File Window Search Bar Vs. Metadata Search Filter

[Darius1968]

Is it possible to do a Boolean search on a globally filtered basis with the Metadata Search as opposed to doing a Boolean search with respect to just what's in the File Window with the Search Bar? 

[Mario]

I'm not sure I understand.

Both the Filter Panel and the File Window search bar work with the current scope.
Which can be a folder, a set of folders, a category, a set of categories, a disk or your entire database (which I assume is what you mean by global scope).
The search bar is more capable now, and easier to use for most users.

[Darius1968]

I think you've misunderstood my question.  Maybe, I'll try and ask it more simply:
If one uses the File Window Search Bar, then they have available the Advanced Search Mode, which allows for the Boolean Operators to search for "This" AND NOT "This way", for example.  Now, if we consider the Global Metadata Search:  Here, we have available the modes "Contains" & "Contains not".  This is not as flexible as the File Window Search Bar.  Is there something I'm missing to be able to achieve the same thing with the Metadata Search? 

[Mario]

This is how the MD filter is implemented. No Booleans. Else it would be documented in the Help.
If you need Booleans, use the search bar.

The MD search filter is a candidate for removal next time I revamp the Filter panel. It is virtually never used - according to telemetry.

[bzevin]

I rely heavily on searching in the metadata window: I'm often looking for names in particular fields, so results from every field are often unhelpful. I vote for keeping it, and would indeed like Boolean searches there as well, although recursive searches let me accomplish what I need to do.
[I'm a refugee from Extensis Portfolio, in which I maintained a database of photos for teaching architectural design. I often need to search for, say, all the buildings by Smith (author) in a particular city (city) or with a particular characteristic (label).]

[sinus]

I rely heavily on searching in the metadata window: I'm often looking for names in particular fields, so results from every field are often unhelpful. I vote for keeping it, and would indeed like Boolean searches there as well, although recursive searches let me accomplish what I need to do.
[I'm a refugee from Extensis Portfolio, in which I maintained a database of photos for teaching architectural design. I often need to search for, say, all the buildings by Smith (author) in a particular city (city) or with a particular characteristic (label).]

Only a short note:
you know of course, that you can search in specific fields in the metadata-panel?!

Go to a field, right-click in the name of the field (like Headline) and let search in THIS field, but it searches for the exact same value.
I use this often with an empy file (search-file  ), then I enter e.g. a town in the city-field like "London" and let search the whole DB.

The results will be open in a result window and from there I do sometimes a fine-search with the File Window search.

If you search for something, say "Miller" but this value could be in different fields, it is helpful, if you know at leas one field what is only an exact value.
If you know, "the Miller in the London house", than you could search in the Metadata-field "subloc" and then fine-tuning this result.

Sometimes this search helps not, but sometimes it is very good.
--------------------

Another possibility, what I use often, is the fine App from Jingo:
https://www.photools.com/community/index.php?topic=9115.0

Did you know this?
Here you can use boolean and this seraches over all fields in the whole DB or in the actual scope.
It ends with a new result - window, where you can fine-tuning your search.

I like this app very much, because it is easy to use, because it searches for me in the whole DB, undependent, where I am.
Then I can finetune the results.

If this all would have the possibility to choose a search only for specific fields (like the most used, Headline, Description, Title, City...), then it would be almost a perfect search.

But it is a very helpful app from Jingo.

[Mario]

In addition to the tips provided by sinus:

[I'm a refugee from Extensis Portfolio, in which I maintained a database of photos for teaching architectural design. I often need to search for, say, all the buildings by Smith (author) in a particular city (city) or with a particular characteristic (label).]

Using multiple metadata value filters (author, city, your other criteria) not only shows you the available values for these criteria in the current scope (the authors of the buildings you're currently looking at, the cities) but you can also quickly filter by just clicking.

Use data-driven categories to organize your files by author and city. And other things, as needed.

For example: create a data-driven category with author on level 1 and city on level 2. This shows you builds per author per city with one click.
And create another one with city on level 1 and author on level 2. This shows you builds per author by city.

[Darius1968]

Yes, I have sort of discovered that both, Data Driven Categories and even the Formula Categories can in certain cases, be regarded as filters and searches are, and just because you create them, it doesn't mean that they have to be permanent - They can be used temporarily for a given problem, and then reused for another, just like the search or global filters. 

[bfz]

Thank you so much for your reply. I realized that I had not noticed the "Save Active Filter" function in the Filter Panel. That makes searching for multiple values in multiple fields very easy.