FileIndexer indexes the full text of collections of documents on your disks. By using Claris XTND the program can read any document you have translators for. Indexing takes some time, and can run in the background without much impact. Finding the list of files that contain the word you are looking for is fast.
Creating an index
Run FileIndexer, choose Index folder, and select the top folder in a tree of text files to be indexed. Claris XTND can be used (if available) to read documents. You need to turn it on in the preferences dialog to use it.
You can alternately drag a folder from the Finder™ to anywhere in the document window to start indexing all documents in the folder heirarchy below that folder.
The upper bar shows progress through the current file, name shown above, the lower bar shows the overall progress through the files you gave it. Files that are not text and cannot be read with XTND (if you turn it on) are skipped.
When done, type a word or words into the find field and press return. A list of all the files that contain the words will be displayed. The first occurence of the first word will be shown in context. An info checkbox lets you see file mod date and the full path to the file as an alternative.
Note that when you search for multiple words, only those files that contain all of the words are shown.
Double-click on the file (or highlight and press return) to open the first 32k of it in a text window. You can also choose to view the document in it’s original app or the app of your choice, (set in preferences).
From the text window you can use Find or Find again (command-G) to locate the word you searched for.
Stop Words
You can reduce the index size by putting a text file called “Stop Words” in the same folder as the application. Any words in this file will not be indexed. I’ve enclosed a file I built, but you may wish to add to it.
Preferences
• Shortest word to index: Don’t index words less than this length.
• Longest word to index: Don’t index words longer than this.
• Include words starting with digits: Avoids lots of junk from internet messages.
• Ignore case: Indexes all words in lower case.
• Use XTND: Use Claris XTND to index and view documents. Dim if not there.
• Stem words: Chops off common word endings. (STR# 3002)
• Scroll to found word: Scrolls to first occurrence when you open a document.
• Check Hits: Check that found words really do contain the searched word.
• Index speed: The number of words to index on each idle.
• View in FileIndexer: Shows first 32k in a styled text window. Scrolls and saves.
• View in creator application: Gets the Finder to open the document.
• View with chosen app: Click the button to choose the app to use.
I built a PowerPC native version but it was slower! Probably due to my heavy use of the non-native file manager.
Limitations
• Requires System 7, will run in black & white on a 68000.
• To create an index on a volume other than the system volume, save to the system volume, close the document, copy the index to the other disk and open it there.
AppleScript
The program can do searches and return the names and full paths of documents that were found. The support is pretty basic, but probably enough to use it for useful things like web server searches etc.
Power Users
The list of word stems to be removed if stemming is on are in the string list resource STR# 3002.
The list of text file extensions to not index are in the string list resource STR# 3003. This currently has “.pdf”, “.tar”, and “.ps”.
Tools
Metrowerks Codewarrior 8 C++
Apple Computer Inc. MacApp 3.3
Gettys Group Software Inc. Hunk Manager
Credits
Written by Peter Marks.
Thanks for the valuable testing and feedback to:
Gregory Kearney, Allan Herman, Alastair Rankine, Steve “it’s a tree” Coy, Geert Jan Bex, Keith F. Batchelder, Tony Stevenson, Federico Cavaglia', Farhad Anklesaria, Dave Abrahams, MetaTheory, Jim Coplien, George Bray, you...
This freeware is supplied as is, use at your own risk.
Please contact me for permission to include on commercial collections.
