Patent Application
20120124502
The amount of functionality that is available to users of computing devices is ever increasing. For example, a user may have access to a wide range of computing devices, each configured to also include a wide range of different functionality. This functionality may be provided in a variety of ways, such as through an operating system of the device, applications that are executable on the device, involve management of files stored on the device, and so on. Consequently, users may be confronted with a multitude of different techniques that may be used to access this functionality, which may make it difficult and confusing to locate particular functionality of interest. Thus, the sheer amount of this functionality may make it difficult for a user to interact with the device, which may lead to user frustration both with the device and functionality added to the device.
File management user interface techniques are described. In one or more implementations, properties of a file are displayed in a user interface by a computing device. In response to selection of a particular one of the properties in the user interface, one or more representations of one or more other files that include a corresponding value of the particular property are displayed, respectively, of the file.
In one or more implementations, an input is received by an operating system to switch from execution of a first application by a computing device to execution of a second application by the computing device. In response, a search term used to perform a search using the first application is transferred to the second application through execution of the operating system by the computing device. The second application is caused to perform a search using the search term automatically and without user intervention through execution of the operating system by the computing device.
In one or more implementations, one or more computer readable storage media comprise instructions stored thereon that responsive to execution by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising: detecting a right click of a representation of a file; responsive to the detection, displaying a menu that lists an option that is selectable to display properties of the file; in response to selection of the option, displaying a menu that lists properties of the file; and in response to selection of one said property in the user interface, displaying representations of one or more other files that include the particular property.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different instances in the description and the figures may indicate similar or identical items.
Overview
The amount of functionality that is available to users of computing devices is ever increasing, so much so that location of desired functionality may be difficult and confusing to the users. For example, accommodation of additional commands in traditional hierarchical menus may involve increasing the size of the menu and well as adding levels to the menu. Thus, these traditional techniques may result in a confusing hierarchy that may be difficult to navigate.
File management user interface techniques are described. In implementations, properties of files are used to locate files of interest. For example, a user may select an option to display properties of a file, such as through a context menu option via a right click, a properties command, an “about” command, and so forth. In response, the properties of the selected file may be output in the user interface, such as author, date created, date modified, and so forth. Selection of one or more of these properties may then cause output of other files that contain a corresponding value for that property, such as files having a same author. In this way, a user may navigate through properties to locate a file of interest. Further discussion of user interface techniques involving selection of properties may be found in relation to
In another example, search functionality is shared between applications by an operating system. For instance, a user may enter a search term in a first application, such as a word processing application to locate a particular file, a portion of a file, and so on. If the user is unable to locate a desired item of interest, the user may select another application. In response, an operating system of a computing device that executes the first and second application may automatically provide the search term to the second application and cause the second application to perform a search. Thus, multiple searches may be efficiently performed by switching between applications to locate data of interest. Further discussion of the search techniques may be found in relation to
In the following discussion, an example environment is first described that is operable to perform techniques described herein. Examples procedures are then described, which are operable in the example environment as well as in other environments. Likewise, the example environment is not limited to performance of the example procedures.
Example Environment
The computing device 102 may also include an entity (e.g., software) that causes hardware of the computing device 102 to perform operations, e.g., processors, functional blocks, and so on. For example, the computing device 102 may include a computer-readable medium that may be configured to maintain instructions that cause the computing device, and more particularly hardware of the computing device 102 to perform operations. Thus, the instructions function to configure the hardware to perform the operations and in this way result in transformation of the hardware to perform the operations. The instructions may be provided by the computer-readable medium to the computing device 102 through a variety of different configurations.
One such configuration of a computer-readable medium is signal bearing medium and thus is configured to transmit the instructions (e.g., as a carrier wave) to the hardware of the computing device, such as via the network 104. The computer-readable medium may also be configured as a computer-readable storage medium and thus is not a signal bearing medium. Examples of a computer-readable storage medium include a random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), optical discs, flash memory, hard disk memory, and other memory devices that may use magnetic, optical, and other techniques to store instructions and other data.
Although the network 104 is illustrated as the Internet, the network may assume a wide variety of configurations. For example, the network 108104 include a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless network, a public telephone network, an intranet, and so on. Further, although a single network 104 is shown, the network 104 may be configured to include multiple networks.
The computing device 102 is illustrated as including a file management module 106. The file management module 106 is representative of functionality to manage files 108 by the computing device 102. A variety of different files may be managed using the file management module 106. For example, the files 108 may be configured as library files 110. Library files 110 generally refer to a unit of data that is referenced by another file that executes on the computing device 102, such as an application 112. Thus, the application 112 is an executable file that may access a library file 110 to process the data contained therein. A library file 110 may assume a variety of configurations, such as a document, plug-in, script, and so forth that may be referenced by a wide variety of different applications 112, such as a word processor, spreadsheet application, browser, operating system, and so on.
The file management module 106 is further illustrated as including a property module 114 and a search module 116. The property module 114 is representative of functionality of the file management module 106 to navigate through files using properties. The property module 114, for instance, may configure a user interface such that properties of files may be used as pivots to locate a particular file of interest. A variety of different properties of a variety of different types of files may be used as pivots, further discussion of which may be beginning in relation to
The search module 116 is representative of functionality of the file management module 106 to populate a search term across applications 112. For example, the search module 116 may be used to provide a search term used in one of the applications 112 to another one of the applications 112. Therefore, a user can switch between tabs in a window, windows in a user interface, and so on in which the switch results in a change between which application is configured to receive inputs from a user. In response, the search term may be automatically used to perform a search in that application. Thus, a user may efficiently switch between applications to have a search performed by the application, further discussion of which may be found in relation to
Generally, any of the functions described herein can be implemented using software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or a combination of these implementations. The terms “module” and “functionality” as used herein generally represent hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the case of a software implementation, the module, functionality, or logic represents instructions and hardware that performs operations specified by the hardware, e.g., one or more processors and/or functional blocks.
The user interface 200 in this example is shown via a re-sizeable portion 202. The re-sizeable portion 202 is part of a file management user interface that is configured to navigate through hierarchies of folders to locate, organize, and manage files 108. The user interface 200, for instance, may include a menu bar 204 through which a user may access commands relating to management of files 108, such as copy, delete, rename, paste, cut, and so forth.
The user interface 200 also includes a plurality of representations 206 of files. Examples of representations of library files 110 include a document, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, scan, audio, media, video, and image, although other types of library files are also contemplated. Representations of applications 112 (i.e., executable files) include a word processor and a spreadsheet application. Therefore, a library file may include any type of file that may be referenced by an executable file, e.g., a plug-in, document, and so on. Other representations may also be displayed in the user interface, an example of which is a folder titled “My Photos.” Thus, the user interface 200 may be used to navigate through hierarchies of folders to locate, organize, and/or launch files 108 of interest.
The user interface 200 is also illustrated as displaying a menu 208 that includes a list of commands. The menu 208, for instance, may be configured as a context menu that includes representations of commands dependent upon a representation of a file that is associated with the menu 208. For example, a cursor control device may be used to “right click” a representation of the document to cause output of the menu 208 to include commands for that context, e.g., applicable to the document. The right click may be performed in a variety of ways, such as by clicking a right button of a cursor control device, a two-fingered tap-and-hold gesture, and so on. Thus, although this technique is referred to as a right click, this relates to a convention and is therefore not limited to actual right click performed using a button of a mouse or any other specific interaction, these being just examples thereof.
A cursor is illustrated as selecting one of the commands in the menu, which in this instance is labeled properties 210. In response to this selection, a command may be launched to output values of properties for the selected file, an example of which may found in relation to the following figure.
The menu 302 is configured such that the representations of the properties are selectable. Selection of the properties may then cause output of files that have corresponding values for the selected property. For example, a cursor is illustrated as selecting a property “modified” which has a corresponding value of “Nov. 7, 2010.” The value and the property may then be used by the property module 114 to locate other files having a matching or similar value for that property. Similarity may be determined by the property module 114 in a variety of ways, e.g., similarity may be dependent on property type, individual implementations of a feature, and so on. Further discussion of example operation of the property module 114 may be found in relation to the following figure.
As illustrated, a variety of different types of files may be located using this pivot, examples of which include documents and drawings although other types are also contemplated. In an implementation, a user may select one or more of the representations to launch a corresponding file. For example, a user may “double click” an icon to launch a represented file. Other implementations are also contemplated. For example, the user may select the representation to cause output of other properties and corresponding values of a selected file, an example of which is shown in the following figure.
Although the preceding examples illustrated navigation through use of menus that were displayed over a user interface using non-modal techniques were described, a wide variety of other examples are also contemplated. For example, the user interface itself may be modal and change as selections are made by a user.
Example Procedures
The following discussion describes file management techniques that may be implemented utilizing the previously described systems and devices. Aspects of each of the procedures may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination thereof The procedures are shown as a set of blocks that specify operations performed by one or more devices and are not necessarily limited to the orders shown for performing the operations by the respective blocks. In portions of the following discussion, reference will be made to the environment 100 of
Responsive to the detection, a menu is displayed that lists an option that is selectable to display properties of the file (block 604). The menu 302, for instance, may be displayed as a pop-up menu that is displayed over the representation of the file in the user interface as described in relation to the previous block. Other examples are also contemplated, such as to replace the display of the representations of the files with the representations of commands and the option in the menu 302, and so forth.
The properties of the file are displayed in a user interface (block 606). A user, for instance, may select the option (e.g., “properties,” “about,” and so forth) to cause output of the properties of the file. The option may be accessed as part of a menu bar 202 or utilize other navigation and selection techniques. Continuing with the previous instance, the menu may display properties of the patent application document selected using the right click.
Responsive to selection of a particular one of the properties, one or more representations of one or more other files are displayed, respectively, that include a corresponding value of the particular property of the file (block 608). The user, for instance, may view properties of the patent application document and wish to locate other files that may be associated with the document, such as corresponding drawings for the application. Because the files have a likelihood of being modified on the same date, a user may select the “modified” property to locate other files that were modified on or near that date.
An example of this is shown in
In response, a search term used to perform a search using the first application is transferred to the second application through execution of the operating system by the computing device (block 704). For example, a user may have entered the search term and performed a search using the first application 112, such as in a document. The user may then switch to another application to also have that search performed. In response, the operation system may cause the second application to perform the search using the search term automatically and without user intervention through execution of the operating system by the computing device (block 706). Thus, the user may switch between applications and have the search term entered and search without engaging in additional activities beyond the switch.
Although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claimed invention.
