I frequently use the Search Window to look for stuff in multiple databases - however I normally do not want stuff from the Trash. Is there a way to search through all (open) databases, but not find items in the Trash?
Why don’t you just empty your Trash? 
Might need the stuff still… So it would be good to be able to exclude the Trash (as you can in mail applications).
+1. It would improve the search functionality to exclude the Trash.
Isn’t that a compelling reason to include the Trash in the search results?
Having said that, I’m an empty the trash as I go kind of user, but I have always wondered why checking the ‘Exclude from search’ option does not have any effect on a Trash group.
It’s not a good idea to use the Trash as a filing cabinet (any more than using the waste bin in your kitchen is a good temporary filing place). If you don’t know if you want to delete something, put it in a group in the database. It’s easy enough to move files to this group (Sorter, Groups & Tags, etc.). You can also exclude this group from search and/or classification.
The stuff I put in the Trash should go in the trash, because to 99% I do not need them. - That is exactly the reason why I want to exclude them from the search results!
However, because hard disk space is cheap, I do not want to delete them from the trash right away. And to delete them just to improve my search results, seem to diminish the purpose of the Trash…
When you empty the Trash it does into the system Trash. The files aren’t deleted from the disk permanently.
Good to know. Still a search excluding the DEVONthink trash would complete the logic.
Actually, the logic would dictate that including the Trash is a better idea since you have 1% you may want to find. Again, underscoring the Trash shouldn’t be used as a filing cabinet. If you have items you may want to find but exclude the Trash, they’d never be found there.
If you’re not sure whether you still need items, then you might move them to a database for archiving.