OS X Mountain Lion Bible

Working with Folders' Unique Operations

In addition to the common controls described in the preceding sections, special operations are available just for folders.

Using smart folders

OS X uses the “smart” concept in several areas: iTunes playlists, Mail folders, and Finder windows. The concept is simple: Create a set of search rules, and save them so they are applied live all the time. For the Finder, that means you can create smart folders that stay updated with the appropriate contents at all times.

For example, you can create a rule that says the smart folder should display all files that are of the kind documents, have the phrase “Mountain Lion” in their contents, and were modified in the last 30 days. As new files that meet these criteria are discovered, they're automatically shown in that smart folder—and any files that no longer satisfy all these criteria disappear from it.

Creating smart folders is easy: Open a Finder window (a new or existing one), and enter a search term in the Spotlight search box. Refine where the search occurs using the buttons that appear in the search bar at the top of the contents pane: One set lists This Mac and one or more folders based on where you were when you began the search. The other set has two options, Contents and Filename, that tell Spotlight where to search for the text. You can add more search criteria by clicking the + icon button and choosing the desired criteria. The contents of the Finder window reflect the results live as you ...