Expandable two-dimensional flow for container hierarchy
Presenting items in a two-dimensional access pane includes presenting a first set of icons arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the access pane, where each of the icons corresponds to an item and at least some of the items are container icons that represent containers that contain other items and expanding at least one of the container icons to show a first container pane having icons corresponding to items contained in a corresponding container, where icons in the first container pane are arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the first container pane. At least some of the icons in the first container pane may be container icons that represent containers that contain other items. The items may be files in a file system provided in connection with a personal computer that runs Macintosh OS, MS Windows, and Linux. The items may be data in a database system.
1. A method of presenting items in a two-dimensional access pane, comprising:
presenting a first set of icons arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the access pane, wherein each of the icons corresponds to an item and at least some of the items are container icons that represent containers that contain other items;
expanding at least one of the container icons to show a first container pane having icons corresponding to items contained in a corresponding container, wherein icons in the first container pane are arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the first container pane; and
expanding at least one of the container icons in the first container pane to show a second container pane having icons corresponding to items contained in a corresponding container, wherein icons in the second container pane are arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the second container pane and wherein icons in the first container pane are prioritized by moving icons corresponding to unopened containers to reorder icons in the first container pane.
2. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein icons corresponding to unopened containers in the first container pane are moved below the second container pane.
3. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein icons that are moved are visually distinguished.
4. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein items in each of the container panes are arranged from left to right in the access pane so that one of the items is on a far right side in a particular row of the access pane and a successive one of the items is on a far left side and in a subsequent row of the access pane.
5. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein items in each of the container panes are arranged from right to left in the access pane so that one of the items is on a far left side in a particular row of the access pane and a successive one of the items is on a far right side and in a subsequent row of the access pane.
6. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the items are files in a file system.
7. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the items are data in a database system.
8. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the first container pane is shifted laterally one position with respect to the corresponding one of the container icons.
9. A method, according to claim 8 , wherein the second container pane is shifted laterally one position with respect to the corresponding one of the container icons.
10. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein at least some of the icons are at least one of: thumbnails and snippets of corresponding content.
11. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the access pane includes a toolbar for manipulating icons.
12. A method, according to claim 11 , wherein the toolbar includes icons that perform at least some of the following operations: expand, collapse, cut, copy, paste, magnify, shrink, sort, and choose favorites.
13. A method, according to claim 1 , wherein the access pane is displayed on a screen of a mobile device.
14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing software that presents items in a two-dimensional access pane, the software comprising:
executable code that presents a first set of icons arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the access pane, wherein each of the icons corresponds to an item and at least some of the items are container icons that represent containers that contain other items;
executable code that expands at least one of the container icons to show a first container pane having icons corresponding to items contained in a corresponding container, wherein icons in the first container pane are arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the first container pane; and
executable code that expands at least one of the container icons in the first container pane to show a second container pane having icons corresponding to items contained in a corresponding container, wherein icons in the second container pane are arranged contiguously and in two dimensions of the second container pane and wherein icons in the first container pane are prioritized by moving icons corresponding to unopened containers to reorder icons in the first container pane.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein icons corresponding to unopened containers in the first container pane are moved below the second container pane.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein icons that are moved are visually distinguished.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein items in each of the container panes are arranged from left to right in the access pane so that one of the items is on a far right side in a particular row of the access pane and a successive one of the items is on a far left side and in a subsequent row of the access pane.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein items in each of the container panes are arranged from right to left in the access pane so that one of the items is on a far left side in a particular row of the access pane and a successive one of the items is on a far right side and in a subsequent row of the access pane.
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the items are files in a file system.
20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the items are data in a database system.
21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the first container pane is shifted laterally one position with respect to the corresponding one of the container icons.
22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 21 , wherein the second container pane is shifted laterally one position with respect to the corresponding one of the container icons.
23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein at least some of the icons are at least one of: thumbnails and snippets of corresponding content.
24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the access pane includes a toolbar for manipulating icons.
25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 24 , wherein the toolbar includes icons that perform at least some of the following operations: expand, collapse, cut, copy, paste, magnify, shrink, sort, and choose favorites.
26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, according to claim 14 , wherein the access pane is displayed on a screen of a mobile device.