following will work:

C:\My *s

(It would return files in folders C:\My Videos and C:\My Pictures if present.)

To search both the Normal and Nermal directories on drive D: you could enter either:

D:\Normal | D:\Nermal

  or

D:\N?rmal

Excluding Folders

Specific folders can be excluded from the search by preceding the folder's name with a minus sign, '-'.  If the name of the folder actually begins with a minus sign, simply put another in front of it, e.g. "--my folder".

Consider the following example:

C:\My Documents | -Temp|-Backup|D:\

Paths to be excluded can contain the normal wildcard characters, * and ?. (Use full paths, e.g. C:\house\pictures) to avoid excluding all paths, e.g. every folder named 'pictures'. This can be especially important when using wildcards.)

Note that the order of the entries is ignored: in the above example any Temp and Backup folders will be ignored on drive D: as well in C:\My Documents

Using Wildcards in Folders to be Excluded

Using wildcards in folders to be excluded is almost exactly the same as it is to use them in paths to be scanned. For instance:

C:\ | -C:\C*s

Would search all of drive C: except for files and folders in and below any root folders beginning with a 'C' and ending in 's'.

File Patterns (Include or Exclude)

Enter the names or name patterns of files and folders you want included in the search.

Leaving the field empty is the same as specifing a single asterisk '*' or the traditional '*.*' meaning include all files.

Multiple File Patterns

Separate multiple patterns with the bar character '|'.

Wildcards in File Patterns

The common wildcard characters '*' and '?' can be used when specifing groups of file to be inclucded.

The entry *.tmp | *.bak | ~* will find all files with the extension tmp and bak as well as all files begining with the tilde character '~'.

Exluding Files and Groups of Files

Specific files and groups of files can be excluded from the search by preceding the files with a minus sign, '-'.  If the name actually begins with a minus sign, simply put another in front of it, e.g. --notations.txt.

To create a Virtual Folder that includes all files except temporary and backup files you could enter

    -*.tmp | -*.bak | -~*

(Note that there is no *.* or just * in the beginning. Remember that if there is no include specification then *.* (all) is assumed.

For example the these two patterns are equivalent: -*.zip and *.* | -*.zip (include all files except those with the zip extension).

User Defined & Default Patterns

While the drop down list box will remember the most recently used patterns, even when FileBoss is closed, you can use predefined

Predefined Patterns

The [ >> ] button displays a pop up menu of predefined file patterns that can be quickly added to the 'Patterns' field to the left.

You can edit this drop down menu to include the file patterns you use the most (use the 'Edit Menu' option at the bottom.)

The patterns fly out can hold up to a maximum of twenty entries.

Opens a list of default search patterns, which can be used to quickly fill in the Patterns: field. You can edit this drop down menu to include the file patterns you use the most (use the 'Edit Menu' option at the bottom.)

The patterns fly out can hold up to a maximum of twenty entries.

Edit

Allows you to edit the contents of the Patterns: drop-down list box.

Saving & Using Templates

Saving & Using Templates

Templates allow you to save the current settings in the dialog as a named group that can be selected and reused later. (FileBoss stores and remembers the Templates even when the program is closed.)

To save the current settings
as a named template click the Template button.

To use a template
simply select it from the drop down list (click the down arrow to the left of the field).

Searching for Text

Specifies text which must be in a file in order for it to be included in the Virtual Folder. Text searches in FileBoss can be very simple or very sophisticated depending on your needs.

Text Search

When the checked text search is active.

Set

Opens a dialog where you can define what text to search for and how the search should be conducted. The options range from a simple search to sophisticated expression searching.

Compare Folders

When checked the two paths specified in the Paths field will be compared and the results displayed in the special compare, merge and purge format. When this item is checked the must be two and only two paths specified to be search otherwise a error message will be displayed when the OK button is clicked.

Include Options

All
All files will be considered for inclusion regardless of their attributes. When this button is selected the attribute options below it will be grayed and will not be used.

Match Any
Any file that matches one or more of the checked attributes will be included in the new Virtual Folder (as long as any other criteria are met).

Match All
Any file that matches All of the checked attributes will be included in the new Virtual Folder (as long as any other criteria are met).

Exclude Options

Excludes any file that matches any of the check attributes. Note that checking both the Archive and No Archive boxes at the same time will cause an error and FileBoss will not continue until only one (or neither) of the boxes is checked.

Limit Search by File Sizes

When Limit by Size is checked FileBoss will only include files that fall between the From and To sizes, inclusive. Make both entries the same to only return files of a specific size.

E.g. entering '0' for both fields will only return files of zero length.

This field only affects files - not folders. As far as Windows is concerned folders always have a size of 0.

Unlimited Sizes

To specify an unlimited size for files (i.e. up to any amount) enter -1 or Zillions into the To field of the Sizes area. (Actually, to specify an unlimited size you can enter Zillions or any other word(s) as long as it is not a number, e.g. I Love FileBoss would work just fine).

Megabytes & Kilobytes

In addition, M, MB, Megs, KB and K (in any case) can follow a number to signify megabytes or kilobytes as desired. But note that these numbers will be translated into bytes when they are redisplayed.

Easy Reading

Commas can be used in numbers if it makes you feel better.

Limit Search by Filetimes

Relative times allow you to find files that were modified, accessed or created within a specified time period. The time frame is calculated every time the search is run meaning that if you create a Virtual Folder today and it is reloaded when you start FileBoss tomorrow, or you save it and open it again another day, the new Virtual Folder will be created based on that future time and not the time when you first clicked the OK button on this dialog.

The one exception is the last option, where you specify a fixed start and end time for the search. These remain constant.

Relative times allow you to find files that were modified, accessed or created within a specified time period. The time frame is calculated every time the search is run meaning that if you create a Virtual Folder today and it is reloaded when you start FileBoss tomorrow, or you save it and open it again another day, the new Virtual Folder will be created based on that future time and not the time when you first clicked the OK button on this dialog.

The one exception is the last option, where you specify a fixed start and end time for the search. These remain constant.

Limit Search by Name & Path Lengths

Setting minimum path lengths is frequently used to check for long filenames before copying to media, such as some CD ROM formats that cannot accommodate filenames as long as Windows can.

Normally on the Shortest Total Lth field is necessary.

Note that you can also check for long filenames in any Virtual Folder or Explore view by turning on the appropriate column headers and then sorting by one of the three lengths shown above.

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