Localized viewing of file system names

• US 20040186857A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Ozer, Ali, Serlet, Bertrand
• Granted Patent: US 8,244,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/173 Customisation support for file systems, e.g. localisation, multi-language support, personalisation

Abstract

The elements of a file system contain information that provides language-specific views of the file system. An indicator in each element enables a quick determination to be made whether that element is localized. These indicators can take the form of a key-value pair in a properties list, a special file in the element, such as an empty file, or a special extension on the name of the file. If the element is localized, the localization information can be stored as part of the element, or in a central location for use with multiple different elements. A library of APIs associated with the file system performs methods to determine whether a requested file system element is localized, and to retrieve the localized name in that case.

Claims

1. A method for displaying localized names for elements stored in a computer'"'"'s file system, comprising the following steps:

storing an attribute with each localized file system element which indicates that the element is localized;

upon access to each file system element, determining whether the element includes an attribute which indicates that the element is localized;

retrieving and displaying a localized name for a preferred language if the file system element includes such an attribute; and

displaying a non-localized name if the file system element does not include such an attribute.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said attribute comprises a key value that is stored with the contents of the file system element.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said key value is contained in a list of key-value pairs defining attributes of the file system element.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the file system element is a bundle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said attribute comprises a file having a predetermined name that is contained within the file system element.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said file is an empty file.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said file is a hidden file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the localized name is stored as part of the contents of the file system element.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the localized name is stored in a predetermined location separate from the file system element.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said attribute is a predetermined extension added to the name of the file system element.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the localized name is stored as a key-value pair, where the key is a non-localized name for the file system element and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of detecting whether the key matches the actual name of the file system element stored in the file system, and displaying the localized name only if there is a match.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said key-value pair is stored in the contents of the file system element.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the contents of the file system element include plural key-value pairs that respectively correspond to different languages.

15. A file system for a computer that manages the storage of file system elements on one or more storage devices and provides requesting applications with access to stored file system elements, said file system including an interface that is responsive to a request for access to determine whether a requested file system element has a localized name associated with a preferred language, and that provides said localized name to the requesting application.

16. The file system of claim 15 wherein said interface determines whether a requested file system element has a localized name by detecting whether the requested element has an attribute which indicates that the element is localized.

17. The file system of claim 16 wherein said attribute comprises a key value that is stored with the contents of the file system element.

18. The file system of claim 17 wherein said key value is contained in a list of key-value pairs defining attributes of the file system element.

19. The file system of claim 17 wherein the file system element is a bundle.

20. The file system of claim 16 wherein said attribute comprises a file having a predetermined name that is contained within the file system element.

21. The file system of claim 20 wherein said file is an empty file.

22. The file system of claim 20 wherein said file is a hidden file.

23. The file system of claim 16 wherein said attribute is a predetermined extension added to the name of the file system element.

24. The file system of claim 16 wherein the localized name is stored as a key-value pair, where the key is a non-localized name for the file system element and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language.

25. The file system of claim 24 wherein said interface detects whether the key matches the actual name of the file system element stored in the file system, and provides the localized name only if there is a match.

26. The file system of claim 16 wherein localized names for a plurality of file system elements are stored in a location separate from the file system elements themselves.

27. A computer system, comprising:

a storage device in which file system elements are stored;

a display device on which names of said file system elements can be displayed; and

an operating system that manages access to file system elements stored on said storage device and provides file system element names to said display for viewing, said operating system being responsive to a request for access to a file system element stored on said storage device to determine whether said element has a localized name associated with a designated language, and providing said localized name in response to the request for viewing on said display device.

28. The computer system of claim 27 wherein said operating system determines whether a requested file system element has a localized name by detecting whether the requested element has an attribute which indicates that the element is localized.

29. A computer file system, comprising:

means for determining whether an element stored in the file system includes an attribute which indicates that the element is localized;

means for retrieving and returning a localized name for a preferred language if the file system element includes such an attribute; and

means for returning a non-localized name if the file system element does not include such an attribute.

30. The file system of claim 29 wherein said attribute comprises a key value that is stored with the contents of the file system element.

31. The file system of claim 29 wherein said attribute comprises a file having a predetermined name that is contained within the file system element.

32. The file system of claim 29 wherein said attribute is a predetermined extension added to the name of the file system element.

33. The file system of claim 29 wherein the localized name is stored in a predetermined location separate from the file system element.

34. A computer-readable medium containing a program that executes the following steps:

receiving requests for access to file system elements;

determining whether a requested element includes an attribute which indicates that the element is localized;

retrieving and returning a localized name for a preferred language if the file system element includes such an attribute; and

returning a non-localized name if the file system element does not include such an attribute.

35. A computer-readable medium containing a program that is responsive to a request for access to an element stored in a file system to determine whether the requested element has a localized name associated with a preferred language and to provide said localized name for display as the name of the element if the determination is in the affirmative.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein said program returns a non-localized name if the requested element does not have a localized name associated with said language.

37. A computer-readable medium containing a file system element that includes an attribute which indicates that the element has at least one localized name associated with it.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein said attribute comprises a key value that is included in the contents of the file system element.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein said key value is contained in a list of key-value pairs defining attributes of the file system element.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 38 wherein the file system element is a bundle.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein said attribute comprises a file having a predetermined name that is contained within the file system element.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 wherein said file is an empty file.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 41 wherein said file is a hidden file.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein the localized name is stored as part of the contents of the file system element.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 37 wherein said attribute is a predetermined extension added to the name of the file system element.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the localized name is stored in the contents of the file system element as a key-value pair, where the key is a non-localized name for the file system element and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 46, wherein the contents of the file system element include plural key-value pairs that respectively correspond to different languages.

48. A computer-readable medium containing a file system element whose contents include a key-value pair where the key is a non-localized name for the file system element and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein the contents of the file system element include plural key-value pairs that respectively correspond to different languages.

50. A computer-readable medium containing a file system element comprising:

an indicator which identifies the file system element as having a localized name; and

at least one resource that provides a localized name for the file system element for a particular user preference setting.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein said file system element contains a plurality of resources that provide different localized names for different respective user preference settings.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein said user preference setting is a designation of a preferred language.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein said indicator comprises a key value contained within said file system element.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein said indicator comprises a file having a predetermined name.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein said indicator comprises a predetermined extension on the name of the file system element.