Patent ID: 8627222

Claim:
A method of providing expanded search and find functionality, comprising: displaying, by a computing device, a user interface on an output device, the user interface concurrently including a list pane and a search pane, the list pane initially including an unfiltered listing of email items, the search pane initially being in a simplified form, the search pane including a first textbox; receiving, from a user, free form alphanumeric entry of a first search query in the first textbox; displaying a first results list in the list pane after receiving entry of the first search query, the first results list listing email items that match the first search query; after displaying the first results list in the list pane, expanding the search pane such that the search pane is in an expanded form, the search pane being expanded in response to receiving a selection of a user interface control to toggle the search pane from the simplified form to the expanded form, a size of the list pane being smaller when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, a size of the search pane being larger when the search pane is in the expanded form than when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including the first text box and a plurality of additional textboxes when the search pane is in expanded form, the search pane not including the additional textboxes when the search pane is in the simplified form, the search pane including different landmark properties associated with each of the additional textboxes when the search pane is in expanded form, the landmark properties being a pre-selected set of properties of email items that define search criteria for the additional textboxes, each landmark property is represented by a label adjacent to its associated additional textbox when the search pane is in expanded form; receiving, at the computing device, entry of search strings in the additional textboxes, the entry of the search strings in the additional textboxes originating from a selection of drop-down menu entries; as the computing device receives the search strings in the additional textboxes, constructing, by the computing device, a second search query by automatically populating the first textbox with a syntax and a structure of the second search query based on the drop-down menu entries and the landmark properties; after populating the first textbox with the syntax and the structure of the second search query, executing the second search query; and after executing the second search query, displaying a second results list in the list pane, the second results list listing email items having instances of the landmark properties matching the search strings.