Mirrored file manager

摘要

A file managing software program for managing a list of elements in a specific sequence in a first file of a computer program, including the steps of copying the first file to form a second file having an identical list of elements as the first file. The user is then permitted to rearrange the sequence of the elements of the second file independently of the sequence of the first file. A display of both the first and the second file list elements is provided to the user. Further embodiments allow the user to categorize, prioritize, and order according to users specified rules of how the second file element list is organized and displayed to provide a more convenient and flexible presentation of the file contents.

主权项

1. A method for managing a list of input data elements, the input data elements ordered in a first sequence in a first file, the method comprising the steps of:
determining, by a computer, that a configuration file, required to have current settings describing how to order the input data elements in the list, does not exist and in response, copying, by the computer, the first file to form a second file having the input data elements ordered in the first sequence; after said coping the first file to form the second file, receiving, by the computer from a user, input specifying first settings of how to reorder the input data elements in the second file; in response to said receiving input specifying the first settings, generating, by the computer, the configuration file as a new file that coexists with the second file, said generating comprising setting the current settings in the configuration file to the first settings; after said generating the configuration file, loading, by the computer, the first settings from the configuration file and displaying, by the computer, the first settings that have been loaded; after said generating the configuration file, reordering, by the computer, the input data elements in the second file in accordance with the current settings in the configuration file; receiving, by the computer, display instruction to simultaneously display (i) the input data elements in the first file ordered in the first sequence and (ii) the input data elements in the second file ordered in accordance with the current settings in the configuration file; and in response to said receiving the display instruction, simultaneously displaying, by the computer in accordance with the display instruction, the input data elements in the first file and the input data elements in the second file.