This chapter explains how to find files, directories, applications, and images. It contains:
Start with File Quick Find (see “Finding Files, Applications, or Directories Using File QuickFind”). If that does not work and/or you do not know the full path location (the pathname) of the file, then use the Search tool (see “Finding Files, Applications, or Directories Using the Search Tool”.).
See also “Useful Techniques for Finding Files and Images” below.
In many cases, you may want to use a combination of the following techniques. This section includes “A Quick Way to Find a File in an Icon View Window”, “When You Cannot Remember the Exact Name of an Image”, and “When You Cannot Remember the Name of a File”.
Use type-to-select. Move the mouse cursor to the background of the Icon View window, click once, and begin typing the name of the file. As soon as the file is recognized, it is selected (highlighted). Once the correct file is selected, press Enter to open the file.
If you know the name of the file you are looking for, this technique helps you avoid scrolling and scanning through a large group of files to find the one you it.
Browse through miniature views of images. If you cannot remember the name of an image, but you know which directory it is in, open that directory so that is displayed in an Icon View. Choose View > as Thumbnail Images in the Icon View window. This gives you mini-views of all the images in the directory. Use the Icon View thumbwheel to increase or decrease the size of the images.
Limit the Icon View display to match the image type or part of the name. Open the directory that the image is in and choose Actions > Search/Filter Files from the Icon View window. Use the Show files that match name: field to limit the files displayed. For example, if you are looking for a GIF file, type in *gif. If you are looking for an image that has the word “bird” in the title, type *bird*.
Get an extra-quick view of the content of various files. Open the directory that you think contains the file you want. Choose Options > Show Content Viewer in the Icon View window. A viewer opens at the bottom of the window. Click once on any file in the directory to view a quick, read-only version of the file in the content viewer.
Limit the Icon View display by date. If you know which directory the file is in and have a general idea of how long it has been since the file contents were last edited, open the directory and choose Sort > By Date, and View > As List. This can help you narrow your search.
Limit the Icon View display by a text string contained in the file. If you know which directory the file is in and you know some piece of text that is probably in that file, open the directory in an Icon View, choose Actions > Search/Filters Files. Enter a string of text in the Show files containing text: field.
Limit search by time. If you have a general idea of how long it has been since the file contents were last edited, but do not know what directory the file is in, use the Search tool : choose Match > Date Modified, then use the time menu button and field— it lets you specify whether you want to find files that are older than or newer than a certain number of days, or older than or newer than a specified file.
Limit search by file type. If you know what kind of file it is, and you use naming conventions for this particular kind of file (for example, if all Showcase filenames end in .sc), use the Search tool . In this Showcase example, you would enter *.sc in the name contains string field of the Search tool.
This section includes: “Browsing for Applications”, “Finding Out What Application to Use”, and “Finding Icons for Applications”.
The Icon Catalog is your one-stop shopping place for the applications on your system. Open it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Icon Catalog, or choose from one of the Icon Catalog categories listed on the Find menu.
Quick Answers were designed to help you when you are not sure what you need to use to accomplish a particular task. Access it from the Toolchest by choosing Help > Quick Answers.
 | Note: Quick Answers documents only applications and utilities that are bundled with the standard system software. |
If you want to find the icon for an application, so that you can keep it on the desktop or on an Icon View shelf, you can look for it in the Icon Catalog (see “Browsing for Applications” above), then drag it to another location (which makes a reference icon to it).
You can also use File Quick Find (for instructions, see “Finding Files, Applications, or Directories Using File QuickFind”) or the Search tool (see “Finding Files, Applications, or Directories Using the Search Tool”) to locate an application icon, but these tools require you to know the shell command for launching the application. For example, the shell command for launching Movie Maker is moviemaker.
 | Tip: The shell command for an application is often the application name in lower case, with no spaces. |
File QuickFind produces a small window into which you can type the name of applications, files, and directories whose icons you want to find on your system.
Click a topic for step-by-step instructions on using File QuickFind:
If the File QuickFind window is not already open, choose File QuickFind from the Find toolchest.
Type the name of a file, directory, or application in the type-in field provided.
If the file or folder icon resides in your home directory or search path, type the icon name only. For example, to fetch the icon for a file named report1 in your home directory, type: report1
If the file or folder icon is not in your home directory or search path, include the full UNIX pathname. For example, if you want to find the folder icon for the /usr/tmp directory, type /usr/tmp in the field provided. If you want to find the icon for a file called report1 in the /usr/tmp directory, type: /usr/tmp/report1
Press the Enter key or double click the icon to open it.
Pressing the Enter key also places the icon name on the recycle list. If you need to find the icon again, and the File QuickFind window is still open, place the cursor over the recycle button; then press the left mouse button.
If you want, you can drag the icon to a different location—such as the desktop or a page in the Icon Catalog—so it is easily accessible.
To add directories to your path, see “Adding Directories to Your Search Path (Advanced)” in Chapter 11.
When you use the “File QuickFind” command to search for an icon, the software searches through a series of directories to find the file or application. The series of directories it searches is called your path:
If you launched File QuickFind from a directory in an Icon View window, the current directory is searched first.
Your home directory is searched next.
Then all directories listed in your path.
If File QuickFind does not find the file, it either does not exist, or the directory that contains the file is not included in the current path. If it did not find it in your path, you can do one of the following to find the icon:
Type the full pathname into File QuickFind to find the file.
For example, if you want to find the icon for a file called report1 in the /usr/tmp directory, type: /usr/tmp/report1
Add the directory to your path so that you do not have the enter the full pathname every time you search for certain files, directories, or applications. See “Adding Directories to Your Search Path (Advanced)” in Chapter 11 for instructions.
Use the Search tool to find the file—the Search tool does require that you know the path.
The Search tool helps you find icons for files, directories, or applications.
If you do not remember the name of a file or the directory in which it is stored, you may have to search for it. You can use the Search tool to find files and directories based on:
The filename, or a portion of the name
The type of icon it has
How recently the file was created or modified
The person who owns the file
The size of the file
The permission settings for the file (permission settings specify whether people can view and edit the file)
The text in an ASCII text file
By default, the Search tool searches for files that are located on your system. It does not search remote directories, even if the remote directory's icon has been placed on your desktop (mounted). To search in mounted directories, click to remove the check in the checkbox next to the label only on this host.
To search for files on another system on your network, see “Finding Files on Another System”.
If you do not remember the name of a file or the directory in which it is stored, you may want to use the Search tool to locate it. (If the Search tool is not already open, you can launch it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Search For Files.)
Type the name, or a portion of the name, in the field next to the label “name.”
By default, the Search tool finds files whose name contains the string you type. For example, suppose you type doc. You find all files whose name contains that sequence of characters, regardless of the capitalization.
If you want to find files that match a particular name, you need to change the setting from “contains string” to “matches pattern.” To do so, place the cursor over the menu button labeled contains string; then press the left mouse button. Choose matches pattern. Now, if you type doc, you only find files named doc.
Note: When you select matches pattern, you can use an asterisk (*). The asterisk is called a wildcard character. For example, type *doc and you find all files that end in doc. Do not include an asterisk if the Search tool is set to contains string. The Search tool will look for a file name that includes the asterisk. In the field next to the label “look,” type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
Choose commands from the Match menu to specify what type of files you want to find.
Each command on the Match menu reveals a new set of controls. To hide the controls, choose is ignored from the menu button that you want to ignore.
Choose Icon to specify the type of file you want to find. For example, if you are looking for a file you created using the IRIS Showcase application, you can specify that you want to find all IRIS Showcase files. See also “Finding Types of Icons” and “Finding Directories”.
Choose Date Modified to find files based on the time and date they were created or modified.
Choose Ownership to find files that are owned by a particular user.
A drop pocket and type-in field appear. Enter the name of the user or drop an icon into the drop pocket. If the user's icon is available, drop that into the drop pocket. You can also find one file that is owned by that person, and place its icon in the drop pocket.
Choose Size to find files that are greater than, less than, or equal to a specified size. Several menu buttons and a type-in field appear. See also “Finding Large Files”.
Choose Permissions to find files based on their permission settings.
A menu button appears. It offers two choices. You can find files that are marked read-only (allow only reading) or files that are editable (allow reading and writing).
Choose Content to find an ASCII text file that contains a specified sequence of characters.
A type-in field appears. If you choose Contains string, type exactly the text that you want to find—do not use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard character. For example, if you type *.doc you will find only files that actually contain the text string *.doc. However, when you choose Matches pattern, you can use the asterisk as a wildcard character.
Press the Search button.
A list of icons that meet the search criteria appears in the lower portion of the window.
Note: By default, the Search tool searches for files that are located on your system. It does not search in remote directories whose icons you have placed on your desktop (mounted). To search these directories, click the box next to the label only on this host. The checkmark disappears.
You can use the Search tool to find files that are smaller than, greater than, or equal to a specified size. If the System Monitor warns you that your disk is getting full, you might want to use the Search tool to locate large files. (If the Search tool is not already open, you can open it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Search For Files.)
Leave the field next to the label “name” empty.
This assures that you'll find all large files, regardless of their names. You have another option: choose is ignored from the menu button. When you choose is ignored, the controls for specifying a name disappear. To open them again, choose Name from the Match menu.
In the field next to the label look, type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
Choose Size from the Match menu.
A new area appears. It includes two menu buttons. One lets you choose whether you want to find files that are greater than, equal to, or smaller than a specified size; the other lets you choose what measurements you want to use—megabytes, bytes, blocks, or kilobytes.
Choose is greater than from the menu button next to the label size.
Type a number in the size type-in field.
Click the Search button.
Icons greater than the specified size appear in the results area.
Note: You can delete files to make more room on your system's disk. Before doing so, consider making a backup copy of these files. Use the System Manager to find out how to backup files. From the Toolchest, choose System > System Manager.
You can use the Search tool to find icons of a particular type—directories, audio files, IRIS Showcase files, text files, or image files, for example. A unique icon identifies each of these file types.
For this example, suppose you want to use the Search tool to find an IRIS Showcase file. (If the Search tool is not already open, you can open it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Search For Files.)
Leave the field next to the label name empty.
This assures that you'll find all files, regardless of their names. You have another option: choose is ignored from the menu button. When you choose is ignored, the controls for specifying a name disappear. To open them again, choose Name from the Match menu.
In the field next to the label look, type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
Choose Icon from the Match menu.
A new area appears in the window.
Drag an icon of the type for which you are searching, and drop it into the drop pocket.
For example, if you want to find a particular IRIS Showcase file, drag an IRIS Showcase file icon and place it in the drop pocket. The icon changes and the name of that file type appears in the pathname field.
Press the Search button.
A list of files appears in the lower portion of the window. In this case, all of the files on the list are IRIS Showcase files.
You can use the Search tool to find files on another system if your system is on a network and if the directory that contains the file is marked as shared by the remote system. To find out whether a directory is shared, see “Accessing Another System's Media Devices or Printers” in Chapter 10. In addition, NFS should be installed and you should have Automount or AutoFS turned on. To set this up, choose System > System Manager from the Toolchest, go to Network and Connectivity, then click Set Up and Start NFS to open an Interactive Guide.
If the Search tool is not already open, open it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Search For Files.
To find files on another system using the Search tool:
If there is checkmark in the only on this host checkbox, remove it so that the search is not limited to your own system.
Type the name of the file you want to find in the field next to the label name.
For more details, see “Using the Search Tool: Basic Instructions”.
In the field next to the label look, type /hosts followed by the name of the system and directory in which you want to search.
If the system is in a different domain of the network, include this after the system name. For example, to search in the /usr/tmp directory on a system named wizard in the .bldg2 domain, type: /hosts/wizard.bldg2/usr/tmp
A folder icon should appear in the drop pocket next to the pathname you type. If it does not appear, you cannot search the directory you have specified. You might be unable to search for one of several reasons:
The directory is marked as private; the owner has not set it up as a shared directory. For more details, see “Sharing Directories With Other Systems” in Chapter 9.
The permission settings prevent you from searching the directory. For more information on permission settings, see “Permissions Settings: A Definition” in Chapter 9.
The remote system is down.
NFS is not installed (see first paragraph of “Finding Files on Another System”).
Choose commands from the Match menu to narrow the search to specific types of files.
Each command on the Match menu reveals a new set of controls. For more details, see “Using the Search Tool: Basic Instructions”.
Press the Search button.
A list of files that meet the search criteria appears in the lower portion of the window. If you need to access a remote file frequently, drag the icon onto the desktop, onto a shelf, or onto a page in the Icon Catalog. This gives you quick access to a file on another system. To make a copy of the file, drag it into an open Icon View window or over a folder icon.
You can narrow the search so that the Search tool only finds directories that meet the search criteria.If the Search tool is not already open, you can open it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Search For Files.
Type the name, or a portion of the name, in the field next to the label name.
For more details, see “Using the Search Tool: Basic Instructions”.
In the field next to the label look, type the name of the directory from which you want to start the search.
Choose Icon from the Match menu.
A new area appears in the window.
Type Directory in the type-in field or drag a folder icon into the drop pocket.
Press the Search button.
A list of directories appears in the lower portion of the window.
The controls for performing a specific type of search are stored on a page. For example, suppose you use a software application that automatically creates a backup copy of the file you are editing. It names these files filename.bak. This protects you from losing information if the program quits unexpectedly. To regain disk space, you might want to find old backup files and delete them periodically. (If the Search tool is not already open, you can open it from the Toolchest by choosing Find > Search For Files.)
In the Search tool, choose Page > New > File Search.
A new page appears. The tab displays the label Files1. This number increases each time you choose File Search.
Type .bak in the field next to name.
By default, the Search tool finds files whose name contains the string of characters you specify. If you type .bak, you find any files with a name that contain the sequence of characters .bak.
If you have changed the setting to “matches pattern,” you need to type *.bak. The asterisk is a wild card. You find all files with names that end with .bak.
Make sure the full pathname of your home directory appears in the field next to the label look.
Choose Date Modified from the Match menu.
A menu button and new type-in field appear.
Choose was before from the menu button.
Type 7 in the field next to the menu button.
This specifies that you want to find files that end in .bak and are more than seven days old.
Press the Search button.
You see a list of .bak files that are more than seven days old.
Choose Rename from the Page menu; then type a new name in the window that appears. For this example, suppose you type OldFiles.