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Searching in a Note Stack - is it possible?


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Hi all - I am using Evernote for the last 10 years and I am really satisfied with the software and with the whole concept. With the late updates though everything changed. I used to have so many features that they have been so useful to me and they have just disappeared. One of those figures was the fact that i was selecting one Notebook and then I would search in only those notebook (not in the whole notebooks). Accordingly I could just select a stack (very easily with my mouse, just one click !!) and then search in only that stack. Why such a useful feature is removed?? Now I have to go through filters etc... I do not even remember the last useful version so I can go back. The same search features would work with tags - now it doesnt work with tags either. 

How can I search in a stack of notes ??? Thank you for your help

 

Spyros

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14 hours ago, Markaseos said:

How can I search in a stack of notes ??? Thank you for your help

To search in a stack you have to use the search syntax. I have a stack called shared notebooks so the format is:

stack:"shared notebooks"

You don't need the quotation marks if your stack does not contain spaces

14 hours ago, Markaseos said:

One of those figures was the fact that i was selecting one Notebook and then I would search in only those notebook (not in the whole notebooks).

If you start your search in a notebook immediately underneath the text input field is the ability to add a filter for that notebook

image.png.ec7689863f0b34a8077a48a88a090ffa.png

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  • 8 months later...

As feedback to Evernote on this topic, it feels inconsistent that (as of v10.26.5) the way search currently works is that if you have a notebook selected, your search filters to that notebook (unless you click 'everything'), but this doesn't work if you have a stack selected in your notebook list.

Seems logical to allow the user to select a stack and have the search be restricted to the stack (still with the option to click 'everything' to search everywhere). It would be a nice improvement to allow for stack search by:

1) clicking on a stack to initiate a filtered search and
2) having stack be a filter option along the lines of the "Located In: <notebook> filter option

vs. having to type the search syntax.

I'm guessing the 2nd option presents some challenges as not all users use stacks, but the 1st option seems intuitive and consistent with the way search is working now. Hope this is considered as a feature improvement.

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4 hours ago, Stacey said:

As feedback to Evernote on this topic, it feels inconsistent that (as of v10.26.5) the way search currently works is that if you have a notebook selected, your search filters to that notebook (unless you click 'everything'), but this doesn't work if you have a stack selected in your notebook list.

Seems logical to allow the user to select a stack and have the search be restricted to the stack (still with the option to click 'everything' to search everywhere). It would be a nice improvement to allow for stack search by:

1) clicking on a stack to initiate a filtered search and
2) having stack be a filter option along the lines of the "Located In: <notebook> filter option

vs. having to type the search syntax.

I'm guessing the 2nd option presents some challenges as not all users use stacks, but the 1st option seems intuitive and consistent with the way search is working now. Hope this is considered as a feature improvement.

This would be a great solution to strictly separate different contexts. For instance, when presenting some notes to a specific audience, you don't want to leak personal info via your search results...

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  • 1 year later...

I thought three years after this new version was introduced, I might be safe to finally upgrade.  Appears I was wrong.  I search within stacks constantly, and having to type out the whole stack name in the search box every time is insane.  I'm sure it'll never be fixed though, just like the mobile apps will apparently never again have the ability to even select multiple notes.  Worst company ever.

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4 hours ago, Nathan T said:

I search within stacks constantly, and having to type out the whole stack name in the search box every time is insane.

You are adding to a very old thread.  Things have moved on. As well as the search syntax solution (which of course can be made a shortcut) stacks now appear in the filter menu provided you start from "Notes" and not a notebook.

image.png.d0a67ca66338e9b81b95a9855a72ff12.png

If you choose to save the search for a stack you can click on that search and then type in the search query as usual.

If speed and convenience are important, many of these operations come with handy shortcuts. e,g on Windows

  • alt+ctrl+2 to open (all) notes
  • ctrl+<number> to open a shortcut
  • Alt+F2 to open the filter (comes with tags open but its the normal filter)
  • Alt+ctrl+F to open search

 

 

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Appreciate the reply.  This still seems unnecessarily convoluted.  If I have several stacks and I want to search one, I have to go to the Notes view, then filter, then choose the stack, then go to search, and enter what I want to search for.  Or I need to save a search for each stack I might be interested in searching, and then go to the appropriate saved search.  In the legacy version, you simply click the stack you want, and then search.

 

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29 minutes ago, Nathan T said:

In the legacy version, you simply click the stack you want, and then search.

 

The behaviour when you click a stack is different from when you click a notebook. When you click a notebook it automatically searches within that notebook unless you change the search to "Everywhere". When you click a stack you don't get this option - there is not even a filter menu. It would be much more consistent if the same option existed. In general Evernote search is additive, which allows you to drill down to the particular notes you want. If you cllck a stack it's essentially a dead end - no further refinement of the search is possible which is strange.

 

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  • 1 month later...

Then you need a saved search for every stack you want to search, bloating your sidebar or taking multiple clicks to get to. Why not just make them searchable in the obvious way, like they were before this supposed upgrade?

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3 hours ago, Nathan T said:

Then you need a saved search for every stack you want to search, bloating your sidebar or taking multiple clicks to get to. Why not just make them searchable in the obvious way, like they were before this supposed upgrade?

I agree that it is strange that starting in a notebook allows you to search within that notebook but starting in a stack doesn't. This seems anomalous to me.

As has already been mentioned you can use the search syntax. However, you can also filter for a stack. You can do that before or after your search. So rather than select the stack in whatever way you usually do, select the stack from the filter menu. Not as convenient, but no need to use the search syntax unless you want to.

image.png.cb516015bc5569a195efa83ab1df047f.png

 

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  • Level 5

Stack:mystackname  searchstring will restrict a search for searchstring to that stack.

-Stack:mystackname searchstring will search everywhere, except in that stack.

This works in all clients, and for all plans.

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