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I can't search for * for some reason


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In a note, I have "starred" certain parts of the text so that after I have written a lot, I can just type command+f and type "*" to find all the things that I have starred. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be able to find the stars! After some more testing, it doesn't seem to find any special characters at all (like %, $, @, etc...).

 

How can I search for special characters within a note? 

 

Thanks

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In a note, I have "starred" certain parts of the text so that after I have written a lot, I can just type command+f and type "*" to find all the things that I have starred. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be able to find the stars! After some more testing, it doesn't seem to find any special characters at all (like %, $, @, etc...).

 

How can I search for special characters within a note? 

 

Thanks

http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/52020-unable-to-search-for-words-with-punctuation-like-att/

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  • Level 5*

I replied:  maybe for a reason?

 

And to add to any workarounds - I did see a suggestion (in G+ I think - too lazy to search and attribute properly,  so apologies if this isn't new) that to 'tag' notes with keywords,  or for action later,  you can always just add a character to a significant word.  SearchesX forinstance would help me find all occurences of discussions about searching,  as distinct from all the cuttings,  web pages and documents that I've stored which contain that word as part of another subject,  or general layout.

 

And dropping a 'to do' box - which can be ticked,  or unticked as required - is a good way to find tasks that don't have any other common thread than a need to be completed.  Sometime.  

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Thanks for that link. I ranted in that thread, but to summarize:

 

That sucks.

You chose to implement a workflow that is not compatible with Evernote. That's not Evernote's fault. Perhaps you should do a better job of due diligence next time. As Gaz pointed out in his reply to you in the other thread (below), there are other, better ways to do what you are trying to do.http://discussion.evernote.com/topic/53412-i-cant-search-for-for-some-reason/

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Yes I chose to implement a workflow that is not compatible with evernote. But, I also chose to implement a workflow that I thought SHOULD be compatible with evernote. I don't think its ridiculous of me to initially assume that evernote would allow finding special characters. Too bad for me, but I guess the upsides to this inability are worth it apparently (cause of false positives and large indexing or whatever). 

 

Ideally there would be some way to turn this ability on for a note so that it is at least possible. That would be my feature request (that probably won't be implemented). That would be better for cases where I am copying and pasting text that have special characters in them. For instance, how would I search for pointer initializations in C++ code that I've pasted in?

 

Saying I should do a better job of due diligence for this ability that exists in every other app that deals with text is a bit like saying that I should check that a Mail app that I download can allow me to CC people. Or that a dictionary app will let me search for words that start with the letter f. Or that a messaging app can let me send special characters in messages.  Its a common and basic ability whose exclusion would not be expected by most or all people. I don't think many people downloaded evernote thinking: "Oh I hope this app is not able to search for special characters!" 

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  • Level 5

I'm a bit perplexed.

Gazumped and BnF's responses seem correct insofar as the Evernote wide search goes.

AFAIK, the only special symbol you can search for is the underscore.

You can do some quite useful tricks with that.

 

But your direct query seems to be with searching for characters within a note you're editing with Ctrl-F.

 

Which client are you using?

In Windows with V5.2.0.2637 I can search on any of the symbols including "*" and click next through each one.

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Mac 5.5. Yes I'm searching for special characters within a note using command+F; I'm not doing evernote wide searches or searching for a particular note. Unfortunately, some notes I am editing already have special characters in them (because they were copied and pasted from somewhere else).

 

Searching for underscore within a note doesn't work for me. It works if I use the evernote-wide search though, but thats not what I care about right now! Hmmmmm

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  • Level 5

Sounds like a bug report to make then.

 

Control+F works exactly as you seem to require on windows.

 

Could you not make a text tag (not an actual Evernote tag)?

_finish_

 

Or something shorter.

 

That "tag" is uniquely searchable globally across all notes, as well as within a note.

Granted it's more to type but it works well without collateral hits noise.

 

_f_ might work if it's memorable to you.

__f for example has a lot of collateral hits for me with (__FILE__) in WordPress PHP snippets.

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I have an HTC One & can't find anyway at all to save the restaurants I look up in explore I have tried everything, please help

 

Sounds like you should start this as a new thread.

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Thank you cwb, its nice to know that searching for special characters in EverNote works at least in the Windows version. I'll use your _f_ suggestion from now on when writing new notes. I'll submit a bug report and then hopefully some time in the future, I'll be able to use * in notes and search for them.

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  • Level 5

I confirmed with a remote session to my mac at the home office, running the latest pre-release that the in note search behavior is similar to yours, and different than Windows.

That's vexing.

 

It should look like this:

ScreenClip.png

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Saying I should do a better job of due diligence for this ability that exists in every other app that deals with text is a bit like saying that I should check that a Mail app that I download can allow me to CC people. Or that a dictionary app will let me search for words that start with the letter f. Or that a messaging app can let me send special characters in messages.  Its a common and basic ability whose exclusion would not be expected by most or all people. I don't think many people downloaded evernote thinking: "Oh I hope this app is not able to search for special characters!"

Your examples are not even close. Yes, it's a matter of doing due diligence before fully investing in a workflow. Sorry it didn't work out for you. Perhaps next time you'll test something before investing a lot of time & effort into something that doesn't work the way you *think* it should work.

Good luck.

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  • Level 5

Your examples are not even close. Yes, it's a matter of doing due diligence before fully investing in a workflow. Sorry it didn't work out for you. Perhaps next time you'll test something before investing a lot of time & effort into something that doesn't work the way you *think* it should work.

Good luck.

Tone deaf BnF.

 

  1. The most rudimentary of built in text editors on Windows (notepad) and Mac (TextEdit), give the expectation that you can bring up find and search on characters within the text.
  2. Moreover so does EVERNOTE on Windows.

 

The expectation is valid.

It would be broken thinking for a developer to not grok that established end user expectation.

Fortunately that's not the case, but seemingly a broken note search feature just on the Mac side.

So your argument would seem to be out of alignment with both the preponderance of end users, as well as the Product developers (at least the windows ones).

 

Also you're projecting.  He never said he built a whole workflow around something he didn't test first.  He said in line one "In a note".

And now he has a valid, "huh, that's weird" query for the forum.

Let's not lump him in with the many who have done that, and been textually beaten to a pulp for it.

 

Where I do agree with you:

  • There are valid index related reasons for special character search limits across notes in the main search field, though that's not the subject of the OP's question, and if it was, it might be more helpful to share the one special character he can use.
  • It would be silly to build a significant system around an untested functionality.
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-1 to the evangelists today I'm afraid. Neither reply were on target to the actual question asked.

 

"How can I search for special characters within a note? " (using Control/Command F), is completely different than searching across notes with the search field, and I would hope they would have enough experience to know the difference.

 

Instead of the knee-jerk replies, "oh that sounds like another thread to insert standard replies #27 and #32."

"Silly newbie, you can't search for special characters in Evernote"

"Silly newbie, don't ask for things you don't find already in the product".

 

And if that doesn't sufficiently kill the thread...

 

#5 "Silly newbie, I find your lack of faith in the feature set handed down from on high, disturbing"

 

and a link to another thread, adding their name to list of "fools that have gone before them".

 

---

 

Yes, a lot of users ask the same lame irritating things.  This isn't one of those times, I posit.

Can I encourage the Evangelapologists to return to a customer service focused helpfulness?

More often imparting the shared knowledge base, rather than going straight to dismissive-ness (often with an un-called for edge).

 

Both of you in particular of late I have observed myself adding to your replies because you abruptly answered orthogonally without understanding correctly the posters question.  Understanding the problem domain is halfway to the solution.

 

Putting my deflector shields up for the likely 3 fingers pointing back, on the dismissive edginess.

  1. I think my record stands as more on the helpful solution side than the dismissive or haranguing (though there's a rich fabric of applying it where I believe needed, to be sure), it's not my default for new user questions.
  2. I'm not limited/burdened by the brand representing "Evernote Evangelist" tag.  Shouldn't you be though?
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  • Level 5*

-1 to the evangelists today I'm afraid. Neither reply were on target to the actual question asked.

Would you mind terribly not lumping all of us evangelists together? First off, we're individuals -- I speak for myself, and if I'm wrong, or out of line, then tell me. I can take it -- it's all part of the conversation after all, but it's not fair to tar anyone else for my mistakes. Which is why, second, nobody's keeping score, or if they are, it's a silly notion. It's not "us" against "them" situation. Thank you.
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Your examples are not even close. Yes, it's a matter of doing due diligence before fully investing in a workflow. Sorry it didn't work out for you. Perhaps next time you'll test something before investing a lot of time & effort into something that doesn't work the way you *think* it should work.

Good luck.

Tone deaf BnF.

  • The most rudimentary of built in text editors on Windows (notepad) and Mac (TextEdit), give the expectation that you can bring up find and search on characters within the text.
  • Moreover so does EVERNOTE on Windows.
The expectation is valid.

It would be broken thinking for a developer to not grok that established end user expectation.

Fortunately that's not the case, but seemingly a broken note search feature just on the Mac side.

So your argument would seem to be out of alignment with both the preponderance of end users, as well as the Product developers (at least the windows ones).

 

Also you're projecting.  He never said he built a whole workflow around something he didn't test first.  He said in line one "In a note".

And now he has a valid, "huh, that's weird" query for the forum.

Let's not lump him in with the many who have done that, and been textually beaten to a pulp for it.

 

Where I do agree with you:

  • There are valid index related reasons for special character search limits across notes in the main search field, though that's not the subject of the OP's question, and if it was, it might be more helpful to share the one special character he can use.
  • It would be silly to build a significant system around an untested functionality.

OP clearly did not do his due diligence & is peeved b/c EN doesn't work the way he *thinks* it should work. Let's put the responsibility where it belongs.

-1 to the evangelists today I'm afraid. Neither reply were on target to the actual question asked.

 

"How can I search for special characters within a note? " (using Control/Command F), is completely different than searching across notes with the search field, and I would hope they would have enough experience to know the difference.

 

Instead of the knee-jerk replies, "oh that sounds like another thread to insert standard replies #27 and #32."

"Silly newbie, you can't search for special characters in Evernote"

"Silly newbie, don't ask for things you don't find already in the product".

 

And if that doesn't sufficiently kill the thread...

 

#5 "Silly newbie, I find your lack of faith in the feature set handed down from on high, disturbing"

 

and a link to another thread, adding their name to list of "fools that have gone before them".

 

---

 

Yes, a lot of users ask the same lame irritating things.  This isn't one of those times, I posit.

Can I encourage the Evangelapologists to return to a customer service focused helpfulness?

More often imparting the shared knowledge base, rather than going straight to dismissive-ness (often with an un-called for edge).

 

Both of you in particular of late I have observed myself adding to your replies because you abruptly answered orthogonally without understanding correctly the posters question.  Understanding the problem domain is halfway to the solution.

 

Putting my deflector shields up for the likely 3 fingers pointing back, on the dismissive edginess.

  • I think my record stands as more on the helpful solution side than the dismissive or haranguing (though there's a rich fabric of applying it where I believe needed, to be sure), it's not my default for new user questions.
  • I'm not limited/burdened by the brand representing "Evernote Evangelist" tag.  Shouldn't you be though?

You clearly are paraphrasing incorrectly. But nice try.

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OP clearly did not do his due diligence & is peeved b/c EN doesn't work the way he *thinks* it should work. Let's put the responsibility where it belongs.

 

 

Actually, it does work the way I think it should work. But only in Windows right now.

 

I was peeved at your response about me not doing a good job. I was not peeved at the lack of ability to search for special characters. I was surprised.

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  • Level 5

-1 to the evangelists today I'm afraid. Neither reply were on target to the actual question asked.

Would you mind terribly not lumping all of us evangelists together? First off, we're individuals -- I speak for myself, and if I'm wrong, or out of line, then tell me. I can take it -- it's all part of the conversation after all, but it's not fair to tar anyone else for my mistakes. Which is why, second, nobody's keeping score, or if they are, it's a silly notion. It's not "us" against "them" situation. Thank you.

Fair enough.

I was also specific in my nod to the two present. But I accept that I didn't take into account the lurkers.

I'm not aware of score kept either but it's a figure of speech reflecting that for this interaction I believe it was "less than positive" if not exactly -1

This is getting off topic in a broader discussion sense, but...

On the us vs them, ~some~ evangelists might want to take an honest personal inventory then.

I'm observing, and reflecting some personal and public comments shared with me from them, that some newer posters are ~perceiving~ just that. If that's not intended, then perhaps there's some adjustments that might be made.

But they've also stated similar sentiments to that directly to some of you, over and over, so no surprise there.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them hear the rippling of the waves.

And if, BnF, the paraphrasing is all you got out of the message and got stuck at that, there's nothing further I can do to help, but my responsibility is completed.

Just saying, I think the new users deserve a little better, and now I've said so.

The only "score" keeping here was that of straws on the camels back and I reached a "here we go again, Really?" moment.

If there's nothing else, perhaps we should wrap the rabbit hole before the thread relevance is lost, and we get it locked.

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  • Level 5

Huh.  So they think it's supposed to work on the Mac, and your install (and apparently mine) are borked?

 

Any threadies still here, does searching for * with command F within a note work for you?

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Moreover, on the mac you can't search for (within a note) a valid word that starts with many symbols or punctuation other than underscore.

Assumption being their heavy use of Regex.  Somehow...

Most, not all, Regex metacharacters as a prefix, make a word unsearchable.

?+|$\^<>

 

Search for the word text in the examples below (yellow highlights show what is found):

 

text,text  

,text

text.text

.text

_text (doesn't find unless you search for _text)

_text_text (finds neither word)

text_text 

_text

text$text

$text

text!text

!text

text-text (finds both)

-text

(text)(text

text=text

=text

text+text

+text

#text
%text
^text
&text
*text
/text
\text
[text]
{text}
|text

?text

text?

`text

~text

<text

<text>

>text

"text"

 

 

Search for _text (as underscore is a special usable search case globally as a prefix but not a suffix):

 

_text_
_text
_text_text
text_text
text_text_

 

Search for _text_

_text_
_text
_text_text
text_text
text_text_

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EverNote support said its a bug that may be fixed in the future:

 

We apologize for the inconvenience, however it appears there is currently a bug causing this.

We appreciate you taking the time to send us this error. We have filed an internal bug report with the QA team lead. She will classify and fix the bugs in the order determined by the project Lead.

Unfortunately this is not something I can fix for you at this time.

Once again, we apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks for making Evernote a better product,

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