st: Mac OS X: Make Spotlight search do-files

[Steven Samuels <sjhsamuels@earthlink.net>]

-


My do files are text files, with extension “.do”.  I usually search  
for text snippests from within my text editor, so  I only recently  
realized that the do-files were not being searched by Spotlight, the  
OS X search application. Nor were  do-files created by Stata's do- 
file editor  searched.  Phil Schumm wrote about this a few years ago  
(http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/2005-11/msg01047.html), but  
didn't have a solution at that time.

Here are the steps I took to make all do-files searchable. These  
steps work at least in OS X 10.4.11. Can someone test them in 10.5?

1. Identify the do-files to Spotlight , as detailed in the following  
post:

http://www.mail-archive.com/bbedit-talk@barebones.com/msg01683.html

You will need to modify a system file, so be sure to first make a  
copy of it.

Notes:
1.1 The Spotlight Folder referred to in the post is inside the  
Library Folder of the root folder named "System", visible if you  
double click on the your main hard drive. (There is another Spotlight  
Folder inside the root Library Folder; ignore it.)

1.2. In OS X 10.4.11, the Spotlight file type for the do files is  
“com.stata.stata”.

2. Force Spotlight to re-index your hard drive, as follows: (Quoted  
from: http://www.dslreports.com/faq/13123)

"Have Spotlight reindex the entire computer. Do it at night before  
you go to bed -- it'll be done when you wake up. Here's the command  
line way to do it:

Step 1: Open Terminal.app

Step 2: Type in: sudo mdutil -E /

Step 3: You'll be prompted for the admin password. Enter it. "



-Steve










My do files are text files, with extension “.do”.  I usually search  
for text snippests from within my text editor, so  I only recently  
realized that the do-files were not being searched by Spotlight, the  
OS X search application. No do-files, including those created with  
Stata's do-file editor, were not being searched.  Phil Schum wrote  
about this a few years ago (http://www.stata.com/statalist/archive/ 
2005-11/msg01047.html)

Here are the steps I took to make the do-files searchable. This works  
at least in OS X 10.4.11.

1. Identify the do-files to Spotlight , as detailed in the following:
http://www.mail-archive.com/bbedit-talk@barebones.com/msg01683.html

This step requires familiarity with Terminal and the willingness to  
open a System file.

Notes:
a. Note that the Spotlight Folder referred to is inside the Library  
Folder of the root System Folder, *not* the root Library.
b. In OS X 10.4.11, the Spotlight file type for the do files is  
“com.stata.stata”

2. Force Spotlight to re-index your hard drive: (Quoted from: http:// 
www.dslreports.com/faq/13123)

Sometimes Spotlight's index gets corrupted. When this happens, it  
won't find certain files or folders. You'll often discover this when  
you *know* a file exists somewhere but a Spotlight search doesn't  
uncover it. Here's what I recommend: Have Spotlight reindex the  
entire computer. Do it at night before you go to bed -- it'll be done  
when you wake up. Here's the command line way to do it:

Step 1: Open Terminal.app

Step 2: Type in: sudo mdutil -E /

Step 3: You'll be prompted for the admin password. Enter it.


-Steve











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