Methods, computer program products, and systems for automatically synchronizing directory structures across different applications

• US 8,799,214 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huslak, Nicholas S., Carter, Sharon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Son T
• Application Number:
  US12/275,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/690
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems

Abstract

Directory structures of a messaging application and a personal file manager application are synchronized. A designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application is associated with the designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application. Each time a folder is created or an existing folder is modified or deleted in the designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application, a corresponding folder is created, modified, or deleted in the designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application and vice versa. Files or links to files are created in the folders of the messaging application to correspond to files or links to files within folders in the personal file manager application, and vice versa. A folder (and its contents) is deleted in the messaging application to correspond to deletions in the personal file manager application, and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method, for synchronizing multiple directory structures of a messaging application with multiple directory structures of a personal file manager application, comprising:

receiving, by an alignment module, a first designated layer and a second designated layer in a directory structure of the messaging application, the first designated layer and the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application being independent from each other and each designated layer in the messaging application has a corresponding sub-directory structure;

receiving, by the alignment module, a first designated layer and a second designated layer in a directory structure of the personal file manager application, wherein the directory structure and application type of the messaging application are distinct from the directory structure and application type of the personal file manager application, the first designated layer and the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application being independent from each other and each designated layer in the file manager application has a corresponding distinct sub-directory structure;

associating, by the alignment module, the first designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application with the first designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application;

associating, by the alignment module, the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application with the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application;

copying the sub-directory structure of the first designated layer of the personal file manager application to the first designated layer of the messaging application;

copying the sub-directory structure of the second designated layer of the personal file manager application to the second designated layer of the messaging application;

creating, by the alignment module, each time a folder is created in the first designated layer or in the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application, a corresponding folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application;

creating, by the alignment module, each time a folder is created in the first designated layer or in the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, a corresponding folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application;

creating, by the alignment module, in the created folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, a link to a file created in the corresponding folder in the directory structure of the messaging application; and

creating, by the alignment module, in the created folder in the directory structure of the messaging application, a link to a file created in the corresponding folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, wherein

there are multiple instances of the messaging application and multiple instances of the personal file manager application for each user, and each instance of the messaging application has a distinct directory structure corresponding to a directory structure of the personal file manager application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the messaging application includes one base directory and a subdirectory, and a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the personal file manager includes one root directory and a subdirectory.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating one folder in a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the messaging application that corresponds to an existing folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager; and

creating one folder in a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the personal file manager that corresponds to an existing folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting, as files, links to file, or folders, including folder contents, from the directory structure of the messaging application, corresponding files, links to files or folders, including folder contents, are deleted from the directory structure of the personal file manager application; and

deleting, as files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, from the directory structure of the personal file manager application, corresponding files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, are deleted from the directory structure of the messaging application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting one file from a particular folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application for display in a corresponding folder in the messaging application, and

presenting one file from a particular folder in the directory structure of the messaging application for display in a corresponding folder in the personal file manager application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging application includes a group of fields including a TO field, a FROM field, a SUBJECT field, a SIZE field, and a RECEIVED field, the method further comprising one of:

populating the TO and FROM fields of the messaging application with a user'"'"'s name drawn from the personal file manager application;

populating the SUBJECT field of the messaging application with a name of a file drawn from the personal file manager application;

populating the SIZE field of the messaging application with a size of a file drawn from the personal file manager application;

populating the RECEIVED field of the messaging application with a creation or modification date of a file drawn from the personal file manager application; and

creating a FILE TYPE field for the messaging application and populating the FILE TYPE field with a type of file drawn from the personal file manager application, wherein the fields of the messaging application are automatically populated or populated based upon user specifications.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal file manager application includes a group of fields including a NAME field, a DATE MODIFIED field, a TYPE field, and a SIZE field, the method further comprising one of:

populating the NAME field of the personal file manager application with a subject of a message drawn from the messaging application;

populating the DATE MODIFIED of the personal file manager application with a date received drawn from the messaging application;

populating the TYPE field of the personal file manager application with the word “

MESSAGE”

; and

populating the SIZE field of the personal file manager application with a size of a message drawn from the message application, wherein the fields of the personal file manager application are automatically populated or populated based upon user specifications.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a user to select one of:

application settings;

instances of applications for which directory structures are synchronized;

fields of a message header of a message in the messaging application that are preserved when a corresponding message is created in the personal file manager application;

fields of a file in the personal file manager application that are preserved when a corresponding file is created in the messaging application;

whether directory structure alignment occurs bidirectionally, such that the directory structure of the messaging application is aligned with directory structure of the personal file manager application and the directory structure of the file manager application is aligned with the directory structure of the messaging application; and

whether directory structure alignment occurs unidirectionally, such that either the directory structure of the messaging application is aligned with the directory structure of the personal file manager or the directory structure of the personal file manager is aligned with the directory structure of the messaging application.

9. A computer readable storage device storing computer-readable instructions for synchronizing multiple directory structures of a messaging application with multiple directory structures of a personal file manager application, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, by an alignment module, a first designated layer and a second designated layer in a directory structure of the messaging application, the first designated layer and the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application being independent from each other and each designated layer in the messaging application has a corresponding sub-directory structure;

receive, by the alignment module, a first designated layer and a second designated layer in a directory structure of the personal file manager application, wherein the directory structure and application type of the messaging application are distinct from the directory structure and application type of the personal file manager application, the first designated layer and the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application being independent from each other and each designated layer in the file manager application has a corresponding distinct sub-directory structure;

associate, by the alignment module, the first designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application with the first designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application;

associate, by the alignment module, the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application with the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application;

copy the sub-directory structure of the first designated layer of the personal file manager application to the first designated layer of the messaging application;

copy the sub-directory structure of the second designated layer of the personal file manager application to the second designated layer of the messaging application;

create, by the alignment module, each time a folder is created in the first designated layer or in the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application, a corresponding folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application;

create, by the alignment module, each time a folder is created in the first designated layer or in the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, a corresponding folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application;

create, by the alignment module, in the created folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, a link to a file created in the corresponding folder in the directory structure of the messaging application; and

create, by the alignment module, in the created folder in the directory structure of the messaging application, a link to a file created in the corresponding folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, wherein

there are multiple instances of the messaging application and multiple instances of the personal file manager application for each user, and each instance of the messaging application has a distinct directory structure corresponding to a directory structure of the personal file manager application.

10. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, further cause the computer to:

create one folder in a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the messaging application that corresponds to one existing folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager; and

create one folder in a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the personal file manager that corresponds to one existing folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application.

11. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, further cause the computer to:

delete, as files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, from the directory structure of the messaging application, corresponding files, links to files or folders, including folder contents, are deleted from the directory structure of the personal file manager; and

delete, as files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, from the directory structure of the personal file manager application, corresponding files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, are deleted from the directory structure of the messaging application.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computer, further cause the computer to:

present one file from a particular folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application for display in a corresponding folder in the messaging application, and

present one file from a particular folder in the directory structure of the messaging application for display in a corresponding folder in the personal file manager application.

13. A system, for synchronizing multiple directory structures of a messaging application with multiple directory structures of a personal file manager application, comprising:

an input unit for;

receiving a first designated layer and a second designated layer in a directory structure of the messaging application, wherein each designated layer in the messaging application has a corresponding sub-directory structure, and

receiving a first designated layer and a second designated layer in a directory structure of the personal file manager application, wherein

each designated layer in the personal file manager application has a corresponding distinct sub-directory structure, and

the directory structure and application type of the messaging application are distinct from the directory structure and application type of the personal file manager application; and

a computer processor for associating the first designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application with the first designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application and associating the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application with the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, wherein

the computer processor copies the sub-directory structure of the first designated layer of the personal file manager application to the first designated layer of the messaging application and the sub-directory structure of the second designated layer of the personal file manager application to the second designated layer of the messaging application,

the computer processor creates, each time a folder is created in the first designated layer or in the second designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application, a corresponding folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application,

the computer processor creates, each time a folder is created in the first designated layer or in the second designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, a corresponding folder in a corresponding designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application,

the computer processor creates, in the created folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, a link to a file created or modified in the corresponding folder in the directory structure of the messaging application and creates, in the created folder in the directory structure of the messaging application, a link to a file created or modified in the corresponding folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application, and

there are multiple instances of the messaging application and multiple instances of the personal file manager application for each user, and each instance of the messaging application has a disctinct directory structure that corresponds to a directory structure of the personal file manager.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer processor further creates one folder in a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the messaging application that corresponds to one existing folder in the designated layer in the directory structure of the personal file manager and creates one folder in a particular designated layer of the directory structure of the personal file manager that corresponds to one existing folder in the designated layer in the directory structure of the messaging application.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer processor deletes, as files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, are deleted from the directory structure of the messaging application, corresponding files, links to files or folders, including folder contents, from the directory structure of the personal file manager, and the computer processor deletes, as files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, are deleted from the directory structure of the personal file manager application, corresponding files, links to files, or folders, including folder contents, from the directory structure of the messaging application.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer processor presents one file from a particular folder in the directory structure of the personal file manager application for display in the corresponding folder in the messaging application and presents one file from a particular folder in the directory structure of the messaging application for display in the corresponding folder in the personal file manager application.