Directory tree user interface having scrollable subsections

• US 6,448,985 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McNally, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/368,681
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 345/853, 345/841, 345/738, 345/739, 345/784, 345/786, 345/788, 345/800, 345/810, 345/855, 345/854, 345/828, 345/830
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A directory tree is displayed and a command is detected to expand a subsection of the directory tree. It is determined whether certain criteria are met for displaying the subsection in a scrollable region within the directory tree. The subsection is presented in the scrollable region if the criteria are met, so that a greater number of members of the directory tree outside the subsection can be displayed within the graphical user interface. Some of the criteria which can be used to determine whether a scrollable subsection should be used include: whether the subsection has more than a predetermined number of members; whether all members of a root node directory of the tree can be displayed if the subsection is fully expanded; and whether the subsection is at a predetermined depth in the directory tree structure.

Claims

1. A method for managing a directory tree within a graphical user interface, comprising the steps of:

displaying a directory tree, in a substantially columnar form wherein subsections of the tree are demarcated by indentation and are indented by an amount less than an average width of members within a subsection;

detecting a command to expand a subsection of the directory tree;

determining whether criteria are met for displaying the subsection in a scrollable region within the directory tree; and

presenting the subsection in the scrollable region if the criteria are met, wherein the scrollable region is presented within the directory tree at the indentation assigned to the subsection, so that a greater number of members of the directory tree outside the subsection can be displayed within the graphical user interface.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein one criteria is whether the subsection has more than a predetermined number of members.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein one criteria is whether all members of a root node directory of the tree can be displayed if the subsection is fully expanded.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein one criteria is whether the subsection is at a predetermined depth in the directory tree structure.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scrollable region is presented with its own scrolling control for independently scrolling the scrollable region with respect to higher levels of the directory tree.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scrollable region is resizable according to user input manipulations.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein members outside the scollable region are relocated responsive to a resizing action on the scrollable region.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a command to expand a lower level subsection of the directory tree within the scrollable region;

determining whether criteria are met for displaying the lower level subsection in a lower level scrollable region;

collapsing the scrollable region; and

presenting the lower level subsection in the lower level scrollable region.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the directory tree is an operating system interface used to show a user an accessible set of files on a computer system.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the directory tree is an interface to a network directory accessible to a plurality of users via a network.

11. A system including process, memory, display and input devices for managing a directory tree within a graphical user interface, comprising:

means for displaying a directory tree on the display, in a substantially columnar form wherein subsections of the tree are demarcated by indentation and are indented by an amount less than an average width of members within a subsection;

means for detecting a command to expand a subsection of the directory tree;

means for determining whether criteria are met for displaying the subsection in a scollable region within the directory tree; and

means for presenting the subsection in the scrollable region if the criteria are met, wherein the scrollable region is presented within the directory tree at the indentation assigned to the subsection, so that a greater number of members of the directory tree outside the subsection can be displayed within the graphical user interface.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein one criteria is whether the subsection has more than a predetermined number of members.

13. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein one criteria is whether all members or a root node directory of the tree can be displayed if the subsection fully expanded.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein at least one member of the subsection is modified to provide an indication that more information can be scrolled into the scrollable region.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the scrollable region is presented with its own scrolling control for independently scrolling the scrollable region with respect to higher levels of the directory tree.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the scrollable region is resizable according to user input manipulations.

17. the system as recited in claim 16, wherein members outside the scrollable region are relocated responsive to a resizing action on the scrollable region.

18. A computer program product in a computer usable medium for managing a directory tree within a graphical user interface, comprising:

means for displaying a directory tree on the display, in a substantially columnar form wherein subsections of the tree are demarcated by indentation and are indented by an amount less than an average width of members within a subsection

means for detecting a command to expand a subsection of the directory tree;

means for determining whether criteria are met for displaying the subsection in a scrollable region within the directory tree; and

means for presenting the subsection in the scrollable region if the criteria are met, wherein the scrollable region is presented within the directory tree at the indentation assigned to the subsection, so that a greater number of members of the directory tree outside the subsection can be displayed within the graphical user interface.

19. The product as recited in claim 18, wherein one criteria is whether the subsection has more than predetermined number of members.

20. The product as recited in claim 18, wherein one criteria is whether all members of a root node directory of the tree can be displayed if the subsection is fully expanded.

21. The product as recited in claim 18, wherein one criteria is a ratio of a display space allocated to displaying the subsection compared to a remainder whether the subsection is at a predetermined depth in the directory tree structure.

22. The product as recited in claim 18, wherein the scrollable region is presented with its own scrolling control for independently scrolling the scrollable region with respects to higher levels of the directory tree.

23. The product as recited in claim 18, wherein the scrollable region is resizable to user input manipulations.

24. The product as recited in claim 23, wherein members outside the scrollable region are relocated responsive to a resizing action on the scrollable region.

25. A method for managing a directory tree within a graphical user interface, comprising the steps of:

presenting the directory tree within a scrollable window, in a substantially columnar form wherein subdirectories of the tree are demarcated by indentation and are indented by an amount less than an average width of members within a subdirectory;

responsive to a command to expand a subdirectory within the directory tree, presenting the subdirectory within a separate scrollable region within the directory tree wherein the scrollable region is presented within the directory tree at the indentation assigned to the subdirectory;

wherein scrolling the subdirectory within the scrollable region does into move directory members outside the scrollable region.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein scrolling the directory tree within the scrollable window moves the position of the scrollable region with the movement of the directory tree.