Find applications by their description

[upkpk]

Synapse 0.2.6-1+b1 on Debian Wheezy

Hi, when searching for applications, Synapse only returns .desktop launchers that match the query in their "Name[locale]" fields. It could also search for application descriptions ("Comment[locale]" field)

Example:/usr/share/applications/display-properties.desktop
User wants to ajust his display resolution, types "resolution" in Synapse, gets nothing. He has to actually type "Monitor" (which is the .desktop's "Name" field) to get the launcher, although the .desktop "Comment" field is "Change resolution and position of monitors".

Thanks for the great software;)

[Sb (sb56637)]

Definitely would be a huge improvement!

[Felix Wilke (felixw83)]

Hi, a problem closely related to the "description" field is, that synapse - in opposite to unity launcher - does only look at Name[locale]. Since there are many programs, that have a specific english name, i cannot access them if I don't know the german translation. In fact, thats the only reason, why I still use the unity launcher from time to tome.

Eg. For "contacts" I have to know that its "Kontakte" in the german translation
      for "image viewer" I have to know "Bildbetrachter"
-> there are many others and some of them have not such an obvious translation

I would be awesome to have synapse searched in "Name" as well.

 Should I open another bug?

[Jérémy Munsch (jeremy-munsch)]

Hi, i am close to have a working solution here, so glad you came before is finished.

So far, the behaviors would be the following:

* The following PR would add universal search (including all special chars for many languages as possible) in the search
https://code.launchpad.net/~jeremy-munsch/synapse-project/ascii-smart

* try to search in translated title
otherwise

* tryto search in translated generic name
otherwise

* try to search in translated keywords
otherwise

* try to search in categories
otherwise

* try search in translated keywords
otherwise

* try to search in exec

Results are *weighted* and ordered in this same order, but also using Zeitgeist relevancy to adjust them.
Zeitgeist is adding value to the result, i'm still learning of it really works out there.

As for the weight of results, I’m tuning this to have as relevant results as it is possible, still some work to do.
---

Categories are never translated, how ever, i'm implementing an autotranslation option to have categories translated.
This will use http://mymemory.translated.net/api/
I would allow to have more results for example (in french cause i am sorry):

calendar -> calendrier
monitor -> moniteur
etc

So every for application that provides the calendrier key word i would also have very less - filled info - applications that are in this category. This would be optional and be deactivated by default or not, still to be determined.

---
When it search in translated fields, it is always translated *If* translation is available, otherwise it is in plain English.

Now you are making a really good point. My feeling about this is that

* For title and description, the search has to be with their display strings, so a search in english only would need to have an option to display english applications name. But both can't be done unless they are displayed both (i can't do that part since i'm a noob at using cairo).
So i may ending to include an option to use English titles only.

* Description needs to always be translated.

I think there is a reason why unity uses only Name, its because desktop files are not complete for most of all.

As for the title I’m a not closed to search in both English and translated, may be i need to be convinced, but i think this is what the maintainer would say.

Finally, please consider this, I’m only a contributor, i do the code but this have to be reviewed and accepted, I’m not affiliated with the Synapse project, I’m just like you, I want some more features here.
And no need to open a bug, we can discuss this here.

[Felix (felixw83-z)]

Hey Jeremy,
good to hear your thoughts. You made some good points and convinced me,
that for the sake of a clean application structure, synapse should be using
the translated names if possible.

On 23 November 2015 at 11:59, Jeremy Munsch <email address hidden> wrote:

> Hi, i am close to have a working solution here, so glad you came before
> is finished.
>
> So far, the behaviors would be the following:
>
> * The following PR would add universal search (including all special
> chars for many languages as possible) in the search
> https://code.launchpad.net/~jeremy-munsch/synapse-project/ascii-smart
>
> * try to search in translated title
> otherwise
>
> * tryto search in translated generic name
> otherwise
>
> * try to search in translated keywords
> otherwise
>
> * try to search in categories
> otherwise
>
> * try search in translated keywords
> otherwise
>
> * try to search in exec
>
> Results are *weighted* and ordered in this same order, but also using
> Zeitgeist relevancy to adjust them.
> Zeitgeist is adding value to the result, i'm still learning of it really
> works out there.
>
> As for the weight of results, I’m tuning this to have as relevant results
> as it is possible, still some work to do.
> ---
>
> Categories are never translated, how ever, i'm implementing an
> autotranslation option to have categories translated.
> This will use http://mymemory.translated.net/api/
> I would allow to have more results for example (in french cause i am
> sorry):
>
> calendar -> calendrier
> monitor -> moniteur
> etc
>
> So every for application that provides the calendrier key word i would
> also have very less - filled info - applications that are in this
> category. This would be optional and be deactivated by default or not,
> still to be determined.
>
> ---
> When it search in translated fields, it is always translated *If*
> translation is available, otherwise it is in plain English.
>
> Now you are making a really good point. My feeling about this is that
>
> * For title and description, the search has to be with their display
> strings, so a search in english only would need to have an option to
> display english applications name. But both can't be done unless they are
> displayed both (i can't do that part since i'm a noob at using cairo).
> So i may ending to include an option to use English titles only.
>
> * Description needs to always be translated.
>
> I think there is a reason why unity uses only Name, its because desktop
> files are not complete for most of all.
>
> As for the title I’m a not closed to search in both English and
> translated, may be i need to be convinced, but i think this is what the
> maintainer would say.
>
> Finally, please consider this, I’m only a contributor, i do the code but
> this have to be reviewed and accepted, I’m not affiliated with the Synapse
> project, I’m just like you, I want some more features here.
> And no need to open a bug, we can discuss this here.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/864751
>
> Title:
> Find applications by their description
>
> Status in Synapse:
> In Progress
>
> Bug...