Windows 7 long file names and databases.

I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
content.

I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
some database or other.

Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
not is there any simple software to do the job?

Peter

On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
> content.
>
> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
> some database or other.
>
> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>
> Peter

Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?

Yousuf Khan

On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan wrote:

> On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
>> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
>> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
>> content.
>>
>> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
>> some database or other.
>>
>> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
>> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>>
>> Peter
>
> Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>
> Yousuf Khan

My thought exactly.

Then there might be a chance I could guess what is meant :-)

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan
<> wrote:

>On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
>> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
>> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
>> content.
>>
>> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
>> some database or other.
>>
>> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
>> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>>
>> Peter
>
>Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>
> Yousuf Khan

I can select groups of files via the Windows Explorer by using ???? &
*** etc, but this is rather slow. Is this an easier facility?

A file name may be like this:
derlo326687phtyr58745aa

and I can group all strings with "phty" in the name, but only with:
??????????phty???????
which is rather tedious.

Peter

On 9/14/2011 17:37, Peter Jason wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan
> <> wrote:
>
>> On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
>>> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
>>> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
>>> content.
>>>
>>> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
>>> some database or other.
>>>
>>> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
>>> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>>>
>>> Peter
>>
>> Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>>
>> Yousuf Khan
>
> I can select groups of files via the Windows Explorer by using ????&
> *** etc, but this is rather slow. Is this an easier facility?
>
> A file name may be like this:
> derlo326687phtyr58745aa
>
> and I can group all strings with "phty" in the name, but only with:
> ??????????phty???????
> which is rather tedious.
>
> Peter
>

using Windows Search can make it considerably less "tedious".

On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:53:29 -0500, Bob I <> wrote:

>
>
>On 9/14/2011 17:37, Peter Jason wrote:
>> On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
>>>> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
>>>> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
>>>> content.
>>>>
>>>> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
>>>> some database or other.
>>>>
>>>> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
>>>> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>>>>
>>>> Peter
>>>
>>> Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>>>
>>> Yousuf Khan
>>
>> I can select groups of files via the Windows Explorer by using ????&
>> *** etc, but this is rather slow. Is this an easier facility?
>>
>> A file name may be like this:
>> derlo326687phtyr58745aa
>>
>> and I can group all strings with "phty" in the name, but only with:
>> ??????????phty???????
>> which is rather tedious.
>>
>> Peter
>>
>
>using Windows Search can make it considerably less "tedious".

Thanks, I'm using this already (the field at the top right corner of
the W Explorer screen.)

On 14/09/2011 6:37 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
> On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan
> <> wrote:
>> Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>>
>> Yousuf Khan
>
> I can select groups of files via the Windows Explorer by using ????&
> *** etc, but this is rather slow. Is this an easier facility?
>
> A file name may be like this:
> derlo326687phtyr58745aa
>
> and I can group all strings with "phty" in the name, but only with:
> ??????????phty???????
> which is rather tedious.

Oh, you're talking about regular expression searches. You should use the
Windows 7 search feature, it's extremely robust these days. You can even
use operators like AND and OR or NOT in searches. I posted a message
about this last month.

Advanced tips for searching in Windows
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...ing-in-Windows

Yousuf Khan

Hi, Peter.

Like the others, I still don't understand just what your problem is, but...

Have you tried opening a Command Prompt window and using the ancient Dir
command:
dir *phty*

Of course, that searches only on your own disk, not on the Internet.

Which websites are you visiting to find these mysterious files? Why? (No,
I'm not trying to pry into your business. Just trying to get enough
information from you - our only source of such information - so that someone
here might have a chance to make a sensible suggestion.)

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-2010)
Windows Live Mail 2011 (Build 15.4.3538.0513) in Win7 Ultimate x64 SP1


"Peter Jason" wrote in message
news:...

On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:53:29 -0500, Bob I <> wrote:

>
>
>On 9/14/2011 17:37, Peter Jason wrote:
>> On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan
>> <> wrote:
>>
>>> On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
>>>> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
>>>> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
>>>> content.
>>>>
>>>> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
>>>> some database or other.
>>>>
>>>> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
>>>> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>>>>
>>>> Peter
>>>
>>> Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>>>
>>> Yousuf Khan
>>
>> I can select groups of files via the Windows Explorer by using ????&
>> *** etc, but this is rather slow. Is this an easier facility?
>>
>> A file name may be like this:
>> derlo326687phtyr58745aa
>>
>> and I can group all strings with "phty" in the name, but only with:
>> ??????????phty???????
>> which is rather tedious.
>>
>> Peter
>>
>
>using Windows Search can make it considerably less "tedious".

Thanks, I'm using this already (the field at the top right corner of
the W Explorer screen.)

On Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:37:18 +1000, Peter Jason wrote:

> On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:58:52 -0400, Yousuf Khan
> <> wrote:
>
>>On 14/09/2011 5:53 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
>>> I notice that some files on the Internet have file names about 30 or
>>> more characters long, and seem to make no sense regarding their
>>> content.
>>>
>>> I assume these names are contrived to allow selection of files via
>>> some database or other.
>>>
>>> Is there such a database file selection ability in Windows 7? If
>>> not is there any simple software to do the job?
>>>
>>> Peter
>>
>>Can you give us an example of what you're talking about?
>>
>> Yousuf Khan
>
> I can select groups of files via the Windows Explorer by using ???? &
> *** etc, but this is rather slow. Is this an easier facility?
>
> A file name may be like this:
> derlo326687phtyr58745aa
>
> and I can group all strings with "phty" in the name, but only with:
> ??????????phty???????
> which is rather tedious.
>
> Peter

You are aware, I hope that:

1. *** is the same as * i.e. any number of arbitrary characters will
match.

2. ??????????phty??????? will match any string containing 10 arbitrary
characters and seven arbitrary characters surrounding the four character
string "phty" - and only such a string. It's a bit more complicated, but
I didn't even want to say this much.

As for tedious, that seems to be in the eye of the beholder...

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

Thank you. I'll go back & try again.
Peter



On Wed, 14 Sep 2011 21:24:08 -0500, "R. C. White" <>
wrote:

>Hi, Peter.
>
>Like the others, I still don't understand just what your problem is, but...
>
>Have you tried opening a Command Prompt window and using the ancient Dir
>command:
>dir *phty*
>
>Of course, that searches only on your own disk, not on the Internet.
>
>Which websites are you visiting to find these mysterious files? Why? (No,
>I'm not trying to pry into your business. Just trying to get enough
>information from you - our only source of such information - so that someone
>here might have a chance to make a sensible suggestion.)
>
>RC