Text Filterer for Windows

Text Filterer (TF) from Edwardsoft is a standalone search utility for Windows. It adds advanced search capabilities, such as the ability to combine full text searches with highly targeted, selective searches in hierarchically organized document collections. It supports Boolean operators, proximity phrases, partial word searches, and a wide range of document, image, database, and archival file formats. Its most impressive feature is its ability to create specialized Collections of search terms and "snippets" for highly specific uses; for example, individual clients, certain categories of documents, or legal, financial, and personal searches.

TF downloads as a ZIP file but installs conventionally. The typical customizable Windows interface features a split display with browser sidebar. A collection wizard searches for the terms it uses as the foundation of its search engine. We selected the appropriate directory and activated the wizard, which speedily indexed many thousands of terms. Clicking Parameters called up a settings dialog for customizing not only filters and snippets but also how results are displayed. Advanced users may appreciate TF's support for scripting regularly used expressions, including a wide range of predefined expressions. The fully indexed Help file explains these and the program's other features capably--albeit in a somewhat stilted style that suggests a translation process--and it mostly does a good job explaining how TF works.

The latest version of Text Filterer searches for Exif data in JPEG and TIFF files. It's free to try for 30 days, though a nag screen counts down the trial. We tested it successfully in Vista and Windows 7.