Metadata editing control

• US 8,972,342 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Turski, Andrzej, Van Dok, Cornelis K., Cheng, Lili, Wong, Lyon K. F., MacLaurin, Matthew B., Miner, Patrice L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ehichioya, Fred I
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mobin, Hasanul
• Application Number:
  US12/195,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20090055428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,385 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/610
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane.

Claims

1. A system having computer executable instructions embodied on one or more memory storage devices that when executed on one or more processors facilitates metadata management, comprising:

a preview representation of a file that is selected to save;

a property component that generates a first cluster of peer files in response to receiving a first user input selecting the file that is selected to save and receiving a second user input associating a first common value for a property with the file that is selected to save, wherein each file in the first cluster shares the first common value for the property, and wherein prior to saving the file, the first cluster includes the preview representation of the file that is selected to save; and

a synchronization component that synchronizes communication between the property component and a viewing component to facilitate substantially immediate updating of changes between the property component and the viewing component, wherein the viewing component displays the first cluster of files upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associates the first common value with the file that is selected to save.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first cluster of files is displayed as a stack of files.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the preview representation of the file in the first cluster provides an indication that the first common value that is shared by each file in the first cluster is invalid for the file that is selected to save.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first common value is a document format.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating a second common value with the file that is selected to save, the property component generates a second cluster of files where each file in the second cluster has the second common value for a property, the second cluster including the preview representation of the file that is selected to save.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the synchronization component synchronizes communication between the property component and the viewing component, wherein the viewing component displays the second cluster of files upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating the second common value with the file that is selected to save.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the second cluster is displayed as a new stack of files.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the preview representation of the file in the second cluster provides an indication that the second common value that is shared by each file in the second cluster is invalid for the file that is selected to save.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating a plurality of common values with the file that is selected to save, the property component generates a cluster of files for each of the plurality of common values, where each file in a cluster has a common value for a property, each cluster including the preview representation of the file that is selected to save.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the synchronization component synchronizes communication between the property component and the viewing component, wherein the viewing component displays each cluster of files upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating each of the plurality of common values with the file that is selected to save.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein the first and second clusters of files include subspaces of a navigational space with a variable number of dimensions greater than one, the variable number of dimensions containing substantially all existing files of the system, wherein an axis of the dimension of the navigational space corresponding to the variable number of dimensions represents an nth property that may be associated with substantially any existing file of the system.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein a Save Ghost feature provides the preview representation.

11. A method for facilitating metadata management, comprising:

receiving, in a property pane, an input selecting a file to save;

providing, in an output interface of a computer, a preview representation of the file that is selected to save;

receiving, in the property pane, an input associating a plurality of common values for a corresponding plurality of properties with the file that is selected to save;

responsive to receiving the input selecting the file that is selected to save and the input associating the plurality of common values for the corresponding plurality of properties with the file that is selected to save;

A) generating a corresponding cluster of files for each of the plurality of common values for the plurality of properties, where

a) each file in at least a first cluster has a common value for a first property of the plurality of properties,

b) each file in a second cluster has a common value for a second property of the plurality of properties, and

c) each cluster includes the preview representation of the file that is selected to save;

B) synchronizing communication between the property pane and a viewing pane to facilitate substantially immediate updating of changes between the property pane and the viewing pane; and

C) displaying the first cluster of files in the viewing pane.

12. The method of claim 11, a first cluster of files displaying as a stack of files.

13. The method of claim 11, the preview representation of the file in the first cluster providing an indication that the first common value that is shared by each file in the first cluster is invalid for the file that is selected to save.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first common value is a document format.

15. The method of claim 11, displaying each cluster of files in the viewing pane upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating each of the plurality of common values with the file that is selected to save.

16. One or more memory storage devices having computer executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed on one or more processors facilitates a method of metadata management, the method comprising:

providing a preview representation of a file that is selected to save;

upon receiving a first user input selecting the file that is selected to save in a property pane and receiving a second user input associating a first common value for a property with the file that is selected to save, generating a first cluster of files where each file in the first cluster shares the first common value for the property, and wherein prior to saving the file, the first cluster includes the preview representation of the file that is selected to save;

synchronizing communication between the property pane and a viewing pane to facilitate substantially immediate updating of changes between the property pane and the viewing pane; and

displaying the first cluster of files in the viewing pane upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating the first common value with the file that is selected to save, the preview representation of the file in the first cluster providing an indication that the first common value that is shared by each file in the first cluster is invalid for the file that is selected to save.

17. The one or more memory storage devices of claim 16, the method further comprising upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating a plurality of common values with the file that is selected to save, generating a cluster of files for each of the plurality of common values, where each file in a cluster has a common value for a property, each cluster including the preview representation of the file that is selected to save.

18. The one or more memory storage devices of claim 17, the method further comprising displaying each cluster of files in the viewing pane upon the user selecting the file that is selected to save and associating each of the plurality of common values with the file that is selected to save.