Cross-File Search

The Cross-File Search can be used to search multiple files at the same time. Orbis provides an even more powerful way of searching through thousands of files simultaneously. Popup Orbis includes an option to search all files in the same folder as the displayed folder. See Orbis and Popup Orbis

To use Cross-File Search, all of the files must be in one folder. By default, all *.nb files in the folder are searched, but if you assign different extensions to your Nota Bene files, you can specify a different extension or search all files (*.*) in the folder. Replacement text can be specified or you can search without replacing. When matches are found, one file is opened at a time, and you will be prompted to save any changes before the file is closed and the next file is opened.

1	Open the Cross-File Search dialog by opening the Find/Replace dialog (Edit, Find/Replace or Ctrl+F.). Click the green + sign at the right side of the dialog bar to expand the dialog.

2	Select Cross File in place of Current File.

3	Complete the required information on the top line of the dialog as follows:

Find: Enter the word or phrase you want to search for in the Find box. Text can be typed, or it can be copied (Ctrl+C) and pasted (Ctrl+V).

Special Characters: Click the Special Characters button to the right of the Find box (or to the right of the Replace box) to display a list of wildcards or special characters that can be used in your search. Click on any Special Character to insert it in the Find box (or the Replace box). Some special characters can also be entered by copying them from the document and pasting them in the Find or Replace box. The Tips and Suggestions section below has more information about how some of the special characters can be used.

Replace: Enter the replacement word or phrase in the white Replace box. If you want to delete the word or phrase in the Find box, leave the Replace box blank. Clicking Tab will move from the Find to the Replace box; Shift+Tab will return to the Find box.

4	Review the options on the second line of the dialog. This section can be displayed or hidden by clicking the green circle with a plus/minus sign on the right side of the dialog or by pressing Ctrl+M.

Folder: Enter the folder to be searched. The browse button (...) can be used to browse to the desired folder.

File Type: The file type will normally be .NB. However if you use extensions other than .NB for your Nota Bene files and if you have only Nota Bene files in the specified folder, you can type in *.* in place of *.NB.

Stop on Match: When this is selected, the program will highlight the next instance of the text in the Find box, replace it if there is text in the Replace box and stop.

Build File List: When this is selected, the program will show a list of all of the files that contain the text that is in the Find box.

Match Case: Check this box if you want your search to be case sensitive. For example, with this box checked, a search for "John" will find only "John", not "john" or "JOHN".

Whole Word: Check this box if you want your search to find only the whole word specified. For example, with this box checked, a search for "run" will find only "run" not "runs" or "running" or "runt."

4	Start the search by clicking Start.