Hello all,
This is a bug, new feature request, or workaround depending on your viewpoint.
Longtime experience user who wants to improve how X1 operates, tailoring it closer to my needs.
We all use the standard search filters, such as "Documents", but what happens if you want to change this built-in filter? There appears to be no sanctioned method to accomplish this. Also, when the next update is installed, any such customization might be lost.
Question 1.
Should human-readable text file formats, already handled and indexed by X1, be considered "Documents" ?
I believe the answer is YES. If so, there is a bug in X1. The list of file extensions contained in the built in definition of "Documents" does NOT include ".txt". You can validate this by selecting "Documents" as the search filter, and entering "txt" in the file name field.
Should other text file formats, such as source code, scripts, etc, be considered "Documents" ... I am not so sure, but I suggest that ".txt" should be, especially since it is the default file type for notepad.
Question 2.
Should there be a standard mechanism to modify the built-in search filters, such as "Documents" to include or exclude additional file extensions? Currently, there is not. You can modify the search filter (by adding OR TXT= to the end of the file types field) and then Save this custom search, but only with a different name. You are not allowed to overwrite the existing "Documents" built in search. The built in search filters are also "special", in that using the X1 client GUI, you can not rename or delete the built in search filters like "Documents". If you create your own custom saved search, you can delete or rename it.
In previous versions of X1 (at least version 6.7.4), you could delete and also over-write the built in search "Documents" with your own customized version. Beware, this destroyed the built in version. With X1 version 8.3.2.1 you can not delete or overwrite the builtin search filters using the GUI.
Workaround.
In actuality, the definition of the built in search filters like "documents" are stored in an XML file. The file location is:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\X1 Search\saved searches
in this folder there is a "Documents.X1S" file, corresponding to the "Documents" built in search filter, for example.
You can open this .X1S file using a text editor. I prefer Notepad++ because it will automatically highlight syntax.
On my configuration, line 39 of this XML file is:
<Search>doc= OR docx= OR xls= OR xlsx= OR ppt= OR pptx= OR vsd= OR pdf= OR odt= OR sxw= OR ods= OR sxc= OR odp= OR sxi= OR xlsm= OR wpd=</Search>
With X1 client and indexing server shut down, you can edit this line and add or remove the additional file extensions that you need.
If you want to be extra careful, you could create your own custom saved search with its own name, say "Document2". This will create a "Document2.<hex number>.X1S file.
You could then rename the builtin "Documents.X1S" file to Documents_orig.X1S" as a backup, and copy the Documents2.<hex number>.X1S file to the filename "Documents.X1S", without destroying the original.
When you bring X1 back up, your "Documents" built in filter will reflect your customizations. Once this is validated, you can delete the "Documents2" saved search from the GUI.
Enhancement Request
Please add to the "Files Options" or "Specify File Types" windows a mechanism to add or remove additional file types from the standard "Documents" search filter, without the need to create a custom saved search filter, or perform the XML workaround discussed above. The "Specify File Types" window may be a natural place, because the user would be adding additional file extensions that should be indexed, and may want to consider them as "Documents".
For many of us, it is valuable to customize the X1 built in search filters, especially "Documents". This posting illustrates the problem, several workarounds, and a request for enhancement to make such customization straightforward in the GUI.
Regards,
Dave B
This is a bug, new feature request, or workaround depending on your viewpoint.
Longtime experience user who wants to improve how X1 operates, tailoring it closer to my needs.
We all use the standard search filters, such as "Documents", but what happens if you want to change this built-in filter? There appears to be no sanctioned method to accomplish this. Also, when the next update is installed, any such customization might be lost.
Question 1.
Should human-readable text file formats, already handled and indexed by X1, be considered "Documents" ?
I believe the answer is YES. If so, there is a bug in X1. The list of file extensions contained in the built in definition of "Documents" does NOT include ".txt". You can validate this by selecting "Documents" as the search filter, and entering "txt" in the file name field.
Should other text file formats, such as source code, scripts, etc, be considered "Documents" ... I am not so sure, but I suggest that ".txt" should be, especially since it is the default file type for notepad.
Question 2.
Should there be a standard mechanism to modify the built-in search filters, such as "Documents" to include or exclude additional file extensions? Currently, there is not. You can modify the search filter (by adding OR TXT= to the end of the file types field) and then Save this custom search, but only with a different name. You are not allowed to overwrite the existing "Documents" built in search. The built in search filters are also "special", in that using the X1 client GUI, you can not rename or delete the built in search filters like "Documents". If you create your own custom saved search, you can delete or rename it.
In previous versions of X1 (at least version 6.7.4), you could delete and also over-write the built in search "Documents" with your own customized version. Beware, this destroyed the built in version. With X1 version 8.3.2.1 you can not delete or overwrite the builtin search filters using the GUI.
Workaround.
In actuality, the definition of the built in search filters like "documents" are stored in an XML file. The file location is:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\X1 Search\saved searches
in this folder there is a "Documents.X1S" file, corresponding to the "Documents" built in search filter, for example.
You can open this .X1S file using a text editor. I prefer Notepad++ because it will automatically highlight syntax.
On my configuration, line 39 of this XML file is:
<Search>doc= OR docx= OR xls= OR xlsx= OR ppt= OR pptx= OR vsd= OR pdf= OR odt= OR sxw= OR ods= OR sxc= OR odp= OR sxi= OR xlsm= OR wpd=</Search>
With X1 client and indexing server shut down, you can edit this line and add or remove the additional file extensions that you need.
If you want to be extra careful, you could create your own custom saved search with its own name, say "Document2". This will create a "Document2.<hex number>.X1S file.
You could then rename the builtin "Documents.X1S" file to Documents_orig.X1S" as a backup, and copy the Documents2.<hex number>.X1S file to the filename "Documents.X1S", without destroying the original.
When you bring X1 back up, your "Documents" built in filter will reflect your customizations. Once this is validated, you can delete the "Documents2" saved search from the GUI.
Enhancement Request
Please add to the "Files Options" or "Specify File Types" windows a mechanism to add or remove additional file types from the standard "Documents" search filter, without the need to create a custom saved search filter, or perform the XML workaround discussed above. The "Specify File Types" window may be a natural place, because the user would be adding additional file extensions that should be indexed, and may want to consider them as "Documents".
For many of us, it is valuable to customize the X1 built in search filters, especially "Documents". This posting illustrates the problem, several workarounds, and a request for enhancement to make such customization straightforward in the GUI.
Regards,
Dave B