System and method for shell browser

• US 7,712,034 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wong, Lyon K. F., Hysom, Scott S., Rosenberg, Jonathan P., Cummins, Charles, Shaw, Rhae-Christie, Beam, Tyler K., De Vorchik, David G., Gusmorino, Paul A., Hally, Judson Craig, Low, Aidan
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/111,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/745, 715/747, 715/821, 715/822, 715/823, 715/808, 715/809, 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 715/759, 715/758, 715/746, 715/749, 358/527, 707/1, 707/3, 707/100, 707/102
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• 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 previewing system that permits selection from a plurality of interactive previewers for use in a system shell browser is disclosed. The previews may be extensible, such that different application developers may write custom previews for different file types, and the shell browser may follow established criteria to select an appropriate preview. The user may enter criteria to control which previewers are used for different situations, such as when certain file types are selected for previewing. Size of an available display area for the preview may be a criterion, such that resizing the preview area may cause a different preview to be displayed. The preview may be executed as a separate process from the browser so that crashes and hangs in the previewer process do not fatally affect the browser process. Previews may be incorporated within common file dialogs offered by an underlying operating system, such that different applications may share the common previewer.

Claims

1. A method for previewing files located in one or more computing devices while browsing a computer system, comprising the steps of:

receiving an indication of a file selected for previewing from a shell browser, wherein said shell browser allows a user to navigate through one or more namespaces including files and other non-file items;

selecting a first interactive preview panel from a plurality of available preview panels based on one or more criteria;

initially displaying a generic preview of said selected file while said first interactive preview panel is initializing;

replacing said generic preview with said first interactive preview when said first interactive preview panel is ready for display, wherein said first interactive preview image of said selected file comprises extended controls which allow the user to comprehensively browse the previewed selected file without opening the file; and

editing contents of said selected file directly in the preview panel, based on user interaction with said first interactive preview panel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected file is a word processing file, and said first interactive preview panel allows keyboard entry of text into said word processing file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request to resize said first interactive preview panel;

resizing said first interactive preview panel in response to said user request; and

offering a different level of interactivity in said first interactive preview panel in response to said resizing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein when said resizing results in a larger preview, said resized first interactive preview panel offers a greater level of interactivity than previously offered.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein when said resizing results in a smaller preview, said resized first interactive preview offers a lesser level of interactivity than previously offered.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request to resize said first interactive preview panel; and

replacing said first interactive preview panel with a second interactive preview panel in response to said user request.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said second interactive preview panel is generated using a different interactive previewer application from said first interactive previewer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication identifies multiple files from said shell browser as being selected.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said file is selected as a result of a search process using one or more search criteria, and further comprising the step of using said one or more search criteria in said step of selecting.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more criteria includes an amount of system resources consumed or available.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting includes the step of rejecting an initial previewer due to system resource availability, and falling back to said first interactive preview.

12. A computer-storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for performing the following steps:

receiving an indication of a file selected for previewing from a shell browser wherein said shell browser allows a user to navigate through one or more namespaces including files and other non-file items;

selecting a first interactive preview panel from a plurality of available preview panels based on one or more criteria;

initially displaying a generic preview of said selected file while said first interactive preview panel is initializing;

replacing said generic preview with said first interactive preview when said first interactive preview panel is ready for display, wherein said first interactive preview image of said selected file comprises extended controls which allow the user to comprehensively browse the previewed selected file without opening the file; and

editing contents of said selected file directly in the interactive preview panel, based on user interaction with said first interactive preview panel.

13. The computer-storage medium of claim 12, wherein said selected file is a word processing file, and said first interactive preview allows keyboard entry of text into said word processing file.

14. The computer-storage medium of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a user request to resize said first interactive preview;

resizing said first interactive preview in response to said user request; and

offering a different level of interactivity in said first interactive preview in response to said resizing.

15. The computer-storage medium of claim 14, wherein when said resizing results in a larger preview, said resized first interactive preview offers a greater level of interactivity than previously offered.

16. The computer-storage medium of claim 12, wherein when said resizing results in a smaller preview, said resized first interactive preview offers a lesser level of interactivity than previously offered.

17. The computer-storage medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more criteria includes an amount of system resources consumed or available.

18. The computer-storage medium of claim 12, wherein said one or more criteria includes an amount of system resources consumed or available.

19. The computer-storage medium of claim 12, wherein said step of selecting includes the step of rejecting an initial previewer due to system resource availability, and falling back to said first interactive preview.

20. A computing device having a processor and computer storage media for previewing files while browsing a computer system, the computing device comprising:

a receiving component for receiving an indication of a file selected for previewing from a shell browser wherein said shell browser allows a user to navigate through one or more namespaces including files and other non-file items;

a selection component for selecting a first interactive preview panel from a plurality of available preview panels based on one or more criteria;

a display component for initially displaying a generic preview of said selected file while said first interactive preview panel is initializing, and replacing said generic preview with said first interactive preview when said first interactive preview panel is ready for display, wherein said first interactive preview image of said selected file comprises extended controls which allow the user to comprehensively browse the previewed selected file without opening the file; and

an editing component for editing contents of said selected file directly in the interactive preview panel, based on user interaction with said first interactive preview panel.