Information management with non-hierarchical views

摘要

Information items in a file system are arranged into groups that are created according to a grouping component. A non-hierarchical view displays visual representations (e.g., icons, thumbnail images) of the information items arranged in visually delineated groups according to an arrange type that can be specified for each group. Various view formats are available including icon, list and column view formats. In each view format, a condensed mode can be selected for one or more groups, resulting in multiple visual representations of items being displayed in a fixed amount of screen space in the non-hierarchical view. In icon view, each condensed group includes a single row of visual representations that can be navigated separately from other groups in the non-hierarchical view.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
causing a non-hierarchical view to be presented on a display of a device, the view including visual representations of corresponding information items, the visual representations arranged in the view in groups according to a grouping component; receiving an input specifying an action to be performed on the non-hierarchical view with the input to specify an icon view format for the groups in the view; performing the action based on the input including causing visual representations for the groups to be displayed with the icon view format in a different row for each group in the non-hierarchical view, where the method is performed by one or more computer processors; receiving a dragging input for resizing the non-hierarchical view; and responsive to the dragging input for resizing the non-hierarchical view, stacking visual representations that are no longer in the icon view as at least one row contracts onto an overflow icon at an end of the at least one row when the view contracts and laying out visual representations that are removed off a stack and are brought into the icon view one by one in the at least one row as the at least one row expands when the view expands.