INLINE DOCUMENT COLLABORATION WORKFLOW
Inline document collaboration workflows are provided. When a user receives an electronic communication that includes an attached content item, the receiving user may select the attached content item and cause the attached content item to be displayed in an immersive view in proximity to an electronic communication pane in which an electronic communication may be conducted about any topic including the content item that is displayed in proximity to the electronic communication pane. During editing of a content item, an electronic communication may be generated from a user interface in which the content item is being generated, or alternatively a new content item may be generated out of an electronic communications user interface.
1 . A method of generating an electronic communication out of a content generation workflow, comprising:
providing an application user interface for generating, editing and/or displaying one or more content items;
providing one or more electronic communications functionalities in the application user interface;
receiving a content item in the application user interface;
in response to a selection of one of the one or more electronic communications functionalities, automatically generating an electronic communication for communicating the received content item to one or more desired recipients.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing an application user interface for generating, editing and/or displaying one or more content items includes providing an application user interface for one or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a slide presentation application, a database application, a notes taking application, a desktop publishing application, a calendar application, a tasks application and a reminders application.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing one or more electronic communications functionalities in the application user interface includes providing one or more of a reply function, a reply with changes function, a forward function, a send function, a send as an attachment function, and a forward as an attachment function.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving a content item in the application user interface includes receiving the content item into the application user interface in response to selection of an attachment in an associated electronic communication.
5 . The method of claim 1 , in response to a selection of one of the one or more electronic communications functionalities and prior to automatically generating an electronic communication for communicating the received content item to one or more desired recipients, launching an electronic communications interface for generating the electronic communication and for sending the generated electronic communication to the one or more desired recipients.
6 . The method of claim 5 , prior to automatically generating an electronic communication for communicating the received content item to one or more desired recipients, storing an instance of the received content item for attachment to the automatically generated electronic communication.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
in the electronic communications interface, automatically generating the electronic communication and automatically attaching the stored instance of the received content item to the generated electronic communication for sending the electronic communication and the attached stored instance of the received content item to the one or more desired recipients.
8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
in the electronic communications interface, automatically generating the electronic communication and automatically attaching a pointer to the stored instance of the received content item to the generated electronic communication for sending the electronic communication and the pointer to the attached stored instance of the received content item to the one or more desired recipients.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein if the selected one of the one or more electronic communications functionalities is a reply functionality, automatically populating a receiving address for the generated electronic communication with an address for an original sender of an electronic communication from which the received content item was received.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein if the selected one of the one or more electronic communications functionalities is a reply to all functionality, automatically populating a receiving address for the generated electronic communication with an address for all addressees included in an electronic communication from which the received content item was received.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein if a desired recipient of the generated electronic communication is not designated, providing a field in the generated electronic communication for receiving an address for the one or more desired recipients.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing an application user interface for generating, editing and/or displaying one or more content items includes providing the application user interface in an immersive view pane in an electronic communications user interface, the electronic communications user interface having a communications pane in which the automatically generated electronic communication is generated for communicating the received content item to one or more desired recipients.
13 . A method for providing immersive document view and use in an electronic communications user interface, comprising:
in a computer-generated electronic communications user interface, providing a communications pane in which is disposed one or more electronic communications where at least one of the one or more electronic communications includes a content item attachment;
in response to a selection of the content item attachment, displaying an associated content item in an immersive view pane in the electronic communications user interface for allowing a view of both the displayed content item and the one or more electronic communications in a single display of the electronic communications user interface; and
providing for removing the communications pane from display in the computer-generated electronic communications user interface for providing additional display space for the immersive view pane and providing for removing the immersive view pane from display in the computer-generated electronic communications user interface for providing additional display space for the communications pane.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein providing for removing the communications pane from display includes providing a hide function for temporarily hiding the communications pane from display.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing an unhide function for returning the communications pane to display in the computer-generated electronic communications user interface.
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein providing for removing the immersive view pane from display includes providing a hide function for temporarily hiding the immersive view pane from display.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising providing an unhide function for returning the immersive view pane to display in the computer-generated electronic communications user interface.
18 . A computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions, which when executed by a computer perform a method of generating an electronic communication out of a content generation workflow, comprising:
providing an application user interface for generating, editing and/or displaying one or more content items;
providing one or more electronic communications functionalities in the application user interface;
receiving a content item in the application user interface;
in response to a selection of one of the one or more electronic communications functionalities, storing an instance of the received content item; and
launching an electronic communications user interface for automatically generating an electronic communication for sending the stored instance of the received content item to one or more desired recipients.
19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein providing an application user interface for generating, editing and/or displaying one or more content items includes providing an application user interface for one or more of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, a slide presentation application, a database application, a notes taking application, a desktop publishing application, a calendar application, a tasks application and a reminders application.
20 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein providing one or more electronic communications functionalities in the application user interface includes providing one or more of a reply function, a reply with changes function, a forward function, a send function, a send as an attachment function, and a forward as an attachment function.