Parsely: A Cross-Platform Text Search Utility Built in Python

Role: Developer & Designer
Status: Completed (v1.0)
Type: Cross-Platform Desktop Application (Python + Tkinter GUI)

Project Motivation

While reviewing large error logs and exported reports in a corporate environment, I found that traditional command-line tools like grep, awk, and sed were unavailable due to managed-device restrictions and disabled Linux subsystems.
Manual searches through hundreds of CSV, TXT, and PDF files became slow and error-prone.

Parsely was created as a self-contained, graphical text-search utility that can run entirely on a standard Windows, macOS, or Linux machine — no elevated permissions, shell access, or installation required. It provides a fast, user-friendly way to locate keywords or error patterns across files of multiple formats.

Development Journey:

GUI & Usability

Built with Tkinter and ttkbootstrap to achieve a modern, responsive dark-mode interface
Designed for non-technical users who prefer a simple browse-and-search workflow over terminal commands
Added dual-term search functionality with side-by-side result panes and color-coded highlights for comparison

File Parsing & Automation

Developed a unified search engine supporting .txt, .csv, .log, .pdf, .docx, and .xlsx formats
Implemented file reading pipelines using pdfplumber, openpyxl, and python-docx
Automated dependency setup using venv and a self-contained run.py launcher that ensures a ready environment on first launch

Cross-Platform & Packaging

Refactored paths and threading models for full OS agnosticism across Windows, macOS, and Linux
Prepared the project for PyInstaller packaging with _MEIPASS resource resolution for assets
Added a macOS-safe splash screen and multi-OS build automation via build_all.py
Tested execution in virtualized environments to confirm consistent behavior and UI scaling

Skills Demonstrated

Python application architecture and cross-platform packaging design
GUI development using Tkinter + ttkbootstrap
Text extraction and pattern matching with regex, PDF, Excel, and Word parsing
Virtual environment management and automated dependency handling
OS-agnostic development and build preparation for PyInstaller
Design of accessible, user-friendly developer tools for constrained environments