How to search Xara files for a particular layer name

[Rayroo_maps]

I have many, many Xara files. Occasionally I need to search for a certain layer within these files and I don't want to open them up and look at each one. Most of them are indexed but there's sometimes a rogue layer I can't find.

Anybody know how to search externally (Windows 10) to look INSIDE Xara files?

Thanks

[handrawn]

in order to search inside proprietary code - ie program code not in the public domain - the search utility will need to be told how to read that code

AFAIK no such filter has been released by xara, nor have they provided an external search facility of their own... so you may be out of luck with this, sorry

[Acorn]

Ray, welcome to TalkGraphics.

This is for interest only as it is not practical to implement, unless you are desperate.

Xara uses an internal file format .WIX that saves the design is uncompressed form.
Were you to save your design as File > Export: .wix then it would be searchable through Windows.
The Layer names would appear as UNC("Layer XYZ") so Search in File for that wildcarded works in Notepad++.

There are two problems.
The first is the XDA Plus versions and v19/0.2 now crashes when you use this.

• @Xara - I have asked for this function to be restored.

The workaround is not to press the OK button when warned but to have saved the WIX into a location where you can steal it back using Copy & Paste before clicking the OK.

The second is the sheer number of files you mention.
Any retrospective action is hard and the process overall is messy.

---

A forward facing solution.

Somewhere create an empty text file and name it, e.g., metadata.txt.
Off design, on the first page, add a Text line "Design" and Link > Link to file: metadata.txt.
Save your file.
Where you have saved it, you will find a <designName>_xar_files folder with the blank metadata.txt file inside.
back in your design, make any change, say a new layer. Click on the Design text and then the Link to file metadat.txt pop-up.
This will open the blank file for input. Type in Added new layer "Gertrude" and Save.

All future design files will have an adjunct text file that is Windows searchable as covered above.
Retrospective effort is applied whenever you open any design file. Always initially link to a blank text file, Save to create its new folder, then add detail and Save again.

This becomes second nature and allows you to add external assets directly that are always published.

Acorn

[handrawn]

and then there was the long answer

when you say wix does not work with version 19/0.2 - is that just the 0.2 or all V19

if I open a file created in v19.0.2 in an earlier version, be it V18 whatever, would it then work

thanks

[Rayroo_maps]

As I thought, thanks

[Rayroo_maps]

Golly, that's a lengthy reply - thank you for taking the time to type it.

Unfortunately I have inherited 100s of legacy files so it would mean opening each one and saving again which is something I haven't got time for! I've already opened each one to manually index them but there is always a layer one misses.

[handrawn]

As I thought, thanks

sorry could not be more help

acorn is the nuts-and-bolts man of the forum

[Acorn]

if I open a file created in v19.0.2 in an earlier version, be it V18 whatever, would it then work
thanks

handrawn, yes it works backwards, probably from v19.1 (I have v18).
What you will see is an Information block to advise newer components have been detected and so these might not be editable in earlier versions.
I have found some Xara versions do not recognise the WIX and bomb, so it is probably very fragile so do try against your setup before committing to it fully.

As shown, Xara cannot be relied on to keep functionality current so building in you own metadata mechanism has to be safest.

@Xara
A WIX file stores all its past saves - that alone is extremely useful to a designer.
Moreover, you have also decided not longer implement the Windows Registry setting for Document Information, so what was once useful History is hidden but awkwardly accessible through a WIX, which you have also fudged away.

Acorn

---

This is what we've lost.
UNC Extract:

Line 875: {4579,130,UNC("Client login"),L(1650229843),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename.xar")}
Line 876: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650306608),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 877: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650637342),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 878: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650637407),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 879: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650638106),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 880: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650642471),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 881: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650642535),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 882: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650642888),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 883: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650642973),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 884: {4579,140,UNC("Client login"),L(1650643012),UNC("Xara Designer Pro X19"),UNC("19.0.0.63929"),UNC("Client filename Test.xar")}
Line 885: {4579,168,UNC("My login"),L(1650645919),UNC("Xara Designer Pro+ 21"),UNC("21.9.1.64204"),UNC("20220422-Client filename Test (GMCC).xar")}

The L() number is the seconds number value that you can use to convert to date since timestamp or unix epoch.
Input the number to show the datetime - https://www.epochconverter.io.

The decode of most of the other data is fairly human-readable.