Metadata editing control

Abstract

A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane.

1 . A system having computer executable instructions embodied on a computer readable storage medium that when executed on one or more processors facilitates metadata management, comprising:
 a cluster of files, each file of the cluster of files having a common value for a property; and   a Save Ghost feature that provides a Ghost that is a visual representation of a file being saved and upon a user selecting the Ghost and placing the Ghost on a visual representation of the cluster of files, the common value for the property is applied to the file represented by the Ghost.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the property is a document type. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the common value of the document type of the cluster of files is a first document type and the document type of the file represented by the Ghost is a second document type and the common value that is applied to the file represented by the Ghost changes the document type of the file represented by the Ghost to the first document type. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the format of file represented by the Ghost is changed to the first document type. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the first document type is a Microsoft Word document and the second document is a text document. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the Save Ghost feature provides feedback to the user if the first document type cannot be changed to the second document type. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Save Ghost feature provides feedback to the user if the common value for the property is invalid for the file represented by the Ghost and does not apply the common value to the file represented by the Ghost. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the Save Ghost feature is a feature of an operating system. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the Save Ghost feature is a feature of a user interface of the operating system. 
   
   
       10 . A method of managing metadata in an operating system, comprising:
 selecting a Ghost, wherein a Ghost is a visual representation of a file being saved; and   placing the Ghost on a visual representation of a cluster of files, each file of the cluster of files having a common value for a property, and automatically applying the common value for the property to the file represented by the Ghost.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the property is a document type. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the common value of the document type of the cluster of files is a first document type and the document type of the file represented by the Ghost is a second document type and the common value that is applied to the file represented by the Ghost changes the document type of the file represented by the Ghost to the first document type. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the format of file represented by the Ghost is changed to the first document type. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first document type is a Microsoft Word document and the second document is a text document. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , providing feedback if the first document type cannot be changed to the second document type. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 10 , providing feedback if the common value for the property is invalid for the file represented by the Ghost and does not apply the common value to the file represented by the Ghost. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , employed as a feature of a computer operating system. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , employed as a feature of a user interface of the computer operating system. 
   
   
       19 . A computer operating system having computer executable instructions embodied on a computer readable storage medium that when executed on one or more processors facilitates metadata management, comprising:
 means for selecting a Ghost, wherein a Ghost is a visual representation of a file being saved; and   means for placing the Ghost on a visual representation of a cluster of files, each file of the cluster of files having a common value for a property, and automatically applying the common value for the property to the file represented by the Ghost.   
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the common value of the document type of the cluster of files is a first document type and the document type of the file represented by the Ghost is a second document type and the common value that is applied to the file represented by the Ghost changes the document type of the file represented by the Ghost to the first document type.