Here's some background information on RL's input files. This should probably be on the website or wiki somewhere instead of tucked away in an obscure thread on this forum...
ROMLister can take 3 different xml inputs, listed here from worst to best:
1) MAME's listxml. From the settings and tools menu, when you browse for the MAME listxml file, you can either select mame.exe, or if you've already had mame generate the xml file, you can select it instead. If you select mame.exe, romlister will go ask mame to generate the xml file. What I'm getting at here, is that once the listxml file is generated, you can use this file exclusively for your searching, by using the topmost browse button to select this file as ROMLister's input file.
This file is the core of most of the info you'll be searching on. It has all the details for monitor orientation, resolution, etc. The downside of this file is that the controls are inaccurate.
2) controls.xml. This file has way more accurate controller information in it, but doesn't have any info about monitor orientation or anything like samples or clone information. This file can be downloaded from
http://fe.flydonkey.com/controls/controls.php (remember to get controls.XML, not controls.dat)
If you just want to use this file, select it with the topmost browse button on the tools and settings window.
3) merged- This is a ROMLister custom file that takes mame's listxml file, along with controls.xml and catver.ini and squishes 'em all together. Once the file is created, you should have all of the monitor, audio, clone and manufacturer information from MAME, the accurate controls data from controls.xml, and the category (maze, fighter, adult, etc) information from catver.ini, all in 1 master xml file. This is the best of all 3 worlds.
Now, depending on which of the 3 files you use as your main input file, ROMLister will slightly tweak the way the -find: command line at the bottom of the screen is generated. For example, if you're using only MAME's xml file only, the button information for 6 buttons or less should look like this:
(buttons=6 | buttons=5 | buttons=4 | buttons=3 | buttons=2 | buttons=1 | !buttons=)
whereas the controls.xml and merged files have slightly different wording:
(numButtons=6 | numButtons=5 | numButtons=4 | numButtons=3 | numButtons=2 | numButtons=1 | numButtons=0)
ROMLister *should* be able to detect the input xml file you are using and know to use "buttons=" or "numButtons=" when you're searching.
In the main (big) text window, take a look the sample xml data shown and you should be able to see which one is being used in your input file.
(well, you may have to hit the next button a few times to get off the pacman games that don't use any buttons!)
When I did a search for 6 buttons or less, horizontal only, 8way joystick, using my merged file (from mame 114) I ended up with 1072 matches.
If you still have problems, please post your -find command line, and the sample xml from one of the games you'd expect to find.
The first one my results came back with was "Ponpoko" When viewing the input xml file, you can jump to an individual game by using the search button, but the game title must exactly match (which is kinda lame, I apologize)
good luck!
-jeff!