rprior59

Q: Pages 5 files not indexed by Spotlight?

I have noticed that Spotlight does not index the content of text files created by Pages 5. It will only find file names, but does not find any words inside the documents. I have read that Pages 5 docs have a new binary content structure. Might this be the reason?

 

I cannot find any information on this point - so, eventually it is only my problem or bug?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,

many thanks!

MacBook Air, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Feb 6, 2014 2:58 AM

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Q: Pages 5 files not indexed by Spotlight?

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  • by VikingOSX,

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Feb 6, 2014 4:34 AM in response to rprior59
    Level 7 (20,606 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 6, 2014 4:34 AM in response to rprior59

    Pages v5 will save a plain text file without an extension, even if you specify it during the save. When you tell Spotlight to search for a full filename, (e.g. plain.txt) that has a hidden extension, it won't find it, because this doesn't match the true display name (plain). If you search for the latter, Spotlight will find it immediately.

     

    Once you perform Get Info on this file and unhide the extension, then Spotlight will find it when you specify the full filename, or the partial name, because you have changed the true display name.

  • by rprior59,

    rprior59 rprior59 Feb 6, 2014 6:07 AM in response to VikingOSX
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 6:07 AM in response to VikingOSX

    Thank you Viking,

     

    my problem however are not the file names.

     

    My problem is that Spotlight  does not retrieve Pages V5 files when I try to search for content within the files. It appears that the content of the file is not indexed (as it is normally indexed by Pages v4).

  • by Jeff Shenk,

    Jeff Shenk Jeff Shenk Feb 6, 2014 6:09 AM in response to rprior59
    Level 4 (2,803 points)
    Feb 6, 2014 6:09 AM in response to rprior59

    I don't search for content much, nor do I save files with Pages 5 very often, so I haven't noticed anything to confirm or deny this behavior. I do notice, however, that my Snow Leopard system, which only has Pages '09, has version 1.0 of the iWork.mdimporter in the Spotlight folder of the computer level Library folder, while my Mavericks system which has Pages 5 installed, has version 2.0, so I think it is supposed to be indexing the content in the new file structure.

  • by VikingOSX,

    VikingOSX VikingOSX Feb 6, 2014 6:40 AM in response to rprior59
    Level 7 (20,606 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 6, 2014 6:40 AM in response to rprior59

    Spotlight definitely displays Pages v5 document content, and that of plain text files too:

     

    Screen Shot 2014-02-06 at 9.35.40 AM.png

  • by Bakhmutsky,

    Bakhmutsky Bakhmutsky Sep 8, 2016 12:56 AM in response to VikingOSX
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Peripherals
    Sep 8, 2016 12:56 AM in response to VikingOSX

    to my surprise it displays docs files better than iWorks files. Very sad.