search in preview

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irish
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 11:52 am

search in preview

Post by irish »

Hi, is there a way to search for text in preview, when previewing a text file.
void
Developer
Posts: 16672
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: search in preview

Post by void »

I'm not aware of any text preview handlers that supports a find function. Maybe someone else does?

The Everything text preview handler can be modified from the registry editor under:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{1531d583-8375-4d3f-b5fb-d23bbd169f22}

I am considering implementing my own text preview handler and will consider a find function.
NotNull
Posts: 5458
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: search in preview

Post by NotNull »

void wrote:I'm not aware of any text preview handlers that supports a find function. Maybe someone else does?
I don't think a search function is possible in a preview handler. It's just not in the "preview protocol".

The content (the preview) is delivered to the client application (Everything in this case) through prevhost.exe. Server applications like Notepad or Adobe Reader have to implement a preview "module" to talk to this prevhost.exe. That is very lightweight, but also rather limited.
Basically the client application defines a window where content can be placed. Prevhost.exe is then called to get the (formatted) content from the host application. (there will be no process started for the server application. No notepad.exe...; I guess this is done through a RPC call (COM and the like)).

Prevhost itself doesn't support search functionality. I guess that's why they call it a PREview and not a viewer ..

I am considering implementing my own text preview handler and will consider a find function.
Just a thought:
I'm guessing that this is not a preview handler like WIndows has (more or less described above)? As that would mean loss of portability of Everything (a preview handler has to register itself on the system) and overwriting the current system settings for text preview handler.
But then again: in Everything's case there is no need to call external processes ..
irish
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Sep 17, 2016 11:52 am

Re: search in preview

Post by irish »

Thank's folks.
void
Developer
Posts: 16672
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: search in preview

Post by void »

I don't think a search function is possible in a preview handler. It's just not in the "preview protocol".
I was thinking of support for pressing Ctrl + F in the preview window, and searching that way..
That could be handled by the preview handler.

I'm guessing that this is not a preview handler like WIndows has (more or less described above)? As that would mean loss of portability of Everything (a preview handler has to register itself on the system) and overwriting the current system settings for text preview handler.
But then again: in Everything's case there is no need to call external processes ..
It would be like the image preview handler in Everything, it will be built-in only.
NotNull
Posts: 5458
Joined: Wed May 24, 2017 9:22 pm

Re: search in preview

Post by NotNull »

void wrote:
It would be like the image preview handler in Everything, it will be built-in only.
Nice! (didn't know about th image handler, but indeed: no prevhost)


EDIT:
I did an extra experiment with Everything because of this LFN thread: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6256
If I use folder indexing with folders="\\\\?\\C:\\" in Everything.ini, files and folders get indexed and can be opened. But the internal previewer for images doesn't support this "very LFN's" syntax. Other (external) preview handlers do.

Just a FYI. Not a very common use-case (to put it mildly :-))
void
Developer
Posts: 16672
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:31 pm

Re: search in preview

Post by void »

This is a limitation with the Windows shell.
The Windows shell completely ignores files starting with \\?\

Everything uses the Windows shell to create render image previews.
Right clicking \\?\ files will not display all context menu items either (Windows shell).
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