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Submission details

24 +26/-2 votes

Finder: use the searchbox for filtering of folder contents

Submitted by mojo2012 on June 24, 2009 to Usability

The searchbox in the finder window is somehow broken. The fact that everytime you enter a search term the whole computer is searched is simply not understandable (from my point of view).

I (partly) like the way the "searchbox" in vista/win7 works. So I'have an idea how to adapt such a behaviour to Mac OS X:
If you enter text (without pressing return) into the seachbox of a finder window then the folder contents should be filtered appropriatly to the entered text. If the "x" is clicked, then all file/folders should be shown again.

If you press return after you entered a text, then the folder and all of its subfolders - and not he whole computer - should be searched by default for the phrase.

Atm, the default search location is the whole computer. That makes just no sense. If I want to search the entire pc, then I simply use the spotlicht icon in the menubar. The possibility to change the seach location of the folder should stay but should not be the default setting.

Low

Low

Not fixed

Discussion (3 comments)

oschrenk wrote on June 24, 2009, 7:07pm

I believe that you will be able to change the default search scope in Snow Leopard from computer to current folder or computer.

mojo2012 wrote on June 27, 2009, 11:00am

Changed solution description.

jasper wrote on July 23, 2009, 5:59pm

I also noticed this when searching external hard drives (often resulting in a 'Agh! I'm sure the file was on th... ow, it's not searching the drive'). Change the default behavior (yes, Microsoft had it right on this one).

wellslogan wrote on September 21, 2009, 9:38pm

In Snow Leopard at least: Finder->Preferences->Advanced-> "When Performing a Search"-> switch to "Search the Current Folder".

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