System and method for automatically linking items with multiple attributes to multiple levels of folders within a content management system

• US 20040103102A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Kenneth Carlin
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for automatically linking items with multiple attributes to multiple levels of folders within a content management system. The present system extends automatic linking to support multiple levels of folders and multiple attributes. One feature of the present system is to supplement the implementation of the automatic linking plan without user involvement so that the user is not required to know the rules for creating or nesting folders. A system defined attribute is used to indicate that the folder item was created by the present system. In addition, the present system automatically moves an item from one folder to another when the item is changed to a different type if the item was first added to the folder by the present system. When an item'"'"'s attributes are changed or the item is redefined as a different type, the item is re-indexed. The present system then changes the item'"'"'s link from the original folder to a new or different folder that matches the item'"'"'s new attributes or definition. If no correspondence folder exists for this customer, the present system creates a new folder with the proper attributes. If the result of removing an item from a folder results in an empty folder and if the folder was originally created by automatic linking, the present system deletes the empty folder. When the present system creates a new folder, the “automatic linking” rules for that item type are checked by the present system. This process is executed recursively.

Claims

1. A method of automatically linking items with two or more attributes to multiple levels of folders in a content management system, comprising:

creating an item type for a folder;

determining if automatic linking is specified for the folder;

if automatic linking is specified, determining if an existing folder of the item type is specified;

if the existing folder is specified, automatically adding the items to the existing folder; and

wherein if an existing folder is not specified, automatically and recursively creating a new folder to match the item type and adding the items to the new folder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the automatic linking is specified for the folder comprises further determining if automatic linking rules have been specified.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein if the automatic linking rules have been specified, locating the existing folder.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising using the attributes for locating for the existing folder of the item type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if the attributes of an item are changed, reindexing the item.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising changing an item link from the folder to the new folder that matches the item attributes.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein if removing an item from the folder results in an empty folder and if the folder was originally created by automatic linking, deleting the empty folder.

8. A computer program product having instruction codes for automatically linking items with two or more attributes to multiple levels of folders in a content management system, comprising:

a first set of instruction codes for creating an item type for a folder;

a second set of instruction codes for determining if automatic linking is specified for the folder;

if automatic linking is specified, the second set of instruction codes determines if an existing folder of the item type is specified;

if the existing folder is specified, the second set of instruction codes automatically adds the items to the existing folder; and

wherein if an existing folder is not specified, the second set of instruction codes automatically and recursively creates a new folder to match the item type and adding the items to the new folder.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the second set of instruction codes further determines if automatic linking rules have been specified.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein if the automatic linking rules have been specified, the second set of instruction codes locates the existing folder.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising a third set of instruction codes for using the attributes to locating for the existing folder of the item type.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein if the attributes of an item are changed, the third set of instruction codes reindexes the item.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising a fourth set of instruction codes for changing an item link from the folder to the new folder that matches the item attributes.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein if removing an item from the folder results in an empty folder and if the folder was originally created by automatic linking, the third set of instruction codes deletes the empty folder.

15. A system that automatically links items with two or more attributes to multiple levels of folders in a content management system, comprising:

means for creating an item type for a folder;

means for determining if automatic linking is specified for the folder;

if automatic linking is specified, the determining means determines if an existing folder of the item type is specified;

if the existing folder is specified, the determining means automatically adds the items to the existing folder; and

wherein if an existing folder is not specified, the determining means automatically and recursively creates a new folder to match the item type and adding the items to the new folder.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the determining means further determines if automatic linking rules have been specified.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein if the automatic linking rules have been specified, the determining means locates the existing folder.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising means for locating the existing folder of the item type using the attributes for.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein if the attributes of an item are changed, the locating means reindexes the item.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for changing an item link from the folder to the new fonder that matches the item attributes.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein if removing an item from the folder results in an empty folder and if the folder was originally created by automatic linking, the locating means deletes the empty folder.