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Tools Used:

  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux
  • Java
  • Maven
  • Java Swing
  • Lucene
  • Git
  • GitHub
  • NetBeans IDE



About


Supported by Windows, macOS, Linux

File Finder is a powerful organizational tool that helps you locate files containing specific text across your system. Search through your documents, open them directly from the app, and copy related files to a single location for better organization.

Key Features:
- Lightning-fast content search using Lucene indexing
- Open files directly from search results
- Batch copy files to consolidate related documents
- Support for multiple document formats

Supported File Types:
- PDF
- DOCX (Microsoft Word 2007+)
- DOC (Microsoft Word 97-2003)
- WPD (WordPerfect)


How It Works


Search

File Finder uses Lucene indexing to deliver exceptionally fast searches—scan hundreds of thousands of files in seconds or less.

First-Time Setup: Your initial search will take longer as File Finder builds the index. Large folder syncs may also require additional time.

What Makes File Finder Different?

While Windows File Explorer also uses indexing for fast searches, it has limitations:
- No substring matching: Searching "an" won't find "handing"
- Multi-word searches are approximate: Searching "hello world" finds documents containing both "hello" AND "world" anywhere in the document

File Finder searches for exact phrase matches, so searching "hello world" only returns documents containing that exact phrase. This precision helps you find exactly what you're looking for without sifting through irrelevant results.

Sync

To maintain search accuracy without running a background service on your system, File Finder uses an on-demand Sync feature.

When to Sync:
- After adding new files to monitored folders
- When file content has been modified
- If search results seem outdated

While deleted files are automatically removed from search results, the Sync feature ensures that new and modified files are properly indexed. You control when syncing happens, keeping File Finder lightweight and non-invasive.

Open

All indexed files appear in your search results and can be opened directly from File Finder. Files will open in your system's default application for that file type.

Note: If a file doesn't open, you'll need to set a default application for that file type in your system settings.

Store

Organize your documents by copying search results to a centralized location.

Smart Copying: File Finder automatically detects and skips duplicate files. If the same file appears in multiple locations, only one copy will be saved to your destination folder.

This feature is perfect for:
- Creating project-specific document collections
- Consolidating scattered research materials
- Backing up files related to specific topics

App Files & Troubleshooting

File Finder stores its data in a hidden `.filefinder` folder in your home directory, containing:
- Application logs
- Search index

Additionally, the PDF processing library creates a `.pdfbox.cache` file in your home directory.

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check the logs in `~/.filefinder/logs/`
  2. Consider sending the logs to the developer with a description of the problem
  3. Try deleting the index folder to rebuild from scratch on your next search/sync
  4. The `.pdfbox.cache` file can be safely deleted if needed

Installation


Windows

  1. Download: https://github.com/Ryley-Mac/FileFinder/releases/download/v1.1.0/FileFinder-1.1.0.msi
  2. Run the installer
  3. Follow the on-screen prompts


Linux

  1. Download: https://github.com/Ryley-Mac/FileFinder/releases/download/v1.1.0/filefinder_1.1.0_amd64.deb
  2. Install with forced dependencies (required due to the `libasound2t64` package):
    sudo dpkg -i --force-depends ./filefinder_[version]_amd64.deb


macOS

  1. Download: https://github.com/Ryley-Mac/FileFinder/releases/download/v1.1.0/FileFinder-1.1.0.pkg
  2. Run the installer
  3. Important: Since the app is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate, macOS will block it on first launch
  4. Open System Preferences → Privacy & Security
  5. Scroll down until you see a message about FileFinder being blocked
  6. Click "Open Anyway"
  7. Confirm when prompted

    Note for macOS users: This security prompt only appears once. After allowing FileFinder, it will open normally in the future.

Getting Started

1. Launch File Finder
2. Run your first search (this will build the initial index, so it may take a while for large folders)
3. Use Sync periodically to keep your index up to date

Need help? Found a bug?

Contact ryleymaclagan@gmail.com