Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Discussion related to "Everything" 1.5 Alpha.
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kazzybash
Posts: 110
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:55 pm

Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by kazzybash »

hi,

been using 1.5 alpha as standard replacement for 'normal' everything. What a GREAT tool this is (been using 'normal' for years btw). Thanks so much for development and maintenance.

I scanned TODO, maybe the following is already planned, couldn't find it yet. I only yesterday realised Everything 1.5 Alpha can be used as a cataloguing tool for offline HDD's, SSD's (and, if need be and with some steps in between also for DVD's/CD's etc).

I was wondering if it would be a useful feature to add a quick toggle 'show/hide offline volumes' so that I can use Everything in the normal indexing sense, but also as a catalog.

I can produce what is necessary for Everything to be used as a catalog by toying with a script and databases, but this option would be, imho, really useful.

Kind regards, Kazzybash
void
Developer
Posts: 16771
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by void »

Thank you for your feedback kazzybash,

Everything doesn't read properties from disk for files/folders in filelists.
Everything assumes files/folders in file lists are offline.

For file lists, please try creating a filter to show only files/folders in file lists:
  • In Everything 1.5, from the Search menu, click Add to filters....
  • Change the Name to:
    File Lists
  • Change the Search to:
    index-type:filelist
  • Click OK.
To create a filter to exclude files/folders in file lists:
  • In Everything 1.5, from the Search menu, click Add to filters....
  • Change the Name to:
    Exclude File Lists
  • Change the Search to:
    !index-type:filelist
  • Click OK.
If you would prefer to exclude file lists by default, please consider changing your Everything filter:
  • In Everything 1.5, from the Search menu, click Organize to filters....
  • Select Everything and click Edit....
  • Change the Search to:
    !index-type:filelist
  • Click OK.
Filters can be activated from the Search menu, Filter bar (View -> Filters), right clicking the status bar, filter macro or filter keyboard shortcut.



For FAT/NTFS/ReFS indexes:

To create a filter to show only online files:
  • In Everything 1.5 (version 1296+), from the Search menu, click Add to filters....
  • Change the Name to:
    Online
  • Change the Search to:
    online:
  • Click OK.
To create a filter to show only offline files:
  • In Everything 1.5, from the Search menu, click Add to filters....
  • Change the Name to:
    Offline
  • Change the Search to:
    offline:
  • Click OK.
If you would prefer to search only online files by default, please consider changing your Everything filter:
  • In Everything 1.5, from the Search menu, click Organize to filters....
  • Select Everything and click Edit....
  • Change the Search to:
    online:
  • Click OK.
Filters can be activated from the Search menu, Filter bar (View -> Filters), right clicking the status bar, filter macro or filter keyboard shortcut.
kazzybash
Posts: 110
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:55 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by kazzybash »

hi void, thanks for your extensive reply. I am not sure if I understand you correctly. Maybe I was not entirely clear as to what I was aiming at. Let me try to clarify a bit.

I use 1.5a like as intended, as a very easy and quick search tool. I only recently noticed that indexed contents of previously attached volumes not only remain accessible and show up in 1.5a results, but are also much easier searchable due to the folder structure in the left pane.

That is great, because it means that I can attach a volume, say a backup, have it indexed and be able to search it's contents when it is offline again. No need to attach volumes and search. It's the other way around: search first and then attach the disk I need (having said that I would need to solve Windows problem of messing around with drive letters for attached USB-drives which is quite annoying :mrgreen: , but that's another matter).

Up till now I used cataloguing-tools like Whereisit? which is ok, but for instance that piece of software may take a very long time to index a volume whereas Everything, well, we know about that :lol: .

Since this may be a specific use of this software I was wondering if it would be possible

1)

to keep offline disks indexed (and not removed from the index when for instance a rebuild would be necessary. Something like a switch that would tell Everything 'rebuild index, but keep offline volumes as is') OR to prevent Everything 1.5a from updating the index thereby 'messing up' my catalog (as said, I am aware that this is a specific use for which Everything was not designed as I understand it).

2)

to have easy access to a toggle (last picture, for instance next to 'subfolders') switch telling Everything to show all indexed volumes OR just the ones that are currently online.

3)

of course I could solve this issue in another way, for instance use normal Everything for my searches of live disks and 1.5a for offline disks.
Would it be possible to have multiple configurations of Everything 1.5a under one account (talking Windows here)? One for live, one as a cataloguing tool, configured for offline disks?

Image
Image
Image

Thanks a lot in advance, kind regards, kazzybash
void
Developer
Posts: 16771
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by void »

to keep offline disks indexed (and not removed from the index when for instance a rebuild would be necessary. Something like a switch that would tell Everything 'rebuild index, but keep offline volumes as is')
Everything will keep offline volumes in the index permanently.
Even when you force a rebuild from Tools -> Options -> Indexes -> Force Rebuild.

Indexes are lost if you delete your Everything.db
During alpha the database format changes occasionally (this will lose your old indexes)
Once in beta/release the database format shouldn't change.


to have easy access to a toggle (last picture, for instance next to 'subfolders') switch telling Everything to show all indexed volumes OR just the ones that are currently online.
I will consider a online checkbox for the folder sidebar.
Thanks for the suggestion.

For now, please consider a filter:
  • In Everything, from the Search menu, click Add to filters...
  • Change the Name to: Online Only
  • Change the Search to: online:
  • Click OK.
Filters can be activated from the Search menu, Filter bar (View -> Filters), right clicking the status bar, filter macro or filter keyboard shortcut.


of course I could solve this issue in another way, for instance use normal Everything for my searches of live disks and 1.5a for offline disks.
Would it be possible to have multiple configurations of Everything 1.5a under one account (talking Windows here)? One for live, one as a cataloguing tool, configured for offline disks?
Yes, please see multiple instances

Basically run your normal unnamed instance for online volumes only and another 'offline' instance for offline volumes:

Everything.exe -instance "Offline"
kazzybash
Posts: 110
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:55 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by kazzybash »

thanks a lot void, I will look into this and post back if I did accomplish. great support. regards, kazzy
kazzybash
Posts: 110
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:55 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by kazzybash »

Hi all,

still toying around with this.

Posted here to further facilitate my specific use of everything alpha as a cataloguing tool (next to being indexer of live volumes).

@void: would it be possible to have an option to add the disk-label to the 1.5a part of the screen on the left side?

Image

This might be a feature that could be of use to other users too imho?

Regards! Kazzy
void
Developer
Posts: 16771
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by void »

Showing labels in the folder sidebar is on my TODO list.

Thank you for the suggestion.
kazzybash
Posts: 110
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2020 9:55 pm

Re: Easy toggle 'show offline volumes'

Post by kazzybash »

thank you void! regards, Kazzy
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