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Searching Within a Project

As a project grows, remembering where a name, phrase, or idea appears can become difficult. Project search lets you search document titles and the full text of every document currently in the book you have open.

Select the search button in the editor header, or press Ctrl/Cmd + K. A search window opens over the workspace while the current document remains visible in the background.

Begin typing a word, name, or phrase. Spleen searches both document titles and document text, then shows the most relevant results as you type.

Reading the results

Each result shows the document title, the section it belongs to, and a short extract from the document. Matching words are emphasised inside the extract, making it easier to recognise the passage before opening it.

Results only come from the project you currently have open. This keeps the search focused when you are working with several projects in Spleen.

Opening a result

Select a result with the mouse, or move through the list with the arrow keys and press Enter.

Spleen opens the selected document and scrolls directly to the first occurrence of the search term. The matching word or phrase is briefly highlighted in the editor so you can immediately see where it was found. The highlight then fades, leaving the document unchanged and ready for you to continue reading or editing.

If the search term appears several times in the same document, project search takes you to the first occurrence.

Press Escape to close the search window without opening a result.

Project search and the sidebar filter

The search field in the project sidebar filters one tree by title. When a tree is large enough to show this control, it filters only that writing, research, Archive, or Trash tree. Project search goes further: it searches inside the written content of every writing and research document in the book, but not documents in either bin.

Use the sidebar filter when you already know the name of the document you want. Use project search when you remember a word, sentence, character name, or idea from the text but no longer know where it appears.

Good to know

  • Project search currently searches document titles and document text.
  • Notes and annotations are not included in project search.
  • Documents in Archive or Trash are not included until restored.
  • Search results do not change or edit your documents.
  • Opening a result takes you to the first matching occurrence in that document.
  • The first match is highlighted only briefly to help you locate it. The highlight is not added to the document itself.
  • The search window can be closed at any time with Escape.