Using Virtual Folders

Virtual folders enable you to use one folder to view messages that are located in several folders. Your virtual folders are listed in VFolders in your folder pane. To display a virtual folder, select the virtual folder from the VFolders item in your folder pane.

If your folder pane is not displayed, choose View -> Folder Bar.

Use virtual folders to organize messages that are located in more than one folder. For example, imagine your company has a product that is called Lorem Ipsum. You have a client called Ximdom.Com. Employees of Ximdom.Com send you messages regularly about Lorem Ipsum, and about other products. You store the messages in many folders.

You can use virtual folders to organize messages from Ximdom.Com that are related to the Lorem Ipsum product, and that are not related to the product. To organize messages in this way, you might create the following virtual folders:

Ximdom.Com (Lorem Ipsum)

Displays messages from all folders that are from addresses that contain @ximdom.com, and that have the text lorem ipsum in the message body.

Ximdom.Com (Other)

Displays messages from all folders that are from addresses that contain @ximdom.com, and that do not have the text lorem ipsum in the message body.

You can create virtual folders in the following ways:

• Use the virtual folder editor.

• Use a message in your message list to automatically generate the virtual folder.

• Perform a search, then use the search to automatically generate the virtual folder.

Using the Virtual Folder Editor

You can use the virtual folder editor to add, edit, and delete virtual folders. You can also use the virtual folder editor to rearrange the positions of your virtual folders in the folder pane.

To Add a Virtual Folder

Perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Virtual Folder Editor.

2. Click Add on the vFolders dialog.

3. Enter the details for the virtual folder in the Add Rule dialog. The following table describes the elements on the Add Rule dialog:

   Element	Description
   Rule name	Type a name for the virtual folder in the text box.
   Add	Click this button to add more criteria to the virtual folder.
   Execute actions	Use the drop-down list to specify whether a message must meet all, or any, of the criteria, to be added to the virtual folder. You can select the following options:   if all criteria are met: Select this option to specify that the message must meet all of the criteria in the search. if any criteria are met: Select this option to specify that the message must meet at least one of the criteria in the search.
   First drop-down list	Select the message component to use for the criterion. For example, if you want the virtual folder to search the text in the body of the message, select Message Body.
   Second drop-down list	Select the relationship between the message component and the search text. For example, if you want the virtual folder to search for messages whose body includes the search text, select contains from the second drop-down list.
   Text box	Type the search text. This text is not case sensitive.
   Remove	To remove a criterion, click on the Remove button beside the criterion.
   vFolder Sources	From the drop-down list, select the folders from which you want to create the virtual folder. Select one of the following options:  specific folders only: Select this option to create the virtual folder from folders that you specify. To specify a folder, click Add. Select the folder that you want to add from the Select Folder dialog, then click OK. To remove a folder, select the folder, then click Remove. with all local folders: Select this option to create the virtual folder from all folders on your local system. with all active remote folders: Select this option to create the virtual folder from all folders on the mail server to which you are connected. with all local and active remote folders: Select this option to create the virtual folder from the following: All folders on your local system. All folders on the mail server to which you are connected.

4. When you have entered the details for the virtual folder, click OK on the Add Rule dialog.

5. Click OK to close the vFolders dialog.

To Edit a Virtual Folder

Perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Virtual Folder Editor.

2. In the vFolders dialog, select the virtual folder that you want to edit, then click Edit.

3. Modify the details of the virtual folder in the Edit Rule dialog as required. For more information about the dialog, see To Add a Virtual Folder.

4. When you have modified the details for the virtual folder, click OK on the Edit Rule dialog.

5. Click OK to close the vFolders dialog.

To Delete a Virtual Folder

Perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Virtual Folder Editor.

2. In the vFolders dialog, select the virtual folder that you want to delete, then click Remove.

3. Click OK to close the vFolders dialog.

To Change the Position of a Virtual Folder

To change the position of a virtual folder in your folder pane, perform the following steps:

1. Choose Tools -> Virtual Folder Editor.

2. In the vFolders dialog, select the virtual folder whose position you want to change.

3. Click the Up button or the Down button to change the position of the virtual folder. Repeat this step until the virtual folder is in the required position.

4. Click OK to close the vFolders dialog.

To Create a Virtual Folder From a Message

Perform the following steps:

1. Select the message from which you want to create a virtual folder in the message list.

2. Choose Tools -> Create Virtual Folder From Message, then choose one of the following menu items:

   • VFolder on Subject: Creates a virtual folder from the subject of the selected message.

   • VFolder on Sender: Creates a virtual folder from the sender of the selected message.

   • VFolder on Recipients: Creates a virtual folder from the recipients of the selected message.

   • VFolder on Mailing List: Creates a virtual folder from the mailing lists in the To and Cc fields of the selected message.

   A New VFolder dialog is displayed. The dialog contains criteria for the virtual folder, depending on which menu item you chose.

3. Modify the details of the virtual folder in the dialog if required. For more information about the dialog, see To Add a Virtual Folder.

4. Click OK. The virtual folder is added to the list of virtual folders in the folder pane.

To Create a Virtual Folder From a Search

Perform the following steps:

1. Perform the search from which you want to create a virtual folder. For more information, see Using Advanced Searches.

2. After you perform the search, choose Search -> Create Virtual Folder From Search. A New VFolder dialog is displayed. The dialog contains the search criteria for the search you performed.

3. Modify the details of the virtual folder in the dialog if required. For more information about the dialog, see To Add a Virtual Folder.

4. Click OK. The virtual folder is added to the list of virtual folders in the folder pane.