Finding files, folders and subfolders in a certain folder without using the whole path

[nina_sunshine]

Hello,

I have a problem and I can't find a solution for it unfortunately. I searched through the forum and read https://www.voidtools.com/support/everything/searching carefully, unfortunately to no success. I'll try to explain my use-case with an example:

I am looking for a solution to find files and folders in the folder "bills" with the name of "%company%":

- I have a folder "bills".
- In that folder I have subfolders, like "%company 1%", "%company 2%", ...
- In these folders I sometimes have subfolders, like "2020", "2021", ...
- In these subfolders I have files with varying names, e.g.: "%bill% - %company% - %date%.pdf", "%date%.pdf", "%bill-number%.pdf", ...

I tried adding the parent:- and infolder:-tags, to no success (search string: "parent:bills %company%" or "infolder:bills %company%". I also tried "child:bills %company%", but that doesn't work either. Using "/bills %company%", "bills/ %company%, "\bills %company%" or "bills\ %company%" also didn't work.

I am aware that I could search for the complete folder path (in quotation marks) plus the term (e.g.: ""z:\docs\bills" %company%"), but I don't always know the exact path and there are many of them ("mp3", "pictures", "photos", "contracts", "batches", "portables", "projects", ...) scattered in different folders of sometimes different subfolders (e.g.: "m:\mp3" and "z:\private\documents\unsorted\bills").

I just wanna find (first search-term being the folder and everything after being files, folders or subfolders in that first folder) "pictures mom", "projects garden", "portables sumatra pdf" or "mp3 shakira".

Is there a way to achieve what I'm trying to do? I hope, anyone can help.

Thanks in advance
Nina : )

[void]

Normally Everything will only search the filename.
To search the full path and filename, include a path separator in your search term, or use the path: search modifier.

For example:

path:bills %company%

-or-

\bills %company%
(I'm not sure why this one didn't work for you, please make sure all search options are unchecked under the Search menu)

I just wanna find (first search-term being the folder and everything after being files, folders or subfolders in that first folder) "pictures mom", "projects garden", "portables sumatra pdf" or "mp3 shakira".

Please try the following searches:

\pictures mom
\projects garden
\portables sumatra pdf
\mp3 shakira



Consider enabling Match Path from the Search menu.
When enabled, Everything will search the full path and filename.

Now you will only need to search for:
pictures mom
projects garden
portables sumatra pdf
mp3 shakira

However, this might return too many undesired results.

[NotNull]

And if the foldername is exactly "bills" (so not equal to something like "bills I already paid"), you can also use:

\bills\

instead of \bills


And if the company name follows directly after bills (c:\some folder\bills\voidtools), you can use:

\bills\voidtools

or even

\bills\voi

if there are no other company names that start with "voi"

[nina_sunshine]

Hello,

and wow, I did not expect an answer so soon! Thank you very much!

I tried

path:bills %company%

and

\bills %company%

as void and NotNull suggested, and both worked. Wop wop!

However, for my use-case I realized, that there is even a better way. Maybe this can help someone looking for the same results: The search-term stays the same as above, but on top of it I switch on "Match Path" as suggested by void. This will show me all files and folders in the subfolder %company% in the folder bills - and that's what I was looking for!

I suppose, there's no search-term that switches on this "Match Path"-Parameter? E.g. (just making up syntax here, company name being "voidtools"):

//bills voidtools

, or

/u/bills voidtools

...? This would be great, but even if this does not exist: A quick "CTRL-U" while searching is not the end of the world.

Thanks again for your help
Nina

[void]

I suppose, there's no search-term that switches on this "Match Path"-Parameter?

The path: search modifier will do this, for example:
path:bills

-or-

Include a backslash in your search term, for example:
\bills


You can disable Match path for either of these.

[nina_sunshine]

Hello void,

I hate to disagree, but the search-results are different...

\bills voidtools

not using "Match Path" will not list any files or subfolders

match path OFF.png (8.91 KiB) Viewed 4292 times

, whereas

\bills voidtools

using "Match Path" does

match path ON.png (31.13 KiB) Viewed 4292 times

. Or am I getting things wrong here?

Thanks
Nina

[void]

Thanks for the reply Nina,

I misunderstood, if you also want to find files/folders inside voidtools, please try the following search:

\testbills \voidtools


Tip: you can shorten this more and you should get the same results, for example:

\testbill \void




Make sure you escape any spaces in the folder name with double quotes, for example:

"\my bills" \voidtools



If you don't know the folder name starts with voidtools, but contains tools, use path: instead, for example:

\testbills path:tools

[nina_sunshine]

That's it! Thank you so much!

Also for pointing out, that

\bills

works slightly different than

path:bills

. This is really useful!

So basically, the

path:

does the same as switching on the "Match Path"-setting, but on a per-word-base? Whereas "Match Path" goes for every word in the search-box?

Thanks, and have a great weekend
Nina : )

[void]

So basically, the
path:
does the same as switching on the "Match Path"-setting, but on a per-word-base? Whereas "Match Path" goes for every word in the search-box?

Correct.

[nina_sunshine]

Thanks