Methods, Systems, and Computer-Readable Mediums for Providing Persisting and Continuously Updating Search Folders

A method of providing a virtual folder within at least one computer, the method comprising:

• continuously identifying data items in a datastore that satisfy a first query;
• providing a first virtual folder, the virtual folder comprising a collection of links to the data items that satisfy the first query;
• continuously identifying data items in a datastore that satisfy a second query;
• providing a second virtual folder comprising a collection of links to the data items that satisfy the second query wherein at least one link in the second virtual folder refers to a data item that is also referred to by a link in the first virtual folder;
• and
• storing a modified version of the data item referred to by a link.

A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for saving search criteria from an email search, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

• receiving a query specifying metadata search parameters;
• associating the query with a first virtual folder;
• continuously updating the first virtual folder to store links to data items that currently satisfy the search criteria;
• and
• modifying at least one of the data items that satisfy the search criteria via the links in the virtual folder.

A system for searching a datastore, the system comprising:

• a memory storage;
• and
• a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to:
• provide a first user interface element capable of being continuously updated to display a search folder which contains links to data items in a datastore that satisfy at least one search criterion,
• provide a second user interface element capable of displaying a search criteria which controls the search criteria for the search folder, and
• provide a third user interface element capable of instructing a datastore to modify a data item referred to by a link contained in the search folder.