Searching contents of text files

Question

Level 1

29 points

Searching contents of text files

I write a lot of statistical programs that are saved simply as text files with a .do extension. It would be extremely useful if Spotlight would search the contents of these files for me but it doesn't. Is there a way to do this?

I note that I can search for text that I know is inside a Word document & Spotlight will find it. So, it's not as if Spotlight couldn't do this -- I just don't know how to make it happen.

Any ideas would be most appreciated.

Eric

PowerBook G4, Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Posted on Nov 21, 2005 11:09 AM

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Answer 1

bdmarsha

Level 4

2,580 points

Nov 21, 2005 1:16 PM in response to Eric Wruck

Eric,

You would need to tell Spotlight to index these files. An easier solution may be to download EasyFind <http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system diskutilities/easyfind.html>. It will optionally search file contents without indexing.

bd

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Answer 2

Nov 21, 2005 1:40 PM in response to Eric Wruck

In order for Spotlight to index content there has to be an mdimporter for that type of file. Some files are really text files, but the extension isn't ".txt" so the mdimporter for text files ignores them. There is a hack that was reported at MacOSXHints for getting Spotlight to index php files. Be sure to read the whole thread before even considering trying it out. There are a lot of possible problems.

Francine
Schwieder

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Answer 3

Nov 21, 2005 2:31 PM in response to bdmarsha

Would this help with searching for phrases in regular word documents?

i find Spotlight to be sorely lacking in this regard, and as I am a writer, it is what I most need it for--I remember that I wrote "sorely lacking" in some piece, forgot what i saved the file as, or where, but want to fint the phrase. Spotlight does this very badly right now.

Any advice?

thanks

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Answer 4

Eric Wruck Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 22, 2005 6:55 AM in response to Francine Schwieder

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. I also have files that have a .txt extension & Spotlight is able to find the content of those. I followed the instructions about dragging folders to the Privacy section of Spotlight preferences & then removing it but that didn't seem to make any difference but maybe I didn't do it right. This mdimporter idea makes sense. I think Spotlight will continue to ignore the contents of my .do files until it will recognize them. What are php files?

Thanks,

Eric

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Answer 5

dknightd

Level 3

705 points

Nov 22, 2005 3:55 PM in response to Eric Wruck

Could you rename the .do files as .txt files?

Easyfind will work. And is not too slow if you
know what directory you file is in and search only there.

Another option would be to ask the developer of the software that makes your .do files to create an mdimporter (i.e. spotlight importer) for them.

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Answer 6

Eric Wruck Author

Level 1

29 points

Nov 23, 2005 8:18 AM in response to dknightd

I could rename them but that would be something of a pain -- although I could save the backup copies with the .txt extension, Spotlight would find it, & I would know the name of the .do counterpart.

I think I will write Stata about doing that mdimporter -- does that require cooperation/coordination with Apple?

Thanks,

Eric

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Answer 7

dknightd

Level 3

705 points

Nov 23, 2005 9:34 AM in response to Eric Wruck

I could rename them but that would be something of a
pain -- although I could save the backup copies with
the .txt extension, Spotlight would find it, & I
would know the name of the .do counterpart.

That might/should work as a temporary measure.

I think I will write Stata about doing that
mdimporter -- does that require
cooperation/coordination with Apple?

It could be done without apple, maybe. But I'd recommend
they do it with Apple if they have that level of
support. I'm curious to see what happens to spotlight.

Thanks,

Eric

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