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Best way to index CHM files with Spotlight

micsaund

micsaund

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Hi,

I've got some ebooks in chm format and noticed that Spotlight (10.5) doesn't index them.

I found one guys python hack to enable chm indexing but wanted to ask here and see if there was a more "standardized" plugin/program/setting I can make to cause Spotlight to slurp-in my chm files.

Thanks,
Mike
 
I'd be interested for ways in general to get Leopard Spotlight to behave like Tiger Spotlight. There are too many things the new S doesn't index, and the general search function in Leopard isn't as user-friendly as it was in Tiger.

However, to be helpful to your query, this thread suggests "Houdaspot" might be of use:
http://macapper.com/forums/showthread.php?t=611
 
Thanks Heat. I had actually run across that same link prior to posting here, but it seems silly to have to buy an add-on program to do something so simple with Spotlight. Additionally, I like the simplicity of Spotlight and adding a program that arguably has many more "neat features" is probably just additional complexity I don't need.

Maybe I'll just have to try that python hack. It doesn't seem that MR is brimming with answers to this question, which I find surprising since chm files are pretty common and it seems that there's always some MR user who has the perfect "hidden gem" for getting things like this done.

Mike
 
There's a handy program for viewing CHM files called Chmox. Alas, it doesn't come with a Spotlight plugin for indexing...

That said, I am a programmer, I might just take it upon myself to write one and contribute it to the Chmox project. I'd love to learn how to write Spotlight plugins.
 
Yeah, chmox works well and it seems there's probably existing code in that tool which can be used to index chm files, but since I know nothing about Spotlight, I can't say for sure.

BTW, if anyone uses chmox and doesn't have the Universal version (beta), make sure to get that - it's WAY faster starting-up than the PPC-only version.

Mike
 
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