Localized viewing of file system names

• US 8,244,712 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Serlet, Bertrand, Ozer, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARPER, ELIYAH STONE
• Application Number:
  US10/389,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20040186857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,437 Days
• Field of Search: 707/206, 707/200, 707/100, 707/103, 707/104.1, 707/10, 707/687, 707/705, 707/713
• US Class Current: 707/713
• 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 of displaying localized names for a file or folder stored in a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a preferred language;

accessing the file or folder;

determining whether the accessed file or folder has a localization indicator, which comprises a key-value pair, wherein the key is a non-localized name for the file or folder and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language and wherein the file or folder includes a plurality of localized attributes, with each attribute being associated with a different language;

in response to determining that the localization indicator is present, searching the plurality of localized attributes of the file or folder for a localized attribute associated with the preferred language;

retrieving information associated with the file or folder when a match for the localized attribute associated with the preferred language is found; and

displaying a localized name of the file or folder based on the retrieved information, or displaying a non-localized name of the file or folder when the localized attribute associated with the preferred language is non-existent.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the key value of each of said plurality of localized attributes comprises a key value that is stored with the contents of the file or folder.

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

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the file or folder comprises a bundle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the localized name is stored in a predetermined location separate from the file or folder.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether the key matches an actual name of the file or folder stored in the file system; and

displaying the localized name in response to detecting that there is a match.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said key-value pair is stored in the contents of the file or folder.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the contents of the file or folder include a plurality of key-value pairs that respectively correspond to different languages.

9. A processor encoded with a program for an operating system that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of a preferred language;

receiving a request for access to at least one file or folder;

accessing the at least one file or folder;

determining whether the at least one file or folder has a localized attribute of the preferred language;

determining whether the accessed file or folder has a localization indicator, which comprises a key-value pair, wherein the key is a non-localized name for the file or folder and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language with each of the plurality of localized attributes being associated with a different language;

in response to determining that the accessed file or folder includes the localization indicator, searching the plurality of localized attributes associated with the preferred language;

retrieving information associated with the file or folder when a match for the localized attribute associated with the preferred language is found, displaying a localized name of the file or folder; and

displaying a non-localized name of the file or folder based on the retrieved information, or displaying a non-localized name of the file or folder when the localized attribute associated with the preferred language is non-existent.

10. The processor of claim 9 wherein said key value is contained in a list of key-value pairs defining localized attributes of the file or folder.

11. The processor of claim 9 wherein the file or folder comprises a bundle.

12. The file system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

detecting whether the key matches the actual name of the file or folder stored in the file system; and

providing the localized name in response to detecting that there is a match.

13. The file system of claim 9 wherein localized names for a plurality of files and/or folders are stored in a location separate from the files and/or folders themselves.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store files and folders;

a display device configured to display the names of said files and folders; and

a processor encoded with a program for an operating system that, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection of a preferred language;

receiving a request for access to at least one file or folder;

accessing the at least one file or folder;

determining whether the at least one file or folder has a localized attribute of the preferred language;

determining whether the accessed file or folder has a localization indicator, which comprises a key-value pair, wherein the key is a non-localized name for the file or folder and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language;

in response to determining that the accessed file or folder includes the localization indicator, searching the plurality of the localized attributes associated with the preferred language;

retrieving information associated with the file or folder when a match for the localized attribute associated with the preferred language is found, displaying a localized name of the file or folder; and

sending a non-localized name of the file or folder to said display device based on the retrieved information, or sending a localized name of the file or folder when the localized attribute associated with the preferred language is non-existent.

15. A computer having a processor encoded with a program for an operating system, wherein when the processor executes the program the operating system includes a file system that includes at least one file or folder of a system file or folder of the operating system, the computer comprising:

means for receiving a selection of a preferred language;

means of determining whether the at least one file or folder includes a first attribute that indicates that the element is localized, wherein the first attribute comprises a key-value pair wherein the key is a non-localized name for the file or folder and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language;

means searching among a plurality of localized names of the at least one file or folder for a localized name associated with the preferred language when the at least one file or folder is determined to be localized;

wherein each localized name is associated with a different language;

means for retrieving and returning the localized name of the preferred language, as the name of said file or folder, when a match is found; and

means for returning a non-localized name, as the name of said file or folder, when the at least one file or folder does not include the first attribute of the preferred language.

16. The file system of claim 15 wherein the key value of each attribute is stored with the contents of the file or folder.

17. The file system of claim 15 wherein the localized name is stored in a predetermined location separate from the file or folder.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving a selection of a preferred language;

receiving a request to access a file or folder;

determining whether the requested file or folder includes a first attribute, which indicates that the requested file or folder is localized, wherein the first attribute comprises a key-value pair, wherein the key is a non-localized name for the file or folder and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language;

in response to determining that the requested file or folder is localized, searching the plurality of localized attributes associated with the preferred language by searching among a plurality of localized names of the at least one requested file or folder for a localized name of the preferred language, where each localized name is associated with a different language;

retrieving and returning the localized name for the preferred language as the name of said file or folder if a match is found; and

returning a non-localized name, which corresponds to a second attribute of the plurality of localized attributes, as the name of said file or folder, if a match for the localized name of the preferred language is not found.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the key value of each attribute is included in the contents of the file or folder.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 wherein said key value is contained in a list of key-value pairs defining attributes of the file or folder.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the file or folder comprises a bundle.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the contents of the file or folder include a plurality of key-value pairs that respectively correspond to different languages.

23. A method of displaying names in a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a preferred language;

providing a file system configured to manage access to information stored in one or more storage devices that are operatively coupled to the computer system, the file system including at least;

(1) one or more files, (2) one or more folders, or (3) one or more directories, as elements of the file system;

associating the elements of the file system with the information stored in the one or more storage devices, wherein the information comprises a plurality of localized attributes associated with the elements, wherein the plurality of localized attributes are stored as a key-value pair, where the key is a non-localized name for the respective one or ones of the file system elements and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language, with each attribute being associated with a different language;

accessing a respective element of the file system to obtain at least one of the plurality of localized attributes associated with the preferred language stored in the one or more storage devices, a respective one or ones of the file system elements having a non-localized name and at least one localized name as stored names, each localized name corresponding to a respective different language,

selecting a respective stored name associated with the accessed file system element based on the preferred language; and

displaying the selected stored name of the accessed file system element, as the displayed name of the accessed file system element.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the selecting of the respective stored name associated with the accessed file system element based on the preferred language includes:

associating a filename with the non-localized name of a specified file system element;

including in the filename associated with the non-localized name of the specified file the localized name of the specified file system element; and

searching, based on the association of the filename with the non-localized name, in the filename for the localized name.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the searching in the filename for the localized name includes:

receiving a partial filename; and

finding each of the localized filenames that include the partial filename.

26. A method of displaying names of files, folders or directories in a file system of a computer system configured to manage access to information stored in one or more storage devices operatively coupled to the computer system, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a preferred language;

accessing a file, folder or directory of the file system to obtain associated information stored in the one or more storage devices;

determining whether the accessed file, folder or directory has a localization indicator, wherein the localization indicator is stored as a key-value pair, where the key is a non-localized name for the accessed file, folder or directory and its associated value is a localized name for a particular language, and wherein the localization indicator indicates that the accessed file, folder or directory has at least two names stored with it, one of which is a non-localized name and each remaining name being a localized name respectively associated with a different language;

if the accessed file, folder or directory has a localization indicator, selecting the stored localized name of the accessed file, folder or directory that is associated with the preferred language;

if the accessed file, folder or directory does not have a localization indicator, or does not have a stored localized name associated with the preferred language, selecting the non-localized name; and

displaying the selected stored name of the accessed file, folder or directory.