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How to exclude certain file types from search/find


netjpk

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Hi,

 

my problem is that when I use Alfred's "find" to search on my computer, the first many (many) results are to-do-items from Things containing the <query text>. However, I am typically looking for documents, not to-do-items... So, how I can I exclude a certain file type (here, to-do-items from Things)?? I think I understand how to *include* certain types, but not how to *exclude* them.

 

Thanks!

 

-Jörg

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You can't. The indexing/searching subsystem on OS X (and therefore Alfred) is include-only. There's no way to exclude certain types of files.

 

The "Alfred Way" is to keep your default scope fairly limited and use File Filters to implement additional, more specific searches.

 

In your case, I'd probably remove the Things data from Alfred's default scope and then add a File Filter specifically for searching Things todos.

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@netjpk Following up on what deanishe said, here's how you can create file filters:

https://www.alfredapp.com/help/workflows/inputs/file-filter/

 

You can also find a few examples in the built-in workflows by clicking on the [+] in the bottom left of the Workflows preferences; Under Examples, you'll find "Simple Folder Search" and "Dynamic File Search". :)

 

Cheers,
Vero

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Thanks to both of you for your quick reply!

 

So, I started with removing most of the paths/folder names in Alfred's Search Scope list (I never dared to do that before) and that already helped. Somehow, I had assumed the check box "Include folders Home (Excluding ~/Library)" would be the perfect solution, but I guess there were just some other "exotic" paths/folders on that list that I don't need Alfred to look into. (Maybe some of these paths came "pre-loaded" with Alfred!? At least, I couldn't recognize them immediately as part of my own folder structure...)

 

Anyway, I got rid of all the to-do-items occupying the entire result list after a "find" command and now get mostly documents!

 

Thanks again!

 

-Jörg

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