Searching text files

[tlohan]

Hi,

I have an application which contains over 400 text files. These files are displayed in a tree structure and can be expanded etc. Within these files are variables and their definitions, however, a variable can appear in more than one file. I am implementing a Search functionality to allow the user to find a particular variable, however, this is taking a lot of time.

Beyond opening each file and looking for the particular word is there any faster way to search for it. I need to go through all 400 files as I need to show what files this word appears in.

Can anyone help.

Thanks,

Tom

:-V

 

[stillflame]

an idea would be to have an index file automatically generated and put at the top directory. or even mini-indexes at various levels of the directory structure pointing searchers in the right direction as they traverse through. or you could order the directory structure like a binary tree, so the searcher would know which directory to look in...
or even better would be to convert the directory structure to a relational database of some sort (like mySQL), and then have it much easier to search through. but that's no easy task. "If you think you're too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a closed tent with a mosquito."