As mentioned in Lesson 1, one of the improvements that Vista offers in file-handling is the ability to create different views of file listings, called virtual folders. A virtual folder shows content from multiple locations as if they were a single location (such as the results of a search operation) or shows the content from a location in a certain way (stacked, sorted, or grouped for example).

If you're familiar with database concepts, it might be helpful to think about a virtual folder as a type of query. It takes the raw data (the file and folder names) and shows it to you in a differently organized or presented format.

To use stacking, sorting, and grouping, you must use the old-style menu system. Hold down Alt to make it appear, and then open the View menu and use the Sort By, Stack By, or Group By command submenu. For example, in Figure 2-16, the listing is being set to sort by Date Modified.

Figure 2-16: You can sort, stack, or group using the View menu's submenus.

Sorting is pretty straightforward; the listing simply appears in the specified order. Stacking and grouping require a bit more explanation, though.

Grouping organizes the listing into clusters based on the criteria you specify. For example, in Figure 2-17, the files are grouped by type.

Figure 2-17: When you group files, the files appear in sections based on the criteria by which you group.

Stacking is like grouping except that each group appears as a single icon. You can double-click an icon to open a virtual folder showing only the items represented by that stack, as shown in Figure 2-18. This is considered a type of search; notice in the Address bar it displays the words "Search results."

Figure 2-18: When you stack files, you create groups and collapse each group to an icon.

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By this point, you know the basics of the Windows Vista interface and how to navigate it efficiently. You'll put those new skills to work in the next two lessons.

Moving On

In this lesson, you learned some of the ways in which the Windows Vista interface differs from that of earlier versions. You learned how to find and run programs on the Start menu and how to navigate a Windows Explorer file listing. In Lesson 3, you'll learn how to customize Windows Vista via the Control Panel and display settings. Before you move on, complete the assignment and quiz for this lesson, and then head over to the Message Board to join the discussion on the Windows Vista interface.