Methods and systems for providing a customized user interface for viewing and editing meta-data

• US 8,171,394 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Brandon V., Jones, Brian M., Saliba, Hani, Johnson, Jeffrey J., Antonoff, Lauren N., Merchant, Raj, Sinofsky, Steven J., Christiansen, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/167,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,503 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/777, 715/825, 715/513, 715/501.1, 715/209, 715/234, 715/236, 715/767
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/38 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a user interface. The disclosed systems and methods may include receiving a request to initiate an application program configured to generate a data file. Furthermore, the disclosed systems and methods may include displaying, by the initiated application program, a property panel in response to the request. The property panel may be configured to receive meta-data to be associated with the data file generated by the application program. Also, the property panel may be configured to provide the only place to receive the meta-data by the application program. Moreover, the disclosed systems and methods may include receiving the meta-data in the property panel.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user interface, the method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate an application program on a computing device, the application program configured to generate a data file;

displaying, by the initiated application program, a property panel in response to the request, the property panel configured to receive meta-data to be associated with individual elements within the data file;

receiving the meta-data in the property panel;

storing a schema inside the data file, wherein the schema defines properties associated with the meta-data;

inserting multiple references of the meta-data into the individual elements within the data-file;

receiving, in the property panel, changes to the meta-data; and

modifying data at the references based on the changes to the meta-data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the property panel further comprises displaying the property panel configured to receive the meta-data comprising at least one of the following:

a specification title;

a status;

a program manager;

a milestone;

a developer;

a priority; and

a test.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the property panel further comprises displaying the property panel comprising a modeless horizontal task-pane displayed in the top portion of a display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to displaying the property panel, determining if the property panel should be one of the following:

custom; and

auto-generated.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising retrieving an auto-generated form being produced by an auto-generate program module when it is determined that the property panel should be auto-generated.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, when it is determined that the property panel should be custom:

retrieving a custom form, the custom form tailored for a predefined user; and

using the custom form for at least one of the following;

displaying the property panel and operating on the received meta-data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing data validation of the received meta-data.

8. A system for providing a user interface, the system comprising:

a memory storage for maintaining a database; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

(1) receive a request to initiate an application program configured to generate a data file;

(2) display, by the initiated application, a property panel in response to the request, the property panel configured to receive meta-data to be associated with individual elements within the data file;

(3) receive the meta-data in the property panel;

(4) store a schema inside the data file, wherein the schema defines properties associated with the meta-data;

(5) insert multiple references of the meta-data into the individual elements within the data file;

(6) when the computing device has no network connection, receive,

in a property panel, changes to the meta-data; and

(7) modify data at the references based on the changes to the meta-data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the property panel further comprises the processing unit being operative to display the property panel comprising a modeless horizontal task-pane displayed in the top portion of a display.

11. The system of claim 8, further comprising, prior to the processing unit displaying the property panel, the processing unit being operative to determine if the property panel should be one of the following:

custom; and

auto-generated.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising the processing unit being operative to retrieve an auto-generated form being produced by an auto-generate program module when the processing unit determines that the property panel should be auto-generated.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising, when the processing unit determines that the property panel should be custom:

the processing unit being operative to retrieve a custom form, the customer form tailored for a predefined user; and

the processing unit being operative to use the custom form for at least one of the following;

displaying the property panel and operating on the received meta-data.

9. The system of clam 8, wherein the processing unit being operative to display the property panel further comprises the processing unit being operative to display the property panel configured to receive the meta-data comprising at least one of the following:

a specification title;

a status;

a program manager;

a milestone;

a developer;

a priority; and

a test.

14. A computer-readable medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for providing a user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising;

receiving a request to initiate an application program configured to generate a data file;

displaying, by the initiated application program, a property panel in response to the request, the property panel configured to receive meta-data to be associated with individual elements within the data file;

receiving the meta-data in the property panel;

storing a schema inside the data file, wherein the schema defines properties associated with the meta-data;

when the computing device has no network connection, allowing the meta-data to be shown to the user;

inserting multiple references of the meta-data into the individual elements within the data file;

creating a hash of the schema;

storing the hash with the schema;

when the computing device gains the network connection, transmitting the hash to a server comparing the hash to a server hash that is generated on the server at run-time, wherein the server hash reflects a server-stored version of the schema previously stored on the server;

if the hash does not match the server hash, replacing the schema with the server-stored version of the schema;

receiving, in the property panel, changes to the meta-data; and

modifying data at the references based on the changes to the meta-data.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein displaying the property further comprises displaying the property panel configured to receive the meta-data comprising at least one of the following:

a specification title;

a status;

a program manager;

a milestone;

a developer;

a priority; and

a test.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein displaying the property panel further comprises displaying the property panel comprising a modeless horizontal task-pane displayed in the top portion of a display.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising, prior to displaying the property panel, determining if the property panel should be one of the following:

custom; and

auto-generated.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising retrieving an auto-generated form being produced by an auto-generated program module when it is determined that the property panel should be auto-generated.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising, when it is determined that the property panel should be custom:

retrieving a custom form, the custom form tailored for a predefined user; and

using the custom form for at least one of the following;

displaying the property panel and operating on the received meta-data.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising performing data validation of the received meta-data.