"Smart Folders" in OS X

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
After watching the keynote on MacWorld New York over the internet, I couldnt help but to wonder about the "Smart playlists" that now are a part of iTunes 3. Then I came to think about the Dock - which is one of my favourite parts of OS X. What I noticed was, that I tend to create folders like "Games", "Internet" and "Applications". These folders arent the main folders them selves, but rather folders containing aliases to all of my Games, internet and application files.



One feature that I would love in OS X, is to be able to create "smart folders", folders in which the contents are dynamically updated as I install new applications into a specific folder (i.e. "Games", "Utilities" and "Internet application". This would help me keep my Dock updated, and with less clutter.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    chychchych Posts: 860member
    Hm, sounds a lot like the windows start bar to me... oh oh...



    Anyways, the iTunes thing works on ID3 tags to sort music by category, and there is no such thing (afaik) for files in the current filesystem...



    Though you could do it the windows way and have programs install such aliases into a dock folder like how you stated...
  • Reply 2 of 29
    That sort of feature was slated for Copland but was never folded into the Mac OS. That sort of thing was also available to an extent in BeOS. It's a good idea and I don't know why it isn't being done.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    applenutapplenut Posts: 5,768member
    yes, which is why Apple needs a database based filesystem like BeOS.



    it is just so logical and great
  • Reply 4 of 29
    boemaneboemane Posts: 311member
    [quote]Originally posted by chych:

    [QB]Hm, sounds a lot like the windows start bar to me... oh oh..<hr></blockquote>



    It wouldnt be like the start menu at all. You would be able to create folders, containing aliases, of all APPLICATIONS that are found wihting a user specified folder. The smart folders should even have the possibility only pick applications that have 'xyz'' in their name, or applications which have the word 'internet' in its get-info comment.
  • Reply 5 of 29
    imhoimho Posts: 30member
    I like the sound of this, but isn't this what AppleScript is for...?
  • Reply 6 of 29
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by imho:

    <strong>I like the sound of this, but isn't this what AppleScript is for...?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Like AppleScript but much easier.



    It's about UI.



    The search field in Jaguar's Finder toolbar doesn't do anything new, but it's a major step forward in ease of use in searching. Try it for twenty minutes. I can't use 10.1 without thinking half a dozen times a day, "wish I had that search field right about now. Sure would be handy."



    That's the kind of potential Smart Folders would have.



    Apple is holding off on this feature, I think, until the file system and metadata system is revamped. They want to it to make an impact, and with with a new metadata system, it just might...



    There are potential pitfalls too, though, btw. A successful implementation of Smart Folders has to be really, really clear that a folder is Smart as to not to be confuse users. ("Why do the contents of this folder keep changing???")



    Perhaps a different color folder with a badge as well, or perhaps an entirely different icon.



    The first step toward this idea was having search results in a Finder window. Once people become comfortable with that, they'll start to become comfortable with the idea of a Finder window holding active data, instead of static data...



    [edit: um, toolbar, not toolbat. ]



    [ 07-25-2002: Message edited by: Hobbes ]</p>
  • Reply 7 of 29
    nebagakidnebagakid Posts: 2,692member
    the only things these could be made on are:



    Date Created and Modified,

    File name and creator, extension

    Size

    File type



    there is not much more!



    You would have to add ID3 tags to other items
  • Reply 8 of 29
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by BoeManE:

    <strong>



    It wouldnt be like the start menu at all. You would be able to create folders, containing aliases, of all APPLICATIONS that are found wihting a user specified folder. The smart folders should even have the possibility only pick applications that have 'xyz'' in their name, or applications which have the word 'internet' in its get-info comment.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Or you could make a folder for



    - documents used within the last 24 hours



    or (if the metadata gets *really* to where it should be)



    - documents sent to me by (say) Terri

    - documents containing a certain phrase in their content

    - new E-mail messages

    - documents labelled "Important"



    ...



    Smart Folders could also of course be placed in the Dock for instant access.
  • Reply 9 of 29
    Hmm... with smart folders and decent metadata, Apple could do a much better job in integrating iTunes and iPhoto with what the Finder displays. Not that they can't do a much better job now, though. One could edit and view photo albums and playlists in the Finder.
  • Reply 10 of 29
    ddmaddma Posts: 19member
    Why don't you guys post your suggestions to <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/"; target="_blank">Mac OS X Feedback page</a>?
  • Reply 11 of 29
    nebagakidnebagakid Posts: 2,692member
    will you do it for me?





    <img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
  • Reply 12 of 29
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by ddma:

    <strong>Why don't you guys post your suggestions to <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/"; target="_blank">Mac OS X Feedback page</a>?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Well, I'm sure everyone and kid brother have requested the return of labels and "more metadata!" about a zillion times.



    This idea is an old one -- I'm sure the Apple UE team knows about it.



    I think it's more a question of waiting for certain technical aspects of the OS -- the filesystem, for instance -- to be updated. Apple likes to bundle their goodies into one package, and then provide a wallop of wow.



    [ 07-25-2002: Message edited by: Hobbes ]</p>
  • Reply 13 of 29
    The folders I have in the dock, (apps, games utilities,)

    always update when I add to the originals. hmm, I dont see the problem.
  • Reply 14 of 29
    What we're talking about is being able to stick applications, games and utilities wherever we want and have aliases put into the appropriate folders automatically. Or having aliases to Word documents modified today from anywhere on the drive put into a 'Recent Word Documents' folder automatically.
  • Reply 15 of 29
    serranoserrano Posts: 1,806member
    Brilliant!



    'Smart Folders' could be media folders, based on file extensions. You could automatically sort .mp3's, .mpg's, .mov's, .txt's, .html's... I can't escape the fact though that to make this feature truly useful some implementation of metadata would be necessary.



    <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />



    Here's hoping.
  • Reply 16 of 29
    kickahakickaha Posts: 8,760member
    And it would certainly make incremental backups easy... just have a folder with "All files since timestamp X" where X is the last backup time. To backup, copy that folder, assuming the files know where they were to begin with.
  • Reply 17 of 29
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    Smart folders are the next step to leverage metadata again. They are also a stop-gap of sorts to a database-driven filesystem. To me, the idea is not only good but find of obvious once someone thought of it.



    But I also tend to think that the idea shows the shift away from a Finder-like UI to the one that iTunes and even iPhoto to some extent demonstrate, away from a very generic method of viewing and organizing content to a much more specific one. The trick I suppose is figuring out all the possible types of content, and all the different ways of dealing with it. That is, the hard part is making it flexible enough to really be a personal filing system.
  • Reply 18 of 29
    hobbeshobbes Posts: 1,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by BuonRotto:

    <strong>Smart folders are the next step to leverage metadata again. They are also a stop-gap of sorts to a database-driven filesystem. To me, the idea is not only good but find of obvious once someone thought of it.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Yep.



    [quote]<strong>But I also tend to think that the idea shows the shift away from a Finder-like UI to the one that iTunes and even iPhoto to some extent demonstrate, away from a very generic method of viewing and organizing content to a much more specific one. The trick I suppose is figuring out all the possible types of content, and all the different ways of dealing with it. That is, the hard part is making it flexible enough to really be a personal filing system.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    But isn't the Finder, by its very definition, a browser for all kinds of files? You're right, Apple has done a great job of creating specialized, delightfully designed apps to handle specific kinds of content (music, photos, soon addresses and contacts), shifting the attention away from the Finder.



    But since the Finder is the place for all files, it seems the next step to take a page from a app like Six Degrees, and start mapping the ways people use the files, irregardless (as Bloom County's Opus would say) of content.



    IOW, let specialized apps handle content; the Finder handles locations of files, and also tracks and analyzes patterns of use.



    In any case. I agree that an idea like Smart Folders are just the tip of the iceberg.



    [ 07-26-2002: Message edited by: Hobbes ]</p>
  • Reply 19 of 29
    synsyn Posts: 329member
    With proper meta-data support, ala BeOS, smart playlists are nothing new, in fact you can have them right now inthe Finder equivalent of the BeOS. I really hope Apple has big plans regarding the FS and meta-data, the recent hiring of Mr. BFS and hierarchical mime types within Project Builder might hint at good things to come...



    At least I hope so...
  • Reply 20 of 29
    eizzumdmeizzumdm Posts: 27member
    The Mac OS already contains a primitive version of the Smart Folders concept--the "Recent Items" folder in the Apple Menu.



    But I agree with this thread, the way that iTunes 3 does Smart Playlists would translate well to the Finder and would be a great way of organizing files.
Sign In or Register to comment.