Shotnest · Library
Use a cleared query to review all supplied records
On this page an empty query matches every record, so Blue notebook and Green folder both return; the Shotnest app shows nothing until a word is typed.
Why an empty search returns everything here
The web search tool normalizes the query and trims spaces from both ends. An empty string is contained in every text, so a blank query, or one made only of spaces, returns every record number you entered. In the example that is 1 and 2. Clearing the box is simply a quick way back to the full list.
The app treats the same situation differently. Shotnest splits the query into words, and when there are no words it returns an empty result instead of the whole library. With a library of hundreds of screenshots, listing everything for a blank box would not help anyone find one item.
The web tool accepts up to 5000 records, and a blank query returns every one of their numbers, which is also a quick way to check how many were pasted. In the app the nearest equivalent is a shelf or folder: everything filed there is listed without a query, newest first.
Try the original example
- Supplied records
- Blue notebook — Green folder
- Query
- (empty)
- Matching record numbers
- 1, 2
Use the full list deliberately
- Clear the query to confirm which records the tool currently holds.
- Check that every record you meant to paste is there and in the expected order.
- Type one distinctive word to narrow the list.
- In the app, browse a shelf or folder when you want to see everything in one group.
- Query of three spaces
- records 1, 2
- Empty query in the Shotnest app
- no results
Mistakes with a blank query
- Reading 1, 2 as two positive hits for a meaningful word.
- Thinking the page searched your photo library; it only sees records pasted into the form.
- Leaving a stray space in the box and wondering why every record is still listed.
- Searching only a punctuation mark such as a dash; it is matched literally and can return many records that have nothing else in common.
- Forgetting that the app needs at least one word; a blank box in Shotnest shows no results rather than the full library.
A view of the input, not a finding
When every record matches, the search has not told you anything about their content. The result is a reminder of what the collection contains, and the real test begins with the first word you type.