Hey monks ! I'd like to develop a really quick and useful search tool capable of looking for a file that has specific content (exactly like the Windows search tool - the script'd have to run under Windows-based systems). Hence I came up with 2 options :

• Since the tool already exists in Windows, I thought to myself I'd be lazy and use Win32::API to access the functions and reuse them. Easier said than done. I used Dave Roth's excellent Win32 Perl Programming book to dig out some workable examples but in vain. Here's my bit of code :
  

  #!/usr/bin/perl
  # test file for window's search 
  # reference for API at http://dada.perl.it/#api and 
  # http://webclub.kcom.ne.jp/ma/colinp/win32/fn2lib/f.txt
  
  use Win32::API;
  use Win32::GUI;
  
  # setup the window
  my $window = new Win32::GUI::Window(
                      -name   => "W_cogence",
                      -title  => "Cogence Project Search utility",
                      -left   => 0,  
                      -top    => 0,
                      -width  => 500, 
                      -height => 300
                     );
  $window->AddButton($window,
              -name  => "B_Search", 
              -title => "Search",
              -top   => 100,
              -left  => 0,
              -height=> 20);
  
  $window->Show();
  my $windowHandle = Win32::GUI::GetActiveWindow();
  
  my $exitcode = Win32::GUI::Dialog();
  
  sub B_Search_Click
  {
  
     # extract the method from the dll
     my $api = new Win32::API('comdlg32.dll','FindText',[P],I);
  
     # determine number of byte needed for the char string based on whet
  +her
     # we are dealing with unicode or not. (pp 339 - Win32 Perl Programm
  +ing by Dave Roth)
     my $charSize = 1+Win32::API::IsUnicode();
  
  
     # we want to build a structure like the following one
     #typedef struct {
     #     DWORD lStructSize; -> will be long
     #     HWND hwndOwner; -> handle of window (but what type is it ? we
  +'ll assume long)
     #     HINSTANCE hInstance; -> long
     #     DWORD Flags; -> long
     #     LPTSTR lpstrFindWhat; -> see below / pointer to null terminat
  +ed string
     #     LPTSTR lpstrReplaceWith;-> pointer to null terminated replace
  + string
     #     WORD wFindWhatLen; -> size of find buffer
     #     WORD wReplaceWithLen; ->size of replace buffer
     #     LPARAM lCustData; -> will be long - see below for details
     #     LPFRHOOKPROC lpfnHook; -> will be long (ignore)
     #     LPCTSTR lpTemplateName; -> will be long
     #} FINDREPLACE, *LPFINDREPLACE;
     $struct = pack("L4(c*)2l5",((0) x 4), ($charSize*128) x 2, ((0) x 5
  +));
     
     FindText($struct);
  }
  
  # hInstance 
  # If the FR_ENABLETEMPLATEHANDLE flag is set in the Flags member, 
  # hInstance is a handle to a memory object containing a dialog box tem
  +plate. 
  # If the FR_ENABLETEMPLATE flag is set, hInstance is a handle to a mod
  +ule 
  # that contains a dialog box template named by the lpTemplateName memb
  +er. 
  # If neither flag is set, this member is ignored.
  
  # lpstrFindWhat 
  # Pointer to a buffer that a FINDMSGSTRING message uses to pass the nu
  +ll 
  # terminated search string that the user typed in the Find What edit c
  +ontrol.
  # You must dynamically allocate the buffer or use a global or static a
  +rray so 
  # it does not go out of scope before the dialog box closes. The buffer
  + should 
  # be at least 80 characters long. If the buffer contains a string when
  + you 
  # initialize the dialog box, the string is displayed in the Find What 
  +edit control. 
  # If a FINDMSGSTRING message specifies the FR_FINDNEXT flag, lpstrFind
  +What contains 
  # the string to search for. The FR_DOWN, FR_WHOLEWORD, and FR_MATCHCAS
  +E flags indicate
  # the direction and type of search. If a FINDMSGSTRING message specifi
  +es the FR_REPLACE
  # or FR_REPLACE flags, lpstrFindWhat contains the string to be replace
  +d.
  [download]

  
  
• The other option is to find the desired files(*.doc, *.ppt...) and read their data thanks to OLE ->easy, done, but ever so slow. Is there any way to speed it up ?

Thanks for your time and patience...

Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage
Ou comme celui-là qui conquit la Toison,
Et puis est retourné plein d'usage et raison,
Vivre entre ses parents le reste de son âge!

J. du Bellay, poëte angevin