Filter fields, operators, and values
A filter condition has three parts: a field, an operator, and, except for the empty operators, a value. The field’s type determines which operators and value control Phials presents.
For the steps to create and edit conditions, see Filter files.
Built-in fields
| Field | Type and value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Text | Compares the complete filename shown in the File view. |
| Extension | Dynamic choice | Offers extensions found in the current listing. Folders have an empty extension. |
| Kind | Dynamic choice | Offers file kinds found in the current listing, such as Image, Code, Audio, and Folder. |
| Size | Number plus B, KB, MB, or GB | Defaults to MB. Unit conversion uses 1 KB = 1,024 B, 1 MB = 1,024 KB, and 1 GB = 1,024 MB. |
| Created | Date | Compares the item’s creation date by local calendar day. A creation date may be unavailable on some filesystems. |
| Modified | Date | Compares the item’s modification date by local calendar day. |
In Current folder scope, folder rows are evaluated like files. In recursive Flatten scope, Phials presents matching files in one list and omits folder rows.
Workspace Folder properties
Inside a Workspace Folder, the field picker also includes supported properties from that Workspace Folder.
| Property type | Filter type | Value control |
|---|---|---|
| Text, URL | Text | Text input |
| Number | Number | Number input |
| Date | Date | Date picker |
| Select, Status | Single choice | Existing property options |
| Multi-select, Tags | Multiple-choice membership | One existing option per condition |
| Checkbox | Boolean | Checked or unchecked value |
| Rating | Rating number | Star picker |
| Rollup returning a number or date | Number or date | Control for the rollup’s result type |
Relation properties and Rollups that return lists are not available as filter fields.
Metadata fields
Metadata providers can contribute string, number, date, boolean, array, or dynamic-choice fields. Phials maps them to the corresponding operators and value controls below.
Ordinary Browse filters offer metadata fields available in the folder’s column configuration. A recursive or All files search can offer all registered metadata fields because its results may span folders with different metadata. Metadata might not be extracted when a result first appears; until extraction finishes, Phials treats that field as empty and then evaluates the condition again when the value arrives.
Dynamic-choice metadata fields use provider-supplied choices when available. Otherwise, Phials builds the choices from distinct values it has discovered. Array metadata uses one text value per condition.
Operators by value type
Text
| Operator | Match rule |
|---|---|
| contains | The field includes the value. |
| does not contain | The field does not include the value. |
| is | The whole field equals the value. |
| is not | The whole field does not equal the value. |
| starts with | The field begins with the value. |
| ends with | The field ends with the value. |
| is empty | The value is missing or contains only whitespace. |
| is not empty | The value exists and contains a non-space character. |
Text comparison is case-insensitive.
Number, Size, and Rating
| Operator | Match rule |
|---|---|
= | Equal to the value |
≠ | Not equal to the value |
< | Less than the value |
> | Greater than the value |
≤ | Less than or equal to the value |
≥ | Greater than or equal to the value |
| is empty | No value is available. |
| is not empty | A value is available, including zero. |
Size values are converted from the selected unit before comparison. Rating uses the same numeric comparisons, with a star picker for its value.
Date
| Operator | Match rule |
|---|---|
| is | Same local calendar day |
| is not | A different local calendar day |
| is before | An earlier local calendar day |
| is after | A later local calendar day |
| is on or before | The same or an earlier local calendar day |
| is on or after | The same or a later local calendar day |
| is empty | No date is available. |
| is not empty | A date is available. |
Time of day does not affect a date comparison.
Single choice and dynamic choice
The available operators are is, is not, is empty, and is not empty. Extension, Kind, Select, Status, and dynamic-choice metadata fields use this family.
Multi-select, Tags, and metadata arrays
| Operator | Match rule |
|---|---|
| contains | At least one item equals the selected or entered value. |
| does not contain | No item equals the selected or entered value. |
| is empty | The list has no items or is unavailable. |
| is not empty | The list has at least one item. |
Membership comparison is case-insensitive and exact. For example, Tags contains Art matches an Art option but not an Article option. Add another condition when more than one item must be tested.
Boolean
Boolean fields use is, is not, is empty, and is not empty with a checked or unchecked value. Empty means the field has no stored or extracted value; it is distinct from unchecked.
Empty and unfinished conditions
is empty and is not empty do not take a comparison value. Empty means missing or null, a blank text value, or a list with no items. Numbers and booleans are not empty when their value is zero or false.
A newly added condition may not yet have a value. Until you enter or choose one, an operator that requires a value does not exclude items.