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

• US 7,158,962 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nelson, Kenneth Carlin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Tim
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, HUNG Q
• Application Number:
  US10/305,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/6, 707/7, 707/101, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/1
• US Class Current: 707/737
• 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, different levels of folders in a content management system, comprising:

creating a plurality of item types for the folders in the content management system;

linking the items to the folders by recursively and automatically performing the following steps for each item;

determining whether automatic linking is specified for the item;

upon determination that automatic linking is specified for the item, determining whether an existing folder of an associated item type is specified, and identifying a level of the multiple levels that is associated with the existing folder;

upon determination that the existing folder is specified, automatically adding the item to the existing folder at the identified level; and

upon determination that the existing folder is not specified, automatically creating a new folder associated with the item type and identifying the level associated with the new folder, and adding the item to the new folder at the identified level.

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

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

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

5. The method of claim 1, further determining whether any one or more of the attributes and the associated item type of the item has changed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein upon determination of a change in any one or more of the attributes and the associated item type of the item, removing the item from the folder containing the item to another folder at one of the multiple levels;

and

wherein upon determination that the removal of the item from the folder containing the item results in an empty folder, automatically deleting the empty folder.

7. A computer program product having a plurality of executable instruction codes stored on a computer-useable medium for automatically linking items with two or more attributes to multiple, different levels of folders in a content management system, comprising:

a set of instruction codes for creating a plurality of item types for the folders in the content management system;

a set of instruction codes for linking the items to the folders by recursively and automatically performing the following steps for each item;

determining whether automatic linking is specified for the item;

upon determination that automatic linking is specified for the item, determining whether an existing folder of an associated item type is specified, and identifying a level of the multiple levels that is associated with the existing folder;

upon determination that the existing folder is specified, automatically adding the item to the existing folder at the identified level; and

upon determination that the existing folder is not specified, automatically creating a new folder associated with the item type and identifying the level associated with the new folder, and adding the item to the new folder at the identified level.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising a third set of instruction codes for using the attributes of the item locating the existing folder of the associated item type.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising a set of instruction codes for determining whether any one or more of the attributes and the associated item type of the item has changed.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising:

a set of instruction codes, which, upon determination of a change in any one or more of the attributes and the associated item type of the item, removes the item from the folder containing the item to another folder at one of the multiple levels; and

a set of instruction codes, which, upon determination that the removal of the item from the folder containing the item results in an empty folder, automatically deletes the empty folder.

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

means for creating a plurality of item types for the folders in the content management system;

means for linking the items to the folders by recursively and automatically performing the following steps for each item;

determining whether automatic linking is specified for the item;

upon determination that automatic linking is specified for the item, determining whether an existing folder of an associated item type is specified, and identifying a level of the multiple levels that is associated with the existing folder;

upon determination that the existing folder is specified, automatically adding the item to the existing folder at the identified level; and

upon determination that the existing folder is not specified, automatically creating a new folder associated with the item type and identifying the level associated with the new folder, and adding the item to the new folder at the identified level.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for locating the existing folder of the associated item type using the attributes of the item.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising means for determining whether any one or more of the attributes and the associated item type of the item has changed.

14. The system of claim 13, means for removing the item from the folder containing the item to another folder at one of the multiple levels upon determination of a change in any one or more of the attributes and the associated item type of the item;

and

means for automatically deleting the empty folder upon determination that the removal of the item from the folder containing the item results in an empty folder.