Click New Search tab to create a new search tab:
Type a search query, then click Search button. WinCatalog will find all items that match the search query.
How WinCatalog Understands Search Queries
Wildcards
When typing search queries, the asterisk character ("*") substitutes for any zero or more characters, and the question mark ("?") substitutes for any one character.
Example
Type "*.jpg" to find all files with Jpeg extension. Type "*.mp?" to find all files with extension MP and any character on the third position (MP3 and MP4 match the search query).
Single Word
The SingleWord means "Find all items containing the word".
Example
For items:
Bob Marley.mp3
Bobcat.jpg
Sponge Bob.avi
The search query "Bob" (without quotes) will be the same as "*Bob*" (without quotes) and will find all three Bob Marley.mp3, Bobcat.jpg and Sponge Bob.avi; if you want to find items starting with the word "Bob" (Bob Marley.mp3 and Bobcat.jpg) use square brackets and add an asterisks to the end of the word: "[Bob*]" (without quotes).
Search Phrase
The search phrase means "Find all items which contain all words from the Phrase in right order, but can contain other words between them".
Example
For items:
One Two Three
One Three Five
One Five Seven
Zero One Two Three
The search query "One Three" (without quotes) will be the same as "*One*Three*" (without quotes) and will find: "One Two Three", "One Three Five" and "Zero One Two Three" but will not find One Five Seven because it does not contain Three. Use square brackets operator for more exact queries.
Search Operators
Use search operators AND, NOT and OR to logically combine search queries.
expr1 AND expr2
expr1 OR expr2
expr1 NOT expr2
expr1 and expr2 - are search queries as described above.
Example
For items:
One Two Three
One Three Five
One Five Seven
Zero One Two Three
The search query "*one AND *three" (without quotes) will find One Two Three, One Three Five, Zero One Two Three.
The search query "*one OR *three" (without quotes) will find all 4 items.
The search query "*one NOT *three" (without quotes) will find only One Five Seven because it contains One and not contain Three.
Brackets
Use brackets () to combine search operators like in mathematics.
Example
For items:
One Two Three
One Three Five
One Five Seven
Zero One Two Three
The search query "(*one OR *three) NOT (*seven OR *five)" (without quotes) will find One Two Three and Zero One Two Three because these items do not contain Seven and do not contain Five.
Quotes
Use quotes to find the whole phrase.
Example
For items:
One Two Three
One Three Five
One Five Seven
Zero One Two Three
The search query "one three" (with quotes) will be the same as "*one three*" (with quotes) and will find only One Three Five.
Square brackets
Use square brackets to find the word or phrase as is (i.e. switch off all syntax described above except wildcards).
Example
For items:
One and Two
Three NOT Four
Five AND Six
The search query "[*and*]" (without quotes) will find two items: One and Two, Five AND Six.
More advanced example, the search query "[*and*] NOT *Six" will find only One and Two.
