GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 100728
Default filename search constraint should be case insensitive.
Last modified: 2009-08-15 18:40:50 UTC
The default search type of the gnome-search-tool is case sensitive globbing. If you dont know this, it takes some time to figure out. It's also quite useless in a gui were you don't need the exact matching usually required by scripts. Case-insensitive substring is probably a better default.
bug 98548 is related
I completely agree with this. Case sensitivity is really an implementation detail that should not be inflicted upon the users of gui tools.
I completely agree too, but there is a huge implementation obstacle preventing this from happening. Gnome-search-tool is simply and GUI interface to the unix find command. The GNU find command supports the '-iname' case insensitive search option, but the solaris and aix find commands do not.
I reckon you should just go with the conditional -iname option for Linux. It probably adds a lot of value to the interface for linux users and hopefully Solaris/AIX will catch up soon after ;)
Created attachment 13346 [details] [review] A patch to make file name searches be case insensitive. (system compatibility checks at run time)
Applied patch to HEAD. Leaving bug report open until I update the docs. 2003-01-20 Dennis Cranston <dennis_cranston@yahoo.com> * gsearchtool.c: Fix bug #100728. Default filename search constraint should be case insensitive (system dependent). Also, converted the 'Contains the text' and 'File is not named' search constraints to be case insensitive for consistency.
Docs updated. 2003-01-20 Dennis Cranston <dennis_cranston@yahoo.com> * help/C/gnome-search-tool.xml, * help/C/figures/gnome-search-tool_window.png: Updated the docs and screenshot for bugs #98548 and #100728.
Why this bug isn't fixed in gnome 2.2.1 ? This bugfix doesn't include translations (string) changes and can be included in stable version. Simple users don't understand how to search with current version :( gnome-search-tool is still useless for most users and this fix should be included in gnome-utils ASAP. There are almost no desktop users, that feel gnome-search-tool are useful, because of case-sensitive search. Why gnome developers don't include bugfixes such importand for users, but simple for programers in stable version ?
>Why this bug isn't fixed in gnome 2.2.1 ? This bugfix doesn't >include translations (string) changes and can be included in >stable version. Because: 1. The feature was added _AFTER_ the GNOME 2.2 feature freeze. 2. It has not been through enough user testing. 3. I do not want to risk introducing new bugs into the 2.2.x series. I don't have the time or energy to answer your other unrelated comments.
dennis_cranston@yahoo.com: >It has not been through enough user testing >I do not want to risk introducing new bugs into the 2.2.x series. As I said before - most users don't understand how to search with current version :( Do you think, the version which doesn't work properly and makes the majority of users nervous, when they can't find needed files just because gnome-search-tool is case sensitive - for example user get just a part of existing text documents, when entering "*.txt" in "File is named" field (because some files have .TXT and some even .Txt extensions) Including this fix into GNOME2.2 won't make additional risk, because now users simply don't use search tool after several unsuccessful tries. If you think, that gnome-search-tool isn't useless for most users - you can do a user-survey, but I'm tired of users complains about not working gnome search. I still think - this fix should be included in gnome-utils ASAP and target milestone should be GNOME 2.2
Please don't keep reopening this. You're wasting our time. Dennis has fixed the bug, the fix is in the 2.4 series, he's explained his reasoning. You say, "most users don't understand how to search with current version," but offer no evidence. My evidence to the contrary is bugzilla. The search tool has exhibited the current behavior for years with no complaints until December. That prompted a fix, the fix will be in GNOME 2.4, Dennis deserves thanks for his prompt response, not continued badgering about this.
John, Thanks for explaining things again. Mantas, If you cannot wait for the functionality then go grab a snapshot version gnome-utils. ftp::ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/gnome-utils/2.3/gnome-utils-2.3.0.tar.gz READ THESE NEXT TWO SENTENCE VERY CAREFULLY. I am closing this bug report for the last time. DO NOT REOPEN IT.