How do I get mdfind to include folder matches in addition to files?

Question

In terminal I am using mdfind 'kMDItemFSLabel = 6' to find everything with a Red file label on my Mac. However, it seems to be excluding folders with a red label. I'm trying to get it turn also return folders but I can't seem to even get any of these folder-only queries to work let alone add it to the current file results. mdfind kind:folders and mdfind 'kMDItemFSLabel=6' work independently but I can't figure out how to get both:

mdfind kind:folders AND 'kMDItemFSLabel == 6'
mdfind 'kind:folders' AND 'kMDItemFSLabel == 6'
mdfind 'kind:folders kMDItemFSLabel == 6'
mdfind kind:folders kMDItemFSLabel == 6
etc

All I get is Failed to create query for [query above]

What is the correct syntax?

And once I get that right, how do I say "folders AND all files"? Something like `kind:folders+all'?

Edit: Also tried:

mdfind kind:folders && 'kMDItemFSLabel == 6'   returns every folder on my computer
mdfind kind:folders && kMDItemFSLabel == 6   returns every folder on my computer
mdfind 'kind:folders' && 'kMDItemFSLabel == 6' returns every folder on my computer
mdfind 'kind:folders && kMDItemFSLabel == 6'   failed to create query

Answer 1

tl; dr

Use the following, locale-independent commands:

• files and folders:
  • mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == Red'
• files only:
  • mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == Red && ! kMDItemContentType == public.folder'
• folders only:
  • mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == Red && kMDItemContentType == public.folder'

Simpler, but locale-specific equivalents - these examples only work in English-language locales and must be localized to work with other locales:

• files and folders:
  • mdfind 'tag:red'
• files only:
  • mdfind 'tag:red AND NOT kind:folder'
• folders only:
  • mdfind 'tag:red AND kind:folder'

For background information, read on.

---

As it turns out, Spotlight - and therefore mdfind - speak two distinct languages:

• SL - Simple language: A simplified, LOCALIZED language based on <attribName>:<attribVal pairs
  • based on simplified, localized attribute names comprising only a subset of all attributes (however, alternatively, you can also use the full, locale-independent attribute names)
    • some attribute values are localized as well; e.g., attribute kind(kMDItemKind) is explicitly designed to report a localized value
  • based on simplified matching rules
  • combined with Boolean operators AND (default), OR, and NOT (note that these do not get localized).
• FL - Flexible language: A more powerful and locale-independent, but more complex and verbose language
  • based on the locale-independent underlying attribute names
  • using a range of relational operators
  • with more flexible value-matching options
  • combined with Boolean operators && (default), ||, and !

^{If anyone knows what to properly call these two languages, please let me know.}

Caveat: These two languages cannot be mixed - a given query string must use either one or the other syntax.

The solutions below are tagged with SL and FL accordingly. Given that SL uses localized names, I recommend using the SL solutions for predictable, locale-independent results, despite being more complex and verbose.

---

To find all files and folders that are tagged with the red label, use:

• FL:

    mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == Red'
  

• SL (English):

    mdfind 'tag:red' # in German, `tag:red` would be `attribut:red`
  

---

To find files only (as opposed to folders) that are tagged with the red file/folder label, use:

• FL:

    mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == Red && ! kMDItemContentType == public.folder'
  

• SL (English):

    mdfind 'tag:red AND NOT kind:folder' # in German, `kind:folder` would be `art:ordner`
  

---

To find folders only (as opposed to files) that are tagged with the red file/folder label, use:

• FL:

    mdfind 'kMDItemUserTags == Red && kMDItemContentType == public.folder'
  

• SL (English):

    mdfind 'tag:red AND kind:folder'
  

---

General tips for using mdfind:

• Pass the query as one, single-quoted string, so as to protect it from interpretation by the shell (as above).
• If you're unsure how to formulate a query:
  • Create the desired query interactively via Finder's search field (start typing and select query fields from the pop-up list, or press + in the top-right corner for creating multiple, AND-combined criteria line by line with the assistance of pop-up lists)
  • save it to a *.savedSearch file (Save button in the top-right corner, which saves to ~/Library/Saved Searches/ by default),
  • and open an Inspector window for that file and look at the Query: field.
  • Note that such system-created queries always use the FL language.
• To see a list of all supported metadata attributes and their description, examine the output from mdimport -A.
  • Column 1 contains the FL attribute names.
  • Column 4 contains the SL attribute names (simplified, localized).
• To restrict matches to a specific folder's subtree, use the -onlyin <folder> option.
• To output the value of specific metadata attributes after the path of matches, use one or more -attr <attribName> options.

---

Documentation:

Note: The documentation is woefully lacking and, in parts, incorrect.^{as of 16 May 2015}

• About File Metadata Queries
• Query expression syntax - FL ONLY
  • Caveat: the c and d options are explained as needing to be appended to the operator as [c] and [d], as opposed to the (right-hand-side) operand, which is what OSX itself does when you save interactively constructed queries; also, at least on other option exits that's not even mentioned: w; if you append one or more option letters to a quoted string, their meaning is as follows
  • c ... match case-INsensitively
  • d ... ignore diacritics (marks above and below the base letter of foreign characters) when matching
  • w ... match as a whole word (from what I can tell)
  • You can also use the familiar * (any sequence of chars.) and ? (one char.) wildcards.
• List of common Metadata Attributes - FL ONLY
  • Note that since Spotlight is extensible with plugins, any given machine may have additional attributes; to see the file-type-to-attributes mappings, run mdimport -X and look at the entries of the Types key.

---

All in all, as of macOS 10.10.3, mdfind and the Spotlight query language are poorly documented, finicky beasts - trial and error are often your best friends, sadly.

Answer 2

The following seems to work:

mdfind 'kMDItemContentType = "public.folder" && kMDItemUserTags = "Red"cd'

By the way, the cd on the end of "Red" means the match should ignore case (upper vs. lower) and diacritical marks (accents, etc.).