To minimise the learning required for the how to use process to a minimum, I try to use the fewest possible basic tools. After all there are only two fundamental elements to any prose product: A TOC and the Text = Binder & Edit Panes.
I now have reason to use the Search tool to find lost text after transiting through multiple drafts as multiple projects
The output from a 1 word Search in Project confuses me. It seems to have found all the instances of my usage of the word over several years - not just the ones in my current draft project.
What do I need to understand ? Is there a simple explanation / guide to usage.
Far as I know, Scrivener does not provide a way to search outside the current project … could be wrong, of course. Sure you aren’t using something else, e.g. Mac’s Spotlight? Or those words are in fact in your project binder somewhere, e.g. in undeleted trash? See the Manual where it shows how to control scope of the search.
See page 255 of the “Scrivener User Manual” (icon for quick access when you open Scrivener).
To avoid more confusion over the topic, let me clarify. I never said Scrivener did search outside the project. I said the output from “Search in Project” confused ME - and looked to ME as though it had gone external. That is a measure of MY confusion. Not a claim about Scrivener’s functioning. Mistaking Search in Project for Spotlight is a confusion too far - even for me. The Trash folder is Empty. Of course I may / probably have misused Search in Project as it is my first time.
I’ll have a look at that Scope stuff. It may help.
Can choose MORE THAN one parameter to search in at a time(can choose more that one in the mac) , including custom metadata(which can ONLY BE ONE VALUE at a time).
To Search multiple areas at one time in a Search. After start the search menu:
HOLD the alt key THEN
Click the magnifying glass
Click an Additional option in the Search in field. The search menu will close, but can repeat process and add additional parameter per turn.
Now after done adding will see multiple items checked to use as parameters for the search. (Again may only have one custom metadata value per search) see example below
Now the other parameter to manipulate in your search is Operator (as seen above) may have more luck if have character name or first and last name of character if use exact phrase, or all words if separate by a space.
third to manipulate is where the search is occurring. Note can use same method as above to search in multiple areas at the same time or exclude areas from the search.
Whenever you get results that you aren’t sure of where they came from in the project, select them (and number of them at a time), in the binder sidebar list, and use the Navigate ▸ Reveal in Binder menu command. This will switch out of search results, back to the main binder, unfolding and levels of hierarchy necessary to display the items, and select them for you so you can scroll through.
My guess is that you’ve got duplicate drafts elsewhere in the binder that have been tucked away this whole time and largely forgotten.
A tip for avoiding this kind of “chaff” is to click on the magnifying glass menu, and select the “Search in Draft Only” option. Unless you’ve got revisions in the draft folder itself, that should avoid them. If you do, and tend to use the “Include in Checkbox” feature to keep them out of what compiles, you’ll find an option for removing excluded documents as well, in that same menu.
Thanks that seems to be the explanation. I’ll give that Reveal in Binder tool a try. Actually the “Chaff” may be useful relative to my presumed lost text issue.
Probably it all comes back to not reading the manual and working on the basis of false assumptions about Scrivener.
