Comment by oefrha | Hacker News Reader

Comment by oefrha | Hacker News Reader

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I don’t understand why System Settings search is such a dumpster fire. It’s up to a couple thousand (probably overestimating) fixed text labels. Even when it’s not bugging out, half or more of deeper labels simply can’t be found even if you enter the exact string; and by deeper I mean simply not top level categories. Who the hell thought this sorry ass search is okay to ship and keep it that way after this many years? I swear even Windows’ settings search is more capable.

It was fine until a few releases ago, then they rewrote it, and it sucks now. Had to give it that SwiftUI magic.

Yes, IIRC System Preferences was fine (hopefully not rose-tinted glasses), it became the current piece of shit when it was reborn as iOS-sibling System Settings, in Ventura?

  > then they rewrote it

they keep doing this, and everything gets worse for it; i remember when they rewrite mDNSResponder and internet connectivity went to hell... and the ux in system preferences is atrocious... just text labels and lists everywhere, no attention to detail.

the people who built/designed/managed the rollout osx and nextstep were a totally different breed imo

mDNSResponder => discoveryd was so disastrous they apologized the next WWDC.

Maybe Apple ported the Spotlight algorithm over for the System Settings search? Spotlight has, well, unique properties that take extra effort to achieve in a search system.

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