Pasting multiple locations via path column

[harryray2]

I want to copy to multiple locations, the locations being in the path column.

For example, I do a search for harry.exe and I get 10 results. Now I want to copy a file into all 10 locations that the file harry.exe is in. The only way I can do that (I think) would be to highlight the entries in the path colomn and then paste.
As far as I can see there doesn't seem to be a way of doing this.

Whilst the copy to multiple via the name column is incredibly useful, this would be even more productive for me as 90% of the time I search for file names, not the folders.

Could this be implemented?

[Mizufluffy]

If you have harry.exe in multiple folders then you can do following search

Code: Select all

child:"harry.exe"

and you'll see all the folders under the name column where harry.exe is in. Then you can paste your earlier copied file to selected folders. I confirmed this method works in 1.5.0.1268a.

Everything Search Syntax describes child function like this:
"child:<filename> Search for folders that contain a child with a matching filename."

[void]

Mizufluffy solution works well.

A slow alternative is to right-click-drag-drop the files onto the path text in the path column for each item.

I will consider an option to paste into all selected file locations.
Thank you for the suggestion.

[harryray2]

I'll try Mizufluffy's solution out ..out of all my silly questions this one is the most important for me as I frequently (just about every day) have to copy a file(s) to numerous destinations at the same time.

I currently do it by either dragging and dropping them individually which is slow and tedious or use open path to open all the results in separate windows and again copy them individually which is confusing as well as slow and tedious.

Please, please, please do consider the file location option...it would make things so much easier.

Thanks for your help and for putting up with all my daft postings on this support site ;0)

[harryray2]

Yes, Mizufluffy's solution works well but there is one problem, I would also like the search to return the folder(s) as well.

For example, I want to search for screenshot.
Entering child:screenshot returns the folders that contain screenshot but not any folders named screenshot.
The only way I can find round this is to do two separate searches, one for child:screenshot and another for folder:screenshot.

Obviously the ability to select the path column would solve this but in the meantime is there any way that both folder and containing folder can be shown or will I have to do two separate searches each time?

Also I tried adding child: to the filters but this doesn't appear to work the same way.
When filtered, Everything returns 14 objects and when Child:screenshot is entered, Everything returns 70 objects.

Thanks.

[jimspoon]

how about this:

child:screenshot | nopath:folder:screenshot

[harryray2]

Thanks so much I'll experiment with that...I didn't know about the nopath: command.
I'll try that and the path: command as well. Do you know if there's a difference?

[Mizufluffy]

According to Search Syntax help, under modifiers,

Code: Select all

path: Match full path and filename.
Disable a modifier with the no prefix.

So, using nopath:folder:screenshot should mean that it does not match full path and filename.

I found the results be the same if I have nopath:folder:screenshot or if I have Search > Match Path option disabled and using just folder:screenshot. The nopath:folder:screenshot should ensure that the Search > Match Path (or maybe some other options) doesn't interfere with the search.

The pipe ( | ) character in between child:screenshot and nopath:folder:screenshot means OR so in this case you can translate it to "find folders with file name containing screenshot OR find folders with folder name containing screenshot" which means it shows both search results at the same time and you don't need to first search one and then the other.

[harryray2]

Thanks, I think I got that.

My final result is child:screenshot.csv | nopath:folder:screenshot
I think this should cover it all. It will save me a lot of time and effort in copying files over.

Hopefully the path column selection will be implemented which will make things much easier.

Thank you all for your help.

[jimspoon]

The nopath:folder:screenshot finds folders that have "screenshot" somewhere in the folder name. If path searching was enabled, it would find folders with "screenshot" anywhere in the pathname, such as c:\pictures\screenshots\subfolder\subfolder.

You can combine a search that searches the pathname (path:) with a search that only searches the file or folder name (nopath:) A space operates as an "AND".

[harryray2]

Could you give me an example of that please? I want to be able to cover all possibilities.

I have match path enabled in the search search menu dropdown.

[jimspoon]

Say you want to find folders that start with "screen". You could type in folder:startwith:screen - but this wouldn't work if you have Match Path enabled, because Everything is looking at the Path, and the Path wouldn't start with "screen", it would start with "C:\". So if you had Match Path enabled, you'd have to type in nopath:folder:startwith:screen .

Say you wanted to find folders that start with "screen", but only in paths that had "work" somewhere in them. You could do it this way:

folder: path:work nopath:startwith:screen

The space acts as an AND. So this search is setting three requirements. (1) the item is a folder; (2) "work" is somewhere in the path; (3) the folder name starts with "screen".

I hope this helps!

[harryray2]

Thanks so much...got it.

[void]

What about a command to paste into the parent folder of all selected files/folders?

[harryray2]

`Thanks, I suppose that would go some way towards a solution but I can sort of foresee, because of the mixture of files and folders, some problems with that...I can't help thinking that the most flexible solution would be to highlight the entries in the path column and paste into that.

[harryray2]

I've looked and looked at this but I think, due to my somewhat complicated directory structure, that the only real solution for me is to be able to paste into the path column to ensure all the files go to the correct location.

[harryray2]

Unfortunately child: and pasting into the parent folder doesn't work for me is that I have too many variables to consider and I would still have to go through each folder one by one to check.
It will only work about 80% of the time.

If I can do a search then choose from the folder column I can see straight away where the files need to go.

[void]

I'm experimenting with a command to paste into all parent folders from the current selection.

What should happen when the parent folder is referenced more than once?

Should Everything be 'smart' and only paste into each distinct parent folder?

[harryray2]

I think, for me anyway, being 'dumb' would be the best option..I use Teracopy for copying files and it gives me good options in case a file already exists.

Also I sometimes have the same file in the parent folder and in a child folder (sub-directory of the same folder).

[harryray2]

Maybe also a 'smart' or 'dumb' choice in options?

[void]

I am leaning towards 'smart'.
Otherwise, you may end up with hundreds of dialog boxes with:

"Unable to paste, the file already exists in the specified location"

[harryray2]

Would it be possible to have the option?

[harryray2]

As a lot of the time I want to replace or keep updated versions of the same file.

[void]

You want to be able to paste the same files multiple times into the same location?

[void]

As a lot of the time I want to replace or keep updated versions of the same file.

You will get the normal prompt to overwrite.
The 'smart' way is to get this prompt only once.

[harryray2]

Will I also get the option to keep both?

[void]

I will consider it.

[harryray2]

Thinking this through, I use teracopy to copy my files over...I use this because of the ability for file verification and the options to overwrite, keep both etc. Teracopy bypasses the windows dialogue boxes.

[harryray2]

I created several directories containing the same file names. I then copied files with the same name and pasted them into the results in Everything in the name column.

My normal Teracopy dialogue box came up asking if I wished to overwrite or keep both files on all the locations.
This appears to work flawlessly.

I'm wondering if using the 'smart' option will not give me all the locations of the files.

With the proposed smart or dumb option will Everything generate it's own dialogue box or use the Windows box? Teracopy overrides any Window dialogue boxes.

[harryray2]

For example...

[harryray2]

Sorry to nag, Have you had any more thoughts on enabling the path column for pasting in multiple paths?

At the moment I have to copy files into multiple locations which are found by the file name and I'm having to open each location in separate windows so that I can paste into them.