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HOW TO USE MAC OS X 10.4: FINDING FILES AND FOLDERS

 

  1. Select New Smart Folder from the File menu (at the top of the screen). The New Smart Folder window is displayed.
  1. Select where you want to search (in any Servers you're connected to, your entire Computer, your Home folder, or in any Other folders).

  1. Set your search criteria. By default (when the Smart Folder search window is initially displayed), you'll see two pairs of drop-down lists; the left-hand lists contain the available search criteria, and the right-hand lists contain the available options for that criteria.


    Select a criteria by clicking on the left-hand-side drop-down list. The options will change, depending on which criteria you choose. (Clicking Other will provide you with even more criteria than those displayed.)


  1. To add more criteria (to further refine your search), click on any plus sign icon either next to the Save button or to the right of any drop-down list.



    Each time you click on a plus sign icon, a new pair of drop-down lists appears from which you can choose search criteria. As the screen below shows, another set of drop-down lists has been added.



    Conversely, if you want to remove any criteria, just click on the minus sign icon next to the criteria you want to remove. You'll see your search results change automatically as soon as you remove the critieria.
  1. You can also use Spotlight (another search feature new to Mac OS X 10.x) to enter any keyword or phrase on which you want to search. Spotlight searches all types of documents on your computer, including system files.

To use Spotlight, just type your desired keywords in the Spotlight text area located at the top of the Smart Folder window. The example below shows the search results of a search in the Home Folder for files and folders last opened during the last 2 weeks where "mac" appears in the file or folder name.

  1. You can also view details about any file or folder that appears your search results. For details, see Viewing Information About a File or Folder.

Your search results will be categorized by type (documents, images, PDF files, folders, HTML files, source code). If images are returned in your search results and you click on the right-pointing arrow to the right of the Images title bar, a full-screen slideshow will appear for each image similar to a PowerPoint presentation. To return to your Desktop, press the <Esc> key.

As you change and add search criteria, as well as enter keywords, you can see your search results change automatically. Your results will also be organized into file type.

After you're satisfied with your search, you can save your search to a "Smart Folder." For more information, see Saving Your Search Results in a Smart Folder.

Saving Your Search Results in a Smart Folder

A Smart Folder is a folder you can create to store your search results. A Smart Folder holds the files and folders of your search, regardless of where those files and folders are located. The search criteria you set up for that search will also be saved.

Once created, however, the Smart Folder will provide you with the latest copies of the files and folders. So you'll always have the most recent version of each file and folder in your Smart Folder. The Smart Folder doesn't contain the original files and folders, but rather contains only references to them. However, you can determine a file's or folder's location by simply clicking on its icon.

You can also use Smart Folders to organize your items. You can keep all your saved searches (Smart Folders) into one central "Saved Searches" folder. Or you may want to compile any Smart Folders that contain similar search results into one main folder. For example, if you compile saved search results of files and folders for each member of your workgroup; you might then create Smart Folders for each of these search results and save them into a central folder called "My Workgroup Saved Searches."

  1. Click on the Save button after the results (files and folders) of your search are displayed. 
  1. In the Save As text area, type a name for your Smart Folder.
  1. Choose where you want to save the Smart Folder from the Where drop-down list.
  1. If you want, select the option Add To Sidebar (to save your Smart Folder to the Sidebar).
  1. Click on the Save button.

Viewing Information About a File or Folder

You can view details about any file or folder in your search results. There are a few ways you can display file or folder information.

  • Finding out the location of a file/folder. Click on the file's or folder's icon so that it is highlighted. At the bottom of the Smart Folder window, you'll see the directory path to the file or folder. If a subdirectory name is not fully visible, just move your mouse pointer over the subdirectory name to view it.

  • Viewing the details of a file/folder. Click on the "i"-shaped icon located at the far right of the file or folder whose details you want to view. A pop-up window will be displayed.

  • Viewing additional file/folder information. To view even more information about the file or folder, click on the More Info button. A new window will appear.

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