SpotTest 1.1
Spotlight is so substantial, almost silent in the log, and impenetrable that the best approach to diagnosing its problems is to test it out in a controlled way. Mints has been doing that by creating a folder of files containing an unusual word, then searching for that. Although that’s still useful for a quick test, we need something more focused and flexible, and that’s what SpotTest aims to deliver.
Following deep dives into how Spotlight indexes and searches metadata and contents of files, and how it can search text extracted from images and the results of image analysis, I’ve realised that different test files are required, together with alternative means of search. For example, the standard approach used in compiled apps, with
NSMetadataQuery, is incapable of finding content tags obtained using Visual Look Up, which only appear when using themdfindcommand. SpotTest takes these into account.[…]
A perfect 13/15 result from
NSMetadataQueryis only possible after waiting a day or more for backgroundmediaanalysisdprocessing to recognise and extract the text in file I, a PNG image.
As promised, this new version of my Spotlight indexing and search utility SpotTest extends its reach beyond the user’s Home folder, and can now test and search any regular volume that’s connected to your Mac and mounted in /Volumes.
Previously:
- Spotlight Indexing Running Wild
- Invasive Spotlight Indexing
- Fixing mediaanalysisd Storage and CPU Use
- Opting Out of Visual Look Up and iCloud Photos
- Monterey’s Visual Look Up
