Application of metadata to documents and document objects via a software application user interface

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer products provide for applying metadata to documents and/or document objects in local and/or remote file storage systems. Application of metadata (flags) to documents and/or document objects allows a user to easily locate and utilize flagged items. A single metadata type, such as a colored flag, may be applied to documents or document objects of different file types across a file storage system to which data is stored via different software applications. Documents and/or document objects bearing like flags may be surfaced to a user in a flag summary with which documents and/or document objects may be sorted by flag type. Flagged documents or document objects related to a launched document may be listed in an information pane adjacent to the launched document.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary computing operating environment for embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram illustrating interaction between a computer operating system, one or more software applications and a local and/or remote file storage system.

FIG. 3 illustrates a computer screen display showing a dropdown menu for applying different types of metadata (flags) to a selected document or document object.

FIG. 4 illustrates a computer screen display of a menu or dialog for modifying one or more previously applied flags.

FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram illustrating a relationship between an applied flag and a corresponding flagged document.

FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram showing a relationship between an applied flag and a corresponding embedded object in an associated document.

FIG. 7 illustrates a computer screen display of a flagged item summary display.

FIG. 8 illustrates a computer screen display of a dropdown menu for selectively filtering a plurality of flagged items by one or more filtering properties.

FIG. 9 illustrates one or more icons for identifying flagged items organized by stacking similarly flagged items.

FIG. 10 illustrates a computer screen display showing a listing of electronic documents and showing an information pane for providing information about one or more flagged items that are related to a selected document and/or document object.

FIG. 11 illustrates a computer screen display of a word processing document containing a text selection to which a flag metadata is applied.

FIG. 12 illustrates a computer screen display of an electronic document containing an embedded chart object to which a flag metadata is applied.

FIG. 13 illustrates a computer screen display of an electronic document being generated in association with a listing of flagged documents and/or document objects provided in an adjacent information pane.

Claims

1. A method of applying metadata to a document for improving subsequent document retrieval, comprising: receiving a document via a software application user interface;providing one or more flag types for application to the document;receiving a selection of one of the one or more flag types for application to the document;saving a metadata associated with the selected flag type to the document;establishing a reference relationship between the document and the selected flag type;receiving a search request via the software application user interface for any data items related to the selected flag;discovering the metadata associated with the selected flag type saved to the document; andreturning the document in response to the search request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing one or more flag types for application to the document includes providing a metadata for each of the one or more flag types for applying to the document.

3. The method of claim 1, after establishing a reference relationship between the document and the selected flag type, saving the flag and the associated metadata to a file storage system as a peer item to the document.

4. The method of claim 1, after establishing a reference relationship between the document and the selected flag type, generating a visual representation of the document including a visual identification that the metadata associated with the selected flag is saved to the document.

5. The method of claim 1, after receiving a search request for any data items related to the selected flag, searching one or more documents in a file storage system for the metadata associated with the selected flag type.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising discovering the metadata associated with the selected flag type saved to one or more additional documents.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising returning the one or more additional documents in response to the search request.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying identification information for any returned documents having metadata associated with the flag type in an information pane in the software application user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a selection of the identification information of a returned document; and launching the returned document.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, providing a list of one or more documents where at least one of the one or more documents includes saved metadata associated with the flag.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: receiving a selection of the one of the one or more documents having saved metadata associated with the flag; andretrieving all other documents from a file storage system having saved metadata associated with the flag.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a list of all other documents from the file storage system having saved metadata associated with the flag in an information pane.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a document for application of flag metadata includes receiving a document object.

14. The method of claim 13 whereby receiving a document object includes receiving a selection of an object embedded in a document for application of flag metadata to the embedded object.

15. The method of claim 14, whereby receiving a selection of one of the one or more flag types for application to the document includes receiving a selection of one of the one or more flag types for application to the embedded object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein establishing a reference relationship between the document and the selected flag type includes establishing a reference relationship between the embedded object and the selected flag type;wherein saving the flag and the associated metadata to a file storage system as a peer item to the document includes saving the flag and the associated metadata to a file storage system as a peer item to the embedded object;wherein discovering the metadata associated with the selected flag type saved to the document includes discovering the metadata associated with the selected flag type saved to the embedded object; andwherein returning the document in response to the search request includes returning the embedded object in response to the search request.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein saving a metadata associated with the selected flag type to the document includes saving a programmatic action to the document that executes an action specified for the saved metadata.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the flag type is a task flag and wherein the action specified for the saved metadata causes a task to be created in an associated calendar application.

19. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of applying metadata to a document for improving subsequent document retrieval, comprising: receiving a document via a software application user interface;providing one or more flag types for application to the document;receiving a selection of one of the one or more flag types for application to the document;saving a metadata associated with the selected flag type to the document;establishing a reference relationship between the document and the selected flag type;receiving a search request via the software application user interface for any data items related to the selected flag;discovering the metadata associated with the selected flag type saved to the document; andreturning the document in response to the search request.

20. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of applying metadata to a document for improving subsequent document retrieval, comprising: receiving an embedded document object via an software application user interface;providing one or more flag types for application to the embedded document object;receiving a selection of one of the one or more flag types for application to the embedded document object;saving a metadata associated with the selected flag type to the embedded document object;establishing a reference relationship between the embedded document object and the selected flag type;receiving a search request via the software application user interface for any data items related to the selected flag;discovering the metadata associated with the selected flag type saved to the embedded document object; andreturning the embedded document object in response to the search request.