Smart folders (saved searches)
Hi there. Thanks for the hard work on 1Password.
So, some time ago, when 1Password moved toward being a cloud-based cross-platform service, you gals and guys seem to have ditched user-created folders in favor of tag-only approach to categorizing items. Also, you now apparently strive for feature parity between all the various client apps.
One feature that fell victim to that — was saved searches, known on macOS as smart folders.
And as a user with hundreds of items, heavily categorized by tags, let me tell you gently but firmly: your current tag support is crap.
All you can do in the main window is click on a tag to view its items. On top of that, you do provide what looks like macOS’s built-in search options, cleverly hidden under a tiny greyed out loupe icon.
But then you went ahead and hid the “Save” button. The reason being — I assume — that you had no good way of storing those saved searches in the cloud.
So, here’s a thought:
To hell with the cloud. I can live with re-creating smart folders every time I move to a new macOS. Just give me the option to save quite a bit of clicks and keystrokes every time I go looking for a needle in a haystack. You can smoothly transition local smart folders into cloud-based ones once those are ready.
I mean, look at it this way: right now you don’t have 100% feature parity anyway. Last time I checked, Windows client didn’t have search options at all (which I assume is one of your top development priorities as we speak). So, there is no harm in making smart folders a macOS exclusive for a time.
Anyway, sorry for much words. Had to be said.
Looking forward to hearing from y’all.
All the best.
1Password Version: 7.2.5 (70205002)
Extension Version: 4.7.3.90
OS Version: 10.14.4
Sync Type: 1Password Account
Comments
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So, some time ago, when 1Password moved toward being a cloud-based cross-platform service, you gals and guys seem to have ditched user-created folders in favor of tag-only approach to categorizing items.
Yes. Folders aren't completely gone yet in all 1Password apps/configurations, but that's the way things are headed, yes.
Also, you now apparently strive for feature parity between all the various client apps. One feature that fell victim to that — was saved searches, known on macOS as smart folders.
Right again.
And your points about the incompleteness of the tagging system in the current iteration of 1Password for Mac are well-taken. It's not in its final form, or the shape we'd like it to be in, currently. It was built-out enough that we wanted to get it into users' hands, because it is fleshed out enough for most users' needs. But people who manage a great deal of items (potentially in a business situation, for clients) or who are just obsessive organizers, may notice the absence of certain things both they and we would like to see in the nested tagging setup eventually. The reason things are this way - lacking some of the fullness many of us would like to see - has to do with what usually bedevils developers like us: not enough developer hours in the day to work on all the things we want or need to address, and having to prioritize what gets worked on first and what gets back-burnered for now. But - and I hope you'll understand this - that's also why we're unlikely to be spending any of those developer hours exhuming and updating old code to go backwards to previous setups that were removed because they could not be made to work in the way we need them to, cross-platform. I understand this complicates and lengthens your workflow, and I apologize for that, and wish we had a more-robust (or at least more-complete) solution ready to go for you. But we just don't at present, and while I can and will mention your request to the developers, I seriously doubt a request to re-establish the saved searches ("Smart Folders") feature will get much enthusiasm or traction.
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… while I can and will mention your request to the developers, I seriously doubt a request to re-establish the saved searches ("Smart Folders") feature will get much enthusiasm or traction.
And I thank you for that much at least.
I can certainly feel the pain of re-animating old code for a narrow use case. I make the suggestion purely on the off-chance that the feature in question is merely hidden away, as opposed to discontinued and long since branched away from.
Otherwise, I hope to see developments in that area in the foreseeable future.
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Otherwise, I hope to see developments in that area in the foreseeable future.
Fingers crossed. We'd need to find a cross-platform way of doing this. The old "Smart Folders" used Mac-only technology that isn't appropriate for a multi-platform service like the 1Password of today.
Ben
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