Enhancement: Improve search by putting short string listed before longer string if same match

[AAsop9]

Checks

• [x] I have checked that this issue has not already been reported.

• [x] I am using the latest version of Flow Launcher.

Problem Description

Basically the title. I am ready frustrated now because I instinctively pressed enter without thinking. My mind saw the vlc icon and thought it was just the program. I used other launchers before and none of them prioritise settings shortcuts before the actual app. Now I have to redo all my vlc settings again

To Reproduce

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Screenshots

Flow Launcher Version

1.19.5

Windows Build Number

26100.2894

Error Log

Replace this line with the important log contents.

[deefrawley]

The shortcut is installed by VLC and Flow is simply returning search results. It is also returned before the main program link in Everything search. The more you use Flow to search and run VLC it will learn and return the main link first, or you can right click on it and choose "Set as topmost query".

[AAsop9]

yeah, but look. I installed keypirinha to test it and keypirinha prioritise the man program (I mean it shows it top result, then the settings shortcuts). It's OK that the program can index ink files, but keypirinha knows what to show first. That's what I mean. It's not really a bug more that I think about it, more like a different approach.

From the launchers I used, yours is by far the smartest one. The fact you thought to add alt + numbers for results, the launcher remembers the last search and other little facts like this shows the work you shows the work you've put in. Usually I don't report report problems, but this I had to do it.

As I said, not really a problem. The better approach here is to ways prioritise vlc (in this example) over the ink files that refer to it. You can consider this in the next update, if you want of course. (I haven't tested this with other programs, btw)

Thank you for taking the time to listen! You are the best, guys. Keep it going 👍

On Thu, 6 Feb 2025, 06:06 Damien, @.***> wrote:

The shortcut is installed by VLC and Flow is simply returning search results. It is also returned before the main program link in Everything search. The more you use Flow to search and run VLC it will learn and return the main link first, or you can right click on it and choose "Set as topmost query".

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[jjw24]

This is related to result scoring, likely two results have the same score. If we want to solve this, as deefrawley suggested in Discord- in the search score weighting algorithm, we can use the search string as a percentage of the matched result string to calculate the additional score to add on-top, this will place shorter result string higher.

[TechySC23]

@Jack251970 I have VLC installed as well, and I did the same thing as AAsop9 😭. This is very bad, i'll take notes for this in my fuzzy search improving plugin

[JdotCarver]

This is related to result scoring, likely two results have the same score. If we want to solve this, as deefrawley suggested in Discord- in the search score weighting algorithm, we can use the search string as a percentage of the matched result string to calculate the additional score to add on-top, this will place shorter result string higher.

My instinct would have been to have a hard-coded list of all the programs and their community-vetted priorities to always have a suitable "out of the box" defaults , but this indeed is a way smarter way of approaching things. And has less issues.