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Any way to include files in Search?

Commodore

iPF Novice
Is there any way to make search/indexer on iPad also include files from (all) apps (i.e. contents of the apps' /Documents directories), either officially or semi-officially? I only now got to the point where I discovered that its search is basically useless (it only shows results from calendar, contacts, and eventually mail if it happens to be on the server, and adds "search web" and "search Wikipedia" options).
What I need is a way to search for files gadget-wise (file-names would be OK for starters; and if it were contents for some files, e.g. txt, pdf..., the better).
(Spent a while searching for some document because I just couldn't remember whether it was stored within some "office" app (and which one...), a reader app, some file manager, etc.)
 
Sorry, but no, there is no way to do what you wish on a stock iPad. Apple has created an iOS that does not allow apps to "talk" to each other. So, there is no way for one app to search within other apps.

However, if you want to, you can jail break your iPad and then use the tweak iFile. With this, you can do a search of the entire file system, among many other things.

But, as it stands now, a stock iPad can't do this. Sorry.

Marilyn
 
Thanks, that's what I was afraid of. I do understand the iOS sandboxing concept, and I have my unit enhanced with jailbreak. It's just I was just hoping that since Search is Apple's and not 3rd party, it would be able to act as some sort of their über-app which would be allowed to index and show content files from the whole structure (but of course offer to open them in their native apps - thus keeping the sandboxing intact). I'm guessing this is more of a "political" decision on Apple's side not to make the Search act this way (I don't think they would break anything this way, just making Search one very convenient and useful part of the gadget).

So until some brave person creates an über-indexer... :)
 

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