[OS X TeX] How to make locate/spotlight search ~/Library/texmf

[Alan Munn]

On Aug 10, 2010, at 4:32 PM, Michael Sharpe wrote:

>
> On Aug 10, 2010, at 10:41 AM, Alan Munn wrote:
>
>> On Aug 10, 2010, at 1:35 PM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> On Aug 10, 2010, at 12:16 PM, Alan Munn wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Aug 10, 2010, at 12:51 PM, Herbert Schulz wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Aug 10, 2010, at 11:22 AM, Alan Munn wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi,  I can use the locate command in a Terminal to quickly find  
>>>>>> files in /usr/local/texlive.  However, it doesn't find files in  
>>>>>> ~/Library/texmf.  How do I make it do that?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd guess that the locate database won't contain anything in the  
>>>>> Users folder since that is private for each individual user.  
>>>>> Perhaps there is a way to ell it to build a personal database.
>>>>>
>>>>>> Secondly, what's the relationship between the Spotlight search  
>>>>>> (via Command-space) and the locate search database?  They  
>>>>>> clearly don't find the same things, since /usr/local files  
>>>>>> never show up in the Command-Space searches.  Is there a way to  
>>>>>> make them match?
>>>>>
>>>>> There is no relationship between them. The technology is  
>>>>> different for the two things.
>>>>
>>>> Ok.  That makes sense then.  So is there a way to get Spotlight  
>>>> command-space to index ~/Library/texmf?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Howdy,
>>>
>>> Actually Spotlight does index everything but there is no way to  
>>> make it show that information that I know of using the simple Cmd- 
>>> Space. If you do a Cmd-F AND then click on Kind and pick Other and  
>>> the select System Files (you can put that on the default list with  
>>> a check box---that will save one step later) and then select `are  
>>> included'' you can find those files. I wish there was a way to  
>>> just have that turned on by default but I don't know of any.
>>
>> Bummer.
>>
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I've been using `Find Any File', <http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/index.html 
>>>>> >, and I'm quite happy with it.
>>>>
>>>> Yes, I have that too, but I'm lazy... For most quick searches  
>>>> command-space is simply more convenient.  I'd just like to be  
>>>> able to find things in my local texmf folder as easily.  If  
>>>> locate could do that, that would be fine, since I've always got a  
>>>> terminal window open; if it can't, I'd prefer to use Spotlight if  
>>>> possible.
>>>>
>>>> Alan
>>>
>>> And that's why I use `Find Any File'!
>>
>> Sure, but they're far from functionally equivalent, since Find Any  
>> File doesn't search on content.  So if I don't know the name of  
>> something but I know what's inside it, I can't find it with that  
>> tool.  Since that's my preferred searching method for many things,  
>> using Find Any File just adds a third tool for me, so it's really a  
>> last resort.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Alan
>>
>
> There is a way to get Spotlight functionality with access to system  
> and ~/Library/texmf files, using the Automator that came with Snow  
> Leopard. Create an application, drag "Find Finder Items" onto the  
> right hand panel, the select "Computer", "All" and "Any Content".  
> Then, under Options, check "Show this action when workflow runs".  
> Next, drag "Filter paragraphs" to the right panel, underneath "Find  
> Finder Items", and set it to Return paragraphs that do not end  
> with .emlx". After that, drag "Run Applescript" onto the right panel  
> under the two other items, and enter the following:
>
> on run {input, parameters}
> 	set dq to ASCII character 34
> 	set AppleScript's text item delimiters to ASCII character 10
> 	set dat to input as text
> 	tell application "Terminal"
> 		activate
>                delay 1
> 		do script ("echo " & dq & dat & dq) in window 1
> 	end tell
> end run
>
> Then save the application, say as myfind.app. You can set a hotkey  
> for it under System preferences/Keyboard. The end result is that  
> when you hit the hotkey, the Find Finder Items dialog will appear,  
> and after pressing Continue, you will see a list in a Terminal  
> window of all files containing the specified text.
>

Thanks, Michael, I'll check this out.

Alan


-- 
Alan Munn
amunn at gmx.com