Add option to periodically update search results

[rodrigolourencofarinha]

Preflight Checklist

• [x] I have fully read the README and it did not solve the problem.
• [x] I have read the FAQ and it did not solve the problem.
• [x] I have searched all open and closed issues for the same bug report without success.

EverythingToolbar Version

2.0.2.0

Everything Version

1.4.1

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0

Steps to reproduce

Since version 2.0, the results list in EverythingToolbar does not update correctly when sorting by Date Modified in descending order. Newly edited files are not shown at the top unless the sort order is toggled manually.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Open EverythingToolbar
2. Sort results by Date Modified in descending order
3. Observe the listed files
4. Close EverythingToolbar
5. Open and edit any file, then save it
6. Reopen EverythingToolbar
7. Observe that the newly edited file does not appear at the top of the list
8. Manually change the sort order to ascending, then back to descending
9. The recently edited file now appears at the top as expected

Expected Behavior

EverythingToolbar should automatically reflect file changes and show the most recently modified files at the top when sorted by Date Modified (Descending).

Actual Behavior

The results remain stale and do not reflect recent file modifications until the sort order is toggled.

Screenshots

No response

Log output

2025-08-04 08:28:13.1830|INFO|Launcher|EverythingToolbar 2.0.2.0 started. OS: Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26100.0| 2025-08-04 08:28:22.3788|INFO|EverythingToolbar.Search.SearchResultProvider|Everything version: 1.4.1|

Additional Information

No response

[Horst12]

Confirmed but you don't need to change the sort order, just clear the search field and reenter.

[srwi]

Yeah, previously a new search was triggered every time the window opens. In 2.0 it gets cleared when the window closes for performance reasons. I think it would be good to make this an option that allows the search results to continuously update every 3 seconds or so.

I am hesitant to go back to the search trigger when opening the search window because that causes (to my knowledge) unavoidable stutter in the opening animation. In most cases it is not really required except for the sort order you mentioned. In that case the option could be a good solution.

What do you think?

[rodrigolourencofarinha]

@srwi, good point. Thank you for shedding light on the issue. I think you're correct. It seems this is a "problem" specific to my use case and not for the general user. My use case is accessings results in EverythingToolbar without inputting anything into the search bar. I often do this to quickly find files that I've automatically saved.

To work around the issue, I open EverythingToolbar and press "space" to refresh the results. Thanks @Horst12 for the insight.

I think this approach works well and is worth the performance gains. For context, before version 2.0, I had to open EverythingToolbar with a shortcut and then open it again to force a refresh. Version 2.0 already offers an improvement over the previous version, as it requires fewer keystrokes.

[Horst12]

I can live with the current behavior but a refresh after changing the sort order sounds ok.

[srwi]

Okay, then I would look into how to implement the feature I described. It might be a little more complicated to update the search results while the user is somewhere in the middle of the list (not at the very top) but it should be possible. It's just a little more work than it might sound like. 🙂