[feature] conan search lacks support for platform/build_type filters

[AaronKonishi]

What is your suggestion?

Subject: conan search lacks support for platform/build_type filters, making it impossible to check remote packages for specific configurations

Description:

When working with cross-platform C/C++ projects, it's critical to verify whether a specific package version for a particular platform and build type already exists in a remote repository before uploading.
This prevents accidental overwrites and enables proper package management across multiple target platforms (e.g., x86_64, ARM, MIPS, RISC-V).

However, the current conan search command does not support filtering by platform (-pr:h) or build type (-s build_type), which are essential parameters for distinguishing between different binary
configurations of the same package.

Problem Scenario:

In a typical cross-platform build workflow:

• Package: host-service/1.1.4@application/mk
• Platform A: mr536 (ARM) with Release build
• Platform B: x2600-mips (MIPS) with Release build

These are distinct binary packages that should coexist in the remote repository, but conan search cannot distinguish between them.

Expected Behavior:

The conan search command should support platform and build type filtering, similar to how conan install and conan create support these parameters:

conan search "pkg/version@user/channel" -r {remote} -pr:h {platform} -s build_type={build_type}

This command should:

• Return exit code 0 and display package information if the specific platform/build_type combination exists in the remote repository
• Return a non-zero exit code and/or "not found" message if the specific combination does not exist
• Not be affected by local cache or locally exported packages

Alternative Solution:

Provide a dedicated command to explicitly check for package existence in the remote repository:

conan check-remote "pkg/version@user/channel" -r {remote} -pr:h {platform} -s build_type={build_type}

Impact:

• High Priority: This limitation prevents implementing safe upload workflows that prevent accidental overwrites of platform-specific packages
• Use Case: CI/CD pipelines building for multiple platforms need to verify remote package existence before attempting uploads
• Workaround Complexity: Current workarounds require complex logic and are unreliable due to local cache interference

Environment:

• Conan Version: 2.x
• Operating System: Linux (affects all platforms)
• Use Case: Cross-platform C/C++ project building for multiple target architectures

Have you read the CONTRIBUTING guide?

• I've read the CONTRIBUTING guide