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DocFetcher

Fast document search – Google for your local files.

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DocFetcher is an open-source desktop search application for finding the contents of files on a computer rather than just their names. It indexes selected folders so that queries return matching files quickly, and it runs on Windows, Linux and macOS under the Eclipse Public License. Indexes are created per folder and updated automatically when files change.

The application includes a query field, result pane and text preview with highlighted matches, plus filters for file size, type and location. It supports Unicode across formats including Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org, PDF, HTML, RTF and plain text, as well as EPUB, CHM, Visio, SVG, MP3/FLAC/JPEG metadata and Outlook PST files. Archives (zip, 7z, rar, tar.*) can be searched with unlimited nesting, and plain-text extensions are customizable for source code. Query syntax covers AND/OR/NOT, wildcards, phrase, fuzzy, proximity and boosting, with regex-based indexing exclusions and mime-type detection. Portable versions are available for all three platforms.

DocFetcher is aimed at users who want to search document contents locally. Related commercial products include DocFetcher Pro and DocFetcher Server, the latter offering multi-user support and a web interface.

12 alternatives to DocFetcher

Ranked by how well each tool replaces DocFetcher: shared features, audience, price and popularity.

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