How do you create virtual folders from saved search

I would like to have on unix-like platforms, the same functionality as to Windows 7 Library folders (aka virtual folders) you see in Windows Explorer.

Gnome Nautilus do that kind of virtual folders through saved search. But I want a system-wide solution, not a gnome-wide solution.

Is there a tool that creates virtual folders from the concatenation of multiple search queries (the result of multiple find commands ?). The solution should index files for better performances and you should be able to define the default folder for copy operations.

I assume the solution of this kind of problem certainly use FUSE, but I can't see a complete solution to this kind of task in FUSE applications.

Is there any existing solution to this problem (involving no development from my side) ?

Jérôme Radix

Posted 2011-01-14T09:56:43.957

Reputation: 177

1I think that at this point in time this is a programming question. :) – mattdm – 2011-01-14T12:29:48.750

Answers

that's an application feature, not a system one. (just curious, do those windows 7 folders appear on a shell dir command?).

Both Gnome and KDE have a filesystem-like API, GVFS on Gnome and kio on KDE. There are FUSE systems based on each one, so if the functionality you see on your filebrowser is based on either, there's hope.

Javier

Posted 2011-01-14T09:56:43.957

Reputation: 1 036

@Javier, the Libraries are an Explorer feature, they don't exist at all on disk (except the XML configuration file). The only reason the Libraries appear in the Open/Save dialogs is that many applications make use of new APIs that support them. – Chris S – 2011-01-14T13:27:05.630

@Chris S: thanks, so windows is on the same footing as KDE, at least; where most applications accept the same kio refrences as Konqueror. – Javier – 2011-01-14T14:10:44.240