“Search multiple terms” here means maintaining a query list and running one term at a time inside the selected folder. It does not mean a combined OR query. That distinction keeps each count attached to one editorial question.
In the controlled Rune Studio example, seven files in drafts/ produced 14 name matches and nine caution-term matches in separate searches. Searching the name from the parent folder produced 22 matches, revealing eight additional references under refs/.
Turn the query list into a small ledger
A fiction editor might begin with:
| Query | Purpose | Draft count | Parent count | Excluded path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character A | name consistency | 14 | 22 | refs/ 8 |
| Caution B | vague wording | 9 | not measured | none recorded |
| Place C | next pass | not run | not run | not run |
Complete one row before running the next. Do not enter Character A OR Caution B and then try to infer per-term counts from the combined result.
Run the list against the manuscript folder
Confirm the selected root
Assume novel/drafts/ contains seven current chapters and novel/refs/ contains source notes. If the assignment concerns manuscript wording, open drafts/ as the search root. If references are also editable, that boundary must be changed before searching.
Search the name alone
Run Character A. Record 14, then inspect the matching filenames and contexts. Every path should remain under drafts/. A correct count with a refs/ path mixed in is not a valid selected-folder result.
Replace the query with the caution term
Save the first row, clear the field, and run Caution B by itself. The observed sample returned nine matches. Do not add 14 and nine and call 23 a multi-term match count; the queries answer different questions.
Use one parent search to explain the boundary
Run Character A from novel/. The parent returned 22. Comparing paths showed 14 in drafts and eight in refs. Store the excluded path beside the name query so the next editor understands the difference.
Rerun each term after editing
If changes are made, repeat Character A and Caution B separately. Record remaining matches and note any intentional uses. The controlled operation did not apply replacements or collect post-edit remainders, so those remain reader-performed checks.
Six fields keep searches reproducible
For every term, retain the query, selected-folder count, matching files, parent count, excluded paths, and post-edit remainder. This is enough to restart the pass without wondering which word produced 14 results.
Rune Studio’s published feature set describes file, selected-scope, and workspace search, followed by reviewed replacement. The observed work supports separate selected-folder searches and the 14/9/22/8 counts.
It does not establish a combined OR feature, simultaneous per-term counts, semantic approval, every regular-expression behavior, binary replacement, or post-edit results.
The practical conclusion
Treat a list of terms as a queue, not as one query. Finish the name row with its paths, then run the caution row. In this sample, Character A maps to 14 selected matches and eight excluded references; Caution B maps to nine selected matches.
Start with two rows only. Writers who need to change search roots while reviewing a long manuscript can check Rune Studio’s current search details on the product page.
