TextSearch is a handy tool that enables efficient searching through multiple text files arranged in a hierarchical structure.
TextSearch is an open-source program which is published under the GPL license. It requires Python (tested against version 2.5) and Qt 4 to run properly.
There are many real-world scenarios where TextSearch can be useful. For example, if you are writing a diploma thesis about a particular topic and need to search through various publications by different political parties, this program can help you effectively locate necessary information. Additionally, if you are a programmer working with a large code tree and want to find where you have used a particular function, TextSearch can be a valuable time-saver.
Using TextSearch is relatively straightforward. First, you need to convert your files to text files using appropriate tools like antiword (for MS Word documents) or pdftotext (for PDFs). Once the files are converted, you can start TextSearch by running the Python script 'start.py'. The program will prompt you to select the base directory where your files are stored and choose the appropriate encoding.
After that, you can enter your search terms and begin your search. TextSearch provides support for search expressions using "regular expressions" and allows choosing between two implementations: QREgex and python re module. Additionally, it includes a feature that allows selecting the search options, which can be case sensitive or insensitive.
Finally, TextSearch provides the ability to customize the file types that are considered for the search by selecting a space-separated list of suffixes or choosing to search all files. This setting will be remembered next time you start TextSearch.
Overall, TextSearch is a valuable software program for anyone who needs to search large numbers of text files quickly and effectively. It is a great time-saver for researchers, students, and programmers alike.
Version 0.7: N/A