I’ve just begin using Smart Folders, and already I can’t live without them. Smart Folders are a great way to find files, and keep them organized. Apple says “With Smart Folders, you can organize files by what they have in common, instead of by their location on your disk. Because they use Spotlight, Smart Folders can organize files by their contents, as well by attributes that describe those contents and how they were created. For example, you can create one Smart Folder with all your spreadsheets, another with the documents you modified today, and another with the presentations that mention a specific project.”
Pretty cool! To begin experimenting with Smart Folders:
In the Finder, choose File > New Smart Folder.
Choose your search criteria.
To search your files’ names, contents, and attributes for text, type in the search field. To limit where the Smart Folder searches, click one of the listed locations, or click Others to choose another location. To search on a specific metadata attribute, use the pop-up menus.
Click Save, and choose the name and location for your Smart Folder. You can place a smart folder anywhere you can place a folder.
If you do not want your Smart Folder to be be in the sidebar, deselect Add To Sidebar.
From Apple: “To view the items that match your Smart Folder’s criteria, click it in the sidebar or double-click it in the Finder. The folder is updated automatically as you change, add, and remove files.
To edit a Smart Folder, locate it in the Finder or in the sidebar and open it. When you are done changing the search criteria, click Save.
To change the name of a Smart Folder, Control-click it in the sidebar and choose Rename, or select the folder in the Finder and type a new name.”
If you’re like me, and you have lots and lots of files, or lot and lots of versions of files, Smart Folders are for you.