Feature req: "find & show in context" to appear in Navigator

[editor10]

If I recall correctly, this used to be a feature of Nisus Pro: I could make my search hits within a long document appear "in context" in the lefthand column where the TOC appears. I could expand the left-hand column to see more.

Now, as far as I can determine, seeing the found instances in context requires using a macro [see http://nisus.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5568] and then they appear in context only in a transitory window where I can choose which one to look at. The window is not expandable and amount of context shown limited.

In the Navigator pane, the instances are shown as bookmarks thusly: if the search term was surgery, "#surgery" — no context, though indeed I can navigate from one to the other.

Oh dear, another of those plaintive "I want it like it used to be!" requests. But it was extremely useful. I could construct an ad hoc TOC by dividing a document with an odd symbol perhaps accompanied by a word, e.g. "%&Paris" "%&Berlin" "%&Abu Dhabi" etc., then just search for %&" any time and have a clickable toc.

But the main purpose is being able to see at the same time the search term in context and visit different instances. Currently one needs the macro (and first to find it online via the forum!) and then can only visit one chosen instance while seeing the context.

[phspaelti]

If I recall correctly, this used to be a feature of Nisus Pro: I could make my search hits within a long document appear "in context" in the lefthand column where the TOC appears. I could expand the left-hand column to see more.

Nisus has never had such a feature. ("Never" is a bit strong: I believe back in the Nisus Writer Classic days, Nisus briefly experimented with a change to find, where find hits would display as a list. But since this replaced the Find/Replace dialog, everyone complained and Nisus returned to the traditional method.)

Now, as far as I can determine, seeing the found instances in context requires using a macro [see http://nisus.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=5568] and then they appear in context only in a transitory window where I can choose which one to look at. The window is not expandable and amount of context shown limited.

Did you try the macro that I posted in that thread? It's true that my macro is intended for multiple documents, but this could be changed easily. Try the macro with only one window open. It will create a full document (window) with all find hits that will stay open. Of course the hits will get "stale", if you start editing the original file. But I think this is likely to be a feature of any such interface to a certain degree.

[editor10]

phspaelti:

Did you try the macro that I posted in that thread? It's true that my macro is intended for multiple documents, but this could be changed easily. Try the macro with only one window open. It will create a full document (window) with all find hits that will stay open. .

phspaelti,

Thanks—I have so far only tried the older macro, but will give yours a try. Sounds like it will do what I want just fine.

Of course the hits will get "stale", if you start editing the original file. But I think this is likely to be a feature of any such interface to a certain degree

Yes, no way around that, but not a big deal.

[martin]

If I recall correctly, this used to be a feature of Nisus Pro: I could make my search hits within a long document appear "in context" in the lefthand column where the TOC appears. I could expand the left-hand column to see more.

You actually weren't dreaming in your recollection of this feature. Very early in the OSX version of Nisus Writer we did have such a feature. I don't recall exactly when it existed, but probably in some version of Nisus Writer Express 1.x. We received a lot of complaints about it; apparently most users did not care for it, and thus we switched to a more standard Find dialog interface relatively soon.

We have received requests to add back such a match results list. I'll add your vote to the enhancement request, which surely would be an optional preference, since so many users disliked that interface.

As an alternative to Philip's macros, you might also find the following macro useful. It will search all open documents (or just the frontmost) and show a list of all matches. Each listed match includes a clickable link that will select the match in its document.

Find All Showing Context.nwm.zip

(5.06 KiB) Downloaded 769 times

Some notes on the macro:
1. It can only find matches in the main document body. Text in ancillary text areas (eg: table cells, headers, etc) is ignored.
2. If you edit the document since the matches were made, the links that select the matches won't be able to exactly select the match.
3. At the top of the macro there are some highlighted settings you may customize, eg: how many characters are shown as context.

[editor10]

Thank you, Martin. I'll try this macro also.

[Hamid]

[...] Very early in the OSX version of Nisus Writer we did have such a feature. I don't recall exactly when it existed, but probably in some version of Nisus Writer Express 1.x. We received a lot of complaints about it; apparently most users did not care for it, and thus we switched to a more standard Find dialog interface relatively soon.[...]

Summary Find is a feature of Nisus Writer Classic; early versions of Nisus Writer Express (up to 2003?) had this feature.

Pro File: Q&A with Jerzy Lewak:

Taken from Nisus Writer Classic are the multiple editable clipboards; the non-contiguous selections; the PowerFind and PowerFind Pro, modified to use the standard Unix and Perl text pattern matching; and the Summary Find feature that lets you see all instances in context and jump to each from the summary.

http://www.macworld.com/article/1025772/lewak.html

We have received requests to add back such a match results list. I'll add your vote to the enhancement request, which surely would be an optional preference, since so many users disliked that interface.[...]

Please add my vote.

[martin]

Please add my vote.

Done!

[jb]

I, too, remember and miss this feature.
Would be great to get it back.
Thanks, Martin.