I’m experimenting with searchable metadata within DT3. If I open the Inspector and choose the Annotations and Reminders tab … then type something into “Finder Comments”, I can create a search (or Smart Group) that will look for that Finder Comment among other search criteria.
But … if I enter some text into “Annotations”, I don’t seem to be able to search for that. Am I missing something? Its the Annotations field not for text, but for an attachment from the Annotations folder?
Annotations are stand-alone documents (see “Annotations” group) like in version 2. The inspector of version 3 uses the same internal mechanism as the former template to ensure that it’s compatible to annotations created by version 2. Therefore searching only in this group might be a possibility.
I’m asking the same question.
If annotations cannot be used in smart folders or in searches, they seem to be fairly pointless. Why make annotations if you cannot search for them later? Am I also missing the point of annotations?
They can be searched.
Toolbar search:
Annotations group and the group you want to search in the Navigation SidebarSmart Group:
Annotations group into the group you want to searchThanks @pete31
The toolbar search I now understand (thank you!), although that rules out a system wide search across databases?
The replicate I do not understand. Why replicate a group for searching? Doesn’t that just highlight that annotations are not available in general searches? Perhaps this is a workaround, but again highlights that we really need an ability to have annotation available in the search criteria.
No, you can select groups across databases. Unfortunately it can’t be scripted, would be super handy to set the Navigation Sidebar’s selection via script.
That’s not special to Annotations, you can’t set a Smart Group’s scope to more than one group.
Yes, would be nice.
Annotations are just normal files and certainly can be searched like any others.
If you want to search specifically for them, just add the search prefix name:>(annotation).
In fact, you could create a global smart group for this targeting all databases and search it on an ad-hoc basis…
Thank you sir! That is a great help!
You’re welcome and glad to hear it!
