14 DAY TRIAL // Looking through your files hoping you will find that darn text file containing some essential details is completely outdated. What's the use of such an effort when you have a perfectly healthy search tool incorporated in Windows? Well, it may be healthy but it comes with some mischiefs you simply cannot ignore.
Although the tool in Windows XP is perfectly capable of finding your files, the process takes much too long in some cases and the resources it puts to work are generally more than you wish for. On the other hand, in Vista, the tool is absolutely fantastic: fast and accurate, the results are grouped by categories as a file with the same name as your search query can be located both in the installation folder and somewhere on the disk.
However, for those of you that need a bit more than locating your file, there are myriads of search solution on the Internet. Some are pretty good, others are very good while others are freeware. Just like Agent Ransack here. The application is 100% freeware and can be used in both corporate environments as well as in the premises of your home.
The looks of the application do not inspire too much trust as they are plain and simple. Investing some effort in creating a nifty interface was clearly on the agenda of the developer. But this aspect is one that matters the least. All we are interested in is the functionality, ease of use and accuracy of the search results.
Agent Ransack provides two modules, Expert and Basic, for searching for the desired file. The difference between them does no stand in complexity of use but in richer options. Basic mode simply allows you to type in the file name and some text it contains (yes, it can search inside files also) and provide a perimeter to search in.
Expert mode adds a few more search criteria like defining an estimated size of the file (more than and less than) and providing an estimated date it was modified (before or after a certain date). Both modules can be used with the same ease as there is nothing complicated.
The program also comes with additional help for finding what you are looking for and that is the use of regular expressions. I know they are a pain in most of the applications as you have to use a bunch of strange characters in order to tell the program that what you are looking for is a file whose name starts with "S", ends with "A" and is actually a text file.
Agent Ransack is aware of the difficulty most users encounter when it comes down to learning regular expressions and provides a wizard that will help you construct your own regular expression, based on what you need. As stated in the application itself, the expression wizard does not supply all the functionality of regular expressions, but it is a very easy way to employ them.
In order to create your own regular expression you have to define the character the file you are searching begins with (a list of options is available), the number of time it occurs, provide the following character and the one it ends with. Once you have provided these details the regular expression is ready and automatically inserted in the search field.
For those aware of the advantages offered by regular expressions the software allows adding your regular expression as Phrase.the downside is that your regular expressions will not be saved after closing the application. To get familiar with the language used, refer to the Regular Expressions section in the Help menu.
Finding files based on their content is also possible. An in this case, just like in the previous one, you can use regular expressions to narrow down the list of results. The same wizard is available and this feature can be used in the exact same way as when searching for a file name. The downside of content filtering is that you are not given the entire context of the file, but only the part you are searching for.
If you plan to use the same search criteria over and over again in the future, you'd better save it some place on your computer. Agent Ransack lets you save the search criteria and later load it from your computer. This feature comes in very handy when you need to locate files with similar characteristics.
Agent Ransack is very easy to use and the search results are accurate. It features regular expressions in order to narrow down your result list only to valid elements.
The Good
The application is very easy to use and represents a good substitute for Windows Find. A novice will find regular expressions very comfortable to use while an advanced user can enjoy their full powers.
It can look for text inside the file and display the result in a separate window.
The Bad
File content in search results is not displayed in the contents view window (only text) and the uiser created regular expressions cannot be saved for later use.
The Truth
The application is not extremely special, but it will do its job no matter what. You have regular expressions to help you in your search. You have to appreciate the ease of use and the comfortable interface.
Users do not require special training for employing the software and the two modules available (Basic and Expert) make it a good solution for getting more accurate results.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
