Setting Properties When You Save

Search indexes are nothing new. Database administrators have been using them for decades. Every time you do an Internet search, you’re actually searching an index of websites somewhere. Windows XP and other operating systems allow for some limited, indexed searching through add-on programs. But Windows Vista was the first Windows version to have indexed searching — its own built-in search engine — built in from the ground up. Windows 7 expanded upon and improved the search capabilities introduced in Vista. Windows 8 continues the search capabilities with the capabilities to search Windows apps, the Windows Marketplace, Xbox LIVE, and Xbox Companion areas from within Windows. Other software developers understand the value of that. As the years roll by, new versions of old programs will include the ability to tag files and set properties at the moment you first save the program. In addition, the relationship of the desktop environment to the online environment is much tighter and more seamless with Windows 8.

When you save a new file, be sure to look around for any options in the Save As dialog box that allow you to add tags or properties. Figure 30.6 shows an example of the Save As dialog box for a Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 document. As you can see, the dialog box allows you to add tags and authors right on the spot.

FIGURE 30.6 Save As dialog box for PowerPoint 2010

When you’re faced with such options, think about words you might want to type into a Search box to find the file in the future. Ask yourself, “If I need this thing six months from now and forget its filename, what word might I use to search for it?” or “How should I categorize this file in relation to other similar kinds of documents?” As your collection of files grows, and your searching skills grow, the few moments you spend thinking up keywords for tags and properties will pay off in spades.