FetchIt is an INIT that, when placed in your system folder, will allow several useful functions in the Standard Open and Save Dialog box. FetchIt will popup a menu when the volume name is clicked on. FetchIt's most powerful feature is its Fetch feature which allows a user to specify a text string which will be used to search all the files within a folder for a file with that text. FetchIt's unique capability is that it will only find a file if and only if that application which you are in can open that file. For instance, if you are in Microsoft Word and you are opening a file, FetchIt will only Fetch files matching that text string which Word can open; Word files, text files, MacWrite files and other files it can open. FetchIt also allows a Get Info function which will show the Get Info text found in the Finder's Get Info box. In the past, Get Info was not used because it was not available at the most critical time, when opening a file. Now you can Get Info when you are just about to open a file.
Here is a description of the features both obvious and obscure.
• Up a Level
Up a Level simply move your current folder up one level. You will notice if you simply click on the volume name, the FetchIt popup menu appears and disappears but does not move you up a level as is the standard. You can also move up a level by holding the command key and clicking the volume name.
• Δ Volume (Change Volume)
This menu item shows a hierarchical menu with a list of mounted volumes. Selected a different volume from the current one will change your current volume and place you in the root (topmost) folder of that volume. If you select your current drive, nothing will change and you will remain in your current folder.
• Fetch File…
Fetch File… will select a file who has a given text string either in a selected folder or the current folder. Fetch File… properly filters only files which the application you are currently in can open and will only select such a file if a match occurs. Prior to issuing a Fetch, you can either click on a folder in which to look in or click on a file within your current folder. If nothing is selected, Fetch File… will be disabled and will not be able to be selected.
For example, if you have a Folder called “Letters” with 100 MS Word docs in it, you might want to find a letter you wrote to "Mr. Jones". Simply do an “Open” in MS word and select "Fetch File..." from the Fetchit menu and type in “mr. jones” (Fetchit is NOT case sensitive) . Press return and *PRESTO*...the document with that string in it is selected and ready to be opened. Finding files will never be the same on the Mac!
After selecting Fetch File…, a dialog box will appear telling you if it will search the current folder or the selected folder. You can dismiss this box by typing command - period (-.) or by clicking the Cancel button. You can issue a Fetch by typing some characters and clicking the OK button or by hitting the return or enter key.
While the search is progressing, a dog bone will appear as the cursor and spin around while FetchIt is looking for a file which contains the specified text. You can stop the Fetch by typing command-period (-.).
FetchIt will select the first file it finds with the text or beep it it found no files with the text.
• Fetch Next File
Fetch Next File is similiar to a Find Again feature found in many word processors. Fetch Next File will repeat the identical search starting off where it left off. This is useful if Fetch File… found a file with the text but you know that is not the file you were looking for. Or if Fetch File… found a file and you opened it and discovered it was not the file you were looking for, simply close the file, select the open command from the application and select Fetch Next File. Fetch Next File will also beep if no files were found.
Fetch Next File is only available if two conditions apply. One is that a Fetch File… was issued previously and the second condition is that you have not changed you current folder between the time you are issuing Fetch Next File and the time you first issued a Fetch File…. If this second condition is not true, Fetch Next File will become dissabled. To preserve this feature and to make sure users do not accidently leave their current folder, the Up a Level menu item was added and the feauture of clicking on the volume name to move up a level was removed.
• Get Info…
Get Info… simply puts up a dialog box with the text entered in at the Finder level within the Get Info box. If there is no text, the command just beeps. This feature is an effort to be able to get timely information about a file. In the past, Get Info… was not very useful because you had to be at the Finder but now, right before you are ready to open a file, you can select Get Info… and get timely information about the file. This is of course assuming you already typed in some information on the file prior to this.
KNOWN CONFLICTS
FetchIt will override SFVolINIT if it is loaded in first. Also, when Rebound or Boomerang's rebounding feature is active, FetchIt wil not select the proper file if one selected a folder prior to choosing Find File. Find File will work properly no matter what other INIT is installed if a file is selected prior to selecting Find File. The latter case searches the current directory while the former will search within the selected directory. Please, those who got a hold of version 1.0, please destroy this version. It had a major problem. Sorry for all those inconvenienced by this version.
If you like and use this program, please send $5 to
The Fund to Use the Get Info Box
c/o Scott Silverman
PO Box 6379
Haverhill, MA 01831
(508) 373 0977
CompuServe: 74007,2303
Bug reports and suggestions are welcome.
I reserve all rights to FetchIt.
Since this is the first release of FetchIt, you can have an influence on the next release. Please let me know your suggestions or thoughts. Thanks. Woof, and for you DTS'ers MOOF!).
Many thanks to Howard Berman for all his help with this project. Also thanks to Dan and Lisa.
