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| # FastSeek WPF |
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| A Windows-only WPF port of the FastSeek instant file search tool. |
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| ## Requirements |
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| - Windows 10/11 |
| - .NET 8 SDK or later |
| - Administrator privileges (required for NTFS MFT and USN journal access) |
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| ## Build |
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| ```powershell |
| cd FastSeekWpf |
| dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false |
| ``` |
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| Or just run from source: |
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| ```powershell |
| cd FastSeekWpf |
| dotnet run |
| ``` |
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| **Must run as Administrator.** Right-click → Run as Administrator, or launch from an elevated PowerShell. |
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| ## Usage |
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| - **Alt+Space** — toggle the search window |
| - **Esc** — hide |
| - **Up/Down** — navigate results |
| - **Enter** — open selected file/folder |
| - **Ctrl+Enter** — open containing folder |
| - **Type** — search as you type (results update instantly) |
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| ## Architecture |
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| The app reads the NTFS Master File Table (MFT) directly via `FSCTL_ENUM_USN_DATA` / direct `$MFT` read, builds an in-memory index, and keeps it in sync via the USN Change Journal. Search is name-only with fuzzy matching and type-based ranking. |
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| ## Performance Fixes Applied |
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| - **Zero-CPU hotkey thread**: Switched from `PeekMessageW` polling (`Thread.Sleep(10)`) to blocking `GetMessageW` with a manual reset event for clean shutdown. Idle CPU is now 0%. |
| - **Allocation-free search**: `SearchEngine` uses cached lowercase string arrays (`IndexStore.NameCache` / `NameLowerCache`) instead of calling `Encoding.UTF8.GetString` in the hot loop. Uses `Span<char>` for matching, stack-allocated candidate arrays, and `[ThreadStatic]` reusable `StringBuilder` for path building. |
| - **Debounced search**: TextChanged no longer blocks the UI thread. Searches run on a background thread with 25ms debounce and a `CancellationTokenSource` to cancel stale queries. |
| - **DWM rounded corners**: Added `DwmSetWindowAttribute` with `DWMWA_WINDOW_CORNER_PREFERENCE=DWMWCP_ROUND` for native Windows 11 rounded window corners, plus `DWMWA_USE_IMMERSIVE_DARK_MODE`. |
| - **Arena-based inserts**: `IndexStore` keeps `List<byte>` for arenas (O(1) append instead of `Array.Resize` on every insert). Live updates no longer copy the entire arena array. |
| - **Lock isolation**: Search result building (path resolution, exclusion filtering, ranking) happens outside the `lock(_indexLock)` — only the candidate matching is inside. Deadlocks eliminated. |
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| ## Known Issues / TODO |
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| - [x] DWM rounded corners — fixed via `DwmSetWindowAttribute` P/Invoke |
| - [x] Zero-CPU hotkey thread — fixed via `GetMessageW` + manual reset event |
| - [x] Arena allocation churn — fixed via `List<byte>.AddRange` |
| - [x] Search blocking UI — fixed via debounced background search |
| - [ ] Search results could use a virtualized `ListView` with container recycling for >10k visible items |
| - [ ] No system tray icon — app runs hidden with hotkey toggle only |
| - [ ] No settings UI for exclusions |
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