vsbabu.org

Quick UI for DocIndexer

DocIndexer is a toolkit for indexing and searching document directories. DocIndexer includes command-line utilities, Python file index and search classes plus a Win32 COM server (for scripting from languages such as Visual Basic) which can be used to integrate indexing and searching into application software. The current version has built-in support for Microsoft Word, HTML, RTF, PDF and plain text documents.

Once the indexing is done, the search is very fast. I used it for 2 days and already can’t live without it. The search results come up in a DOS window; which makes it difficult to actually pull up documents from the search results (Mark - Copy - Paste).

So, I wrote a quick HTA to act as a front end for docsearch.exe. Obligatory screen shot is below.

Screen Shot

I like it already! If you are looking for something similar, go ahead, grab it and feel free to modify it.

I’m actually finding information in my PC now; rather than using Google

1. I don't want to sound ignorant, but what is HTA?

   Posted by: Andy Todd on December 23, 2003 01:45 PM

2. Can't you use the python script and not have the results come up in a dos window?

   Posted by: Maniac on December 23, 2003 03:26 PM

3. Andy (#1), HTA is HTML Applications. These are simple web pages with extension .hta. You get a full VBA/JScript scripting environment with not much security restrictions (like launching external programs). So, using HTML as the UI builder and VBA/JScript as the client logic handler, you can easily make small applications.

   It works only in Windows though, with IE5+ installed.

   I like HTA technology, because it is script-based, builds upon HTML and makes deployment a non-issue. Coupled with WSH, it provides a decent "quick-n-dirty" development scheme.

   Microsoft's spin on this is at:

   http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/hta/overview/htaoverview.asp

   Posted by: Babu on December 23, 2003 06:10 PM

4. Maniac (#2), yes it is possible. I had done that before with wxPython. Another option is with Tcl. But hey, I didn't want to spend much time packaging it (freezing the python app, making installer etc.). This way, just give people a Zip file and 2 lines of instructions and that is it!

   Posted by: Babu on December 23, 2003 06:12 PM

5. Ramon Felciano quickly made my code less dirty by adding error catching and accomodating paths with spaces.

   Thanks!

   Posted by: Babu on December 23, 2003 09:42 PM

6. Help! I'd love to DL this, but I get this -
   Internal Server Error
   The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.

   Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@vsbabu.org and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

   More information about this error may be available in the server error log.

   Posted by: Joe on October 18, 2004 09:59 PM