I think it would. Especially of you focus on the features that you are trying to duplicate.
I'll write this as if the reader has no knowledge of Windows. And I'll try to use both the Windows and OS X terms for the same/similar item.
In Windows XP, when you opened an Explorer/Finder window, an optional Navigation Pane/Sidebar was displayed on the left.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ntnfsn50b047wsp/Screen%20Shot%202013-04-13%20at%2011.49.32%20AM.png In earlier versions, there were actually lines showing the structure, similar to the lines you'll see in some threaded views of forums, emails, and newsgroups. The screen shot is the default XP view, but there are ways of getting the lines back. This threaded view idea goes all the way back into DOS.
With Vista, MS changed the view, and in Win7, they added a feature called Libraries.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4vutvfnkpmyq1y8/Screen%20Shot%202013-04-13%20at%2012.11.26%20PM.png This view is the same in Win8.
The idea behind libraries is to let the user have "pointers" to various folders on the hard drive. You can consider those pointers as shortcuts/aliases to various locations. For many, it can eliminate any need for any kind of hard drive organization.
When I saw the word "Libraries", I expected the feature to function similarly to a real library. Unfortunately, they don't.
An analogy of what I want to accomplish:
You have to view your hard drive(s), thumb drive(s), or specific folders, as being a real library in the aggregate. The folders represent the different Dewey Decimal classifications. And the files in the folders are the books in the library. The Libraries section of the Explorer/Finder window is the card file in the library. (Think the old fashioned 3X5 cards for this.) The sub-libraries are the category tabs of the card file.
This is how it would work: You go down the street and walk into the library (Open the Explorer/Finder window). You go to the card file (expand the Library tree to show the sub-libraries). Select a category/topic, such as buildings in the card file (open a sub-library called buildings). In the card file, you find all the books about buildings, regardless of where the books are in the library (the sub-library buildings lists all the files about buildings, regardless of where they are
and regardless of the other contents of any folder).
Windows Libraries can't do that, as usually implemented. I expected a sub-library to be able to contain only the
files I wanted. But, as designed, they won't. You can only have complete folders in a sub-library, not specific files.
That is not what I wanted. After spending considerable time, I did find a workaround in Win7 to get what I want. And what I want is the ability to show specific files in a library. Interestingly, after finding the workaround, I realized you do the basic Libraries function in Windows all the way back to, and including, Windows for Workgroups.
I'm trying to find a way to create the same functionality in OS X.
Ideally, there would be a utility out there that hooks into OS X, shows up in the sidebar, and works as I would like, not the way Windows works. Or, offers the user either way of working. If not, I can implement my Windows workaround in OS X
if I can change the view of the sidebar to a tree view structure. That's the reason for my other post about changing the view of the sidebar.
For those that sit and cogitate on this, you'll realize I'm creating a very simple relational database using the operating system.
