File content preview tool

• US 7,587,672 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wolf, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US11/645,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 715763-765, 715/711, 715/862, 715853-856, 715/804, 715/847
• US Class Current: 715/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• 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 system may include a selection tool configured to determine a selection of a file icon that is displayed on a user interface and that represents a file associated with an application. The selection tool may be further configured to determine a result-class associated with the selection. A parser may be configured to determine one or more rules associated with the result-class, access content of the file by way of an application program interface associated with the application, and parse the content of the file for a target-result, based on the result-class and the one or more rules. Presentation logic may be configured to provide at least a portion of the target-result in visual proximity to the file icon within the user interface.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a selection tool configured to determine a file selection of a file icon that is displayed on a user interface and that represents a file associated with an application, wherein the file includes content associated with one or more result-classes;

the selection tool being configured to receive a selection of a result-class from the one or more result-classes, the one or more result-classes each identifying a category of information from amongst the content and corresponding to the file selection;

a parser configured to receive one or more rules for the selected result-class of the application, the one or more rules including one or more identifiers to search for from within the content of the file that is a member of the result-class;

the parser being configured to access the content of the file by way of an application program interface associated with the application while the file and/or the application is not instantiated, and parse the content of the file for a target-result, wherein the target-result is a member of the result-class and matches one or more of the rules; and

presentation logic configured to provide at least a portion of the target-result in visual proximity to the file icon within the user interface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the selection tool is configured to determine a selection of a plurality of file icons displayed on the user interface and representing a plurality of files associated with one or more applications.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the selection tool is configured to determine the selection of the file icon based on a hover over the file icon with a visual pointer icon for a period of time.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the selection tool is configured to determine the selection of the file icon on a first device, wherein the file is stored on a second device.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising a plurality of selection tools in association with the user interface, each selection tool associated with at least one of a plurality of result-classes, wherein at least one of the plurality of selection tools is associated with the result-class.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the selection tool is configured to determine the file selection of a word processing file, and the parser is configured to parse the word processing file for text that is a member of the selected result-class matches one or more of the rules.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the parser is configured to determine a first rule of the one or more rules, wherein the first rule identifies members of the result-class within the content.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the parser is configured to determine the one or more rules, wherein the one or more rules comprise one or more patterns and/or strings associated with the result-class, for which the content is to be parsed.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the file includes metadata configured to provide information about the content.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein metadata includes one or more structured descriptions configured to separate the content into the one or more result-classes.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the parser is configured to:

access the content of the file using the application program interface associated with the application,

load at least a portion of the content of the file into a memory, and

parse the content within the memory to return the target-result.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the parser is configured to parse the content of the file for the target-result, wherein the target-result includes at least a portion of the content of the file consistent with the one or more rules and/or the result-class.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation logic is configured to provide the target-result in visual proximity to the file icon and within a pop-up window associated with the file icon.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a selection of a file from a selection tool configured to select either the file and/or an icon representing the file, wherein the file comprises content associated with an application and the content includes members of one or more result-classes;

receiving a selection of one of the result-classes associated with the selection tool, and one or more rules for locating members of the result-class within the content;

parsing the content based on the one or more rules to determine a target-result including at least a portion of the content corresponding to the one or more rules, wherein the target-result is a member of the selected result-class and matches one or more of the rules; and

displaying a results window including the target-result, wherein the target-result is configured to provide complementary information associated with the one or more portions of content upon selection.

15. A computer program product, embodied on a computer-readable medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

locate a file in an operating system;

extract content from an uninstantiated instance of the file;

store the content of the file in a memory;

parse the stored content for one or more portions of the content that is a member of the result-class and is consistent with rules, the result-class including a category of information within the stored content and the rules including one or more identifiers to search for from within the content of the file that is a member of the result-class; and

display the one or more portions of content as selectable icons in a results window provided in association with the file, wherein the selectable icons are configured to provide complementary information associated with the one or more of the portions of content, upon selection.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein data processing apparatus configured to display is configured to:

determine which of the one or more portions of content are duplicative; and

display non-duplicative portions of content in association with a count corresponding to the duplicative portions of content.