I'd like to just do an open search on all fields in multiple
databases, which are in various subfolders of one main folder. Can
someone recommend a good approach, preferably not too time-consuming?
"rik"
news:1190842062.304799.72920@d55g2000hsg.googlegroups.com...
> I'd like to just do an open search on all fields in multiple
> databases, which are in various subfolders of one main folder. Can
> someone recommend a good approach, preferably not too time-consuming?
>
Create one big calculation that contains all the fields you want to search
on and use this for a search field.
Keep well, Ursus
I am working in FileMaker 6. There are MANY different files (in many
different file system folders). I cannot manipulate the files
themselves. I want to search all these files at the same time, not one
by one. So how would I use your suggestion to go about this? Sorry if
this is basic stuff.
I almost guess that the easiest way is to find some way of searching
in the "raw text" of the files, but I don't know how to do this. The
Mac "Spotlight" search function doesn't bring up anything when I set
it to look in file "contents", which is supposedly an intra-file text
search, but apparently its not raw text or it should be catching
something...
Anyone know of an application or method for this?
On 2007-09-28 06:31:27 -0700, rik
> I am working in FileMaker 6. There are MANY different files (in many
> different file system folders). I cannot manipulate the files
> themselves. I want to search all these files at the same time, not one
> by one. So how would I use your suggestion to go about this? Sorry if
> this is basic stuff.
> I almost guess that the easiest way is to find some way of searching
> in the "raw text" of the files, but I don't know how to do this. The
> Mac "Spotlight" search function doesn't bring up anything when I set
> it to look in file "contents", which is supposedly an intra-file text
> search, but apparently its not raw text or it should be catching
> something...
> Anyone know of an application or method for this?
Here's what I hear you saying...you have a bunch of different files
with the SAME information. Clearly searching across unlike information
makes no sense. Likely we're looking at InvoicesApril.fp5,
InvoicesMay.fp5, or ProjectABC.fp5 and ProjectXYZ.fp5, all spread out
in different folders based on the idiosyncratic filing methods of
various users.
No, there is no quick, easy, cheap methodology or app to search and
return in an accessible way the information you need. You could do
text searches, but opening the files in other apps may damage them, and
certainly all you'll get is the return of text strings, not the return
of the entire record info.
What *I* would do, is designate or design a central single file, and
import ALL the data from ALL the files into that file. Tag each import
with a Source field (or Type or whatever you want to call it) as it
should have been done from the first. Separating types of data by
making new files is a very bad data structure, as you now observe. But
sometimes we don't have any choice but to deal with the situation as
the client presents it.
Once the data is centralized, then one can search in any or all fields
relatively easily.
--
Lynn Allen
--
www.semiotics.com
Member Filemaker Business Alliance
Long Beach, CA
> "Here's what I hear you saying...you have a bunch of different files
> with the SAME information. Clearly searching across unlike information
> makes no sense. "
Thanks for the response. The information is generally the same, but of
course fields change slightly over the years. Actually, It makes
perfect sense to search across unlike information. I am simply looking
for a certain "statistically improbable phrase". If I can search the
raw text, then I should be able to identify which File contains it
(unless the characters would be in some encoded form and thereby un-
recognizable???), and then from there I can guess which field it would
be in. This is something I will be doing only once, or very
irregularly. I'm not necessarily looking to "open the files in another
program", but simply want a program that scans the files' pure data
strings and return a list of file matches. I think I've heard of
programs that do this on PC, but don't know about Mac. Such a program,
it seems, would be looking at the files in a "read-only" way, and so
one would hope there'd be no risk of damage...
So, I pose again my question to the world...
And by the way...
> "as it should have been done from the first. Separating types of data by
> making new files is a very bad data structure, as you now observe."
....whether or not it was a good idea to break the data into different
files or not would perhaps require a closer knowledge of its usage. As
is, the current search needed is an unusual one. Though I am perfectly
aware of the simplicity and benefits of one gigantic database, I am
not about to go thru the trouble of creating one for this, and
changing the operating procedures of the company.)
>
>> "as it should have been done from the first. Separating types of data by
>> making new files is a very bad data structure, as you now observe."
>
> ...whether or not it was a good idea to break the data into different
> files or not would perhaps require a closer knowledge of its usage. As
> is, the current search needed is an unusual one. Though I am perfectly
> aware of the simplicity and benefits of one gigantic database, I am
> not about to go thru the trouble of creating one for this, and
> changing the operating procedures of the company.)
>
Since you are going to do this only once I would suggest to export all
contents into textfiles and search through these. Filemaker doesn't store
the data you have entered in a way that you can do a raw search on it. Every
other way of searching through a heap of different files consist of
re-importing or linking through relationships. It seems like you want
statistical data to be returned from your query, filemaker is not a number
cruncher. And although some basic functions are available FMP is a very
unwealdy beast when doing true statistics. One way or an other you have to
massage all of your data into an other file or into an other application.
Keep well, Ursus
Ursus
> Since you are going to do this only once I would suggest to export all
> contents into textfiles and search through these.
If your FMP file are not password protected, an applescript can open and
export all of them.
Not so difficult, but needs some skill.
--
www.D-L-S.org
On Sep 28, 11:15 am, rik
> Thanks for the response. The information is generally the same, but of
> course fields change slightly over the years. Actually, It makes
> perfect sense to search across unlike information. I am simply looking
> for a certain "statistically improbable phrase". If I can search the
> raw text, then I should be able to identify which File contains it
> (unless the characters would be in some encoded form and thereby un-
> recognizable???),
Potentially; I don't think filemaker does any fancy encoding, but when
dealing with raw data your are looking at bytes not characters; and
you'll have to ensure you are looking at the right encoding (unicode
16 vs unicode 8...etc)
Additionally its also conceivable though somewhat unlikely that the
entire phrase you are looking for might not be stored contiguously.
> and then from there I can guess which field it would
> be in. This is something I will be doing only once, or very
> irregularly. I'm not necessarily looking to "open the files in another
> program", but simply want a program that scans the files' pure data
> strings and return a list of file matches. I think I've heard of
> programs that do this on PC, but don't know about Mac. Such a program,
> it seems, would be looking at the files in a "read-only" way, and so
> one would hope there'd be no risk of damage...
In any case one would expect you to work on a backup if you want to do
anything potentially destructive.
> So, I pose again my question to the world...
try: grep
-regards,
Dave