FIND
Utility Query for Windows Explorer
Query is a code that replaces text or is text. |
Lesson
11
| Directory
| Disclaimer | |
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| 1.
Let's look at some reserve symbols that Microsoft has put aside to make
it possible to search more reasonably for a file. They use the
same symbols in their database programs when querying for groups of
data. These are some of the common symbols used as single or
multiple wild cards |
| Character |
Usage |
Example |
| * |
Matches any number of characters. It can be used as the first or last character in the character string.
wh* |
finds what, white, and why |
| ? |
Matches any single alphabetic character. |
B?ll finds ball, bell, and bill |
| [ ] |
Matches any single character within the brackets. |
B[ae]ll finds ball and bell but not bill |
| ! |
Matches any character not in the brackets. |
b[!ae]ll finds bill and bull but not bell |
| - |
Matches any one of a range of characters. You must specify the range in ascending order (A to Z, not Z to A). |
b[a-c]d finds bad, bbd, and bcd |
| # |
Matches any single numeric character. |
1#3 finds 103, 113, 123 |
| I
recommend just learning how to use the asterisk * wildcard which is
quite effective for me. Insert these characters in the box
designated "Named" and then click "Find Now"
button |
| w* |
all files and folders
that begin with "W" |
| *.bmp |
all files that have
bmp extension (folders don't have extensions) |
| *mouse* |
all files and folders
that have "mouse" in their title somewhere |
| george |
Windows default finds
all files and folders with "george" in the title
somewhere |
| Web*.cdr |
all files that begin
with web and end with .cdr extension |
| Don't
have to worry about being case sensitive. If you know the
short name of the file it will tell you it's path. However, the
more you use your computer, the more you will be confused with
what you named the file because you've added so many, even
duplicates thus begins the detective work and the
reason for wildcards in a selective guessing game with yourself of
"Can you find Waldo" |
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| "Look
in" section is for the drive or section of your computer
you would like to search for that missing file that you knew you
would never forget what the name was. Click Browse button
if you want to restrict your search to certain folders or sections
of a drive. |
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You can
open a file from the Find File Utility by selecting, right mouse
click which opens a menu, select "Open" and the file
will open the file with the computer's registered default
program. You can also open by double clicking your selection.
The example shown selected "Splash.gif" then right mouse
click, selected open.
Note the short name of the file in
the "Name" section. On the right "in
Folder" section is the rest of the path or name.
This file was found with
"s" combined with the wild card " *
"(asterisk), followed by the file extension
".gif". The result of this query will give you all
the .gif files you have that begin with "S". You
can create a shortcut to this file by clicking "Create
Shortcut". Dialog box will tell you that you can't but can
place the shortcut on the desktop by selecting "YES".
Might be an easy way to create your desktop shortcut. |
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| We have seen a basic use
of the Find Utility Query for Windows Explorer and basic
reserved characters to be used in the search for a file. |
If you know these lessons and understand
them, I would consider you Windows literate. Now you just have to fine
tune yourself to the programs and how they work.
Check out the other lessons you may want help with. Directory
Comments, Good or Bad: jerry@didyouseethis.net |
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