Embedding dynamic content item preview

Abstract

A content management system including a document management system provides documents that include previews of folders in the content management system. The folder preview interface saved in the document is persistent despite changes to the folders stored by the content management system. In addition, previews of individual content items displayed within the folder preview interfaces are synchronized with the corresponding content items on the content management system. In some embodiments, the document may include other types of media including text, images, tables, video, etc. in addition to any embedded preview interfaces. Folder previews may also display previews of subfolders within the folder. A subfolder preview may display a list of content items within the subfolder. A user may also arrange multiple folder preview regions within the same document.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 causing display, by a client device, of a document having visible document content and including an embedded preview region that includes content item previews corresponding to content items included in a folder of a content management system, wherein the content item previews are synchronized with the content items, each content item preview including a portion of visible content of a corresponding content item displayed within the content item preview;   detecting a change to a content item corresponding to a content item preview displayed within the preview region; and   responsive to detecting the change to the content item, modifying the content item preview displayed within the preview region to reflect the change to the content item.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 responsive to a new content item being added to the folder of the content management system, displaying a new content item preview corresponding to the new content item within the preview region. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 synchronizing the new content item with the content management system. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 responsive to the content item corresponding to the content item preview displayed within the preview region being removed from the folder of the content management system, removing the content item preview from the preview region. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item preview includes a portion of textual content of the content item. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item preview includes a low resolution version of an image of the content item. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item preview includes a thumbnail image of a video of the content item. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item preview includes a playable low-resolution version of a video of the content item. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item preview includes a number of spreadsheet cells of a spreadsheet of the content item. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to move a location of the preview region within the document to a new location and, in response, embedding the preview region at the new location. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the content item previews included in the embedded preview region correspond to a set of most recently edited content items within the folder of the content management system. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying one of the one or more content items as a subfolder, the subfolder storing sub-hierarchical content items; 
 selecting a number of the sub-hierarchical content items for display in a subfolder preview; 
 generating a subfolder preview of the identified subfolder, the subfolder preview comprising one or more content item icons arranged in a list, each icon representing one of the selected sub-hierarchical content items and each icon having accompanying text indicating a content item name; and 
 displaying, within the preview region, the generated subfolder preview. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising:
 responsive to receiving a scrolling input over the subfolder preview within the preview region: 
 selecting an additional number of the sub-hierarchical content items for display in the subfolder preview; 
 removing a number of the sub-hierarchical content item icons from display in the preview region, the number equal to the additional number; and 
 displaying a set of the selected additional sub-hierarchical content items arranged in the list of the subfolder preview. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising
 responsive to receiving an input to zoom in over the subfolder preview within the preview region:
 generating previews of the sub-hierarchical content items of the subfolder represented by the subfolder preview; 
 selecting a number of previews of the sub-hierarchical content items for previewing within the preview region;
 refreshing the display of preview in the preview region by displaying the selected previews of the sub-hierarchical content items within the preview region. 
 
 
 
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
 causing display, by a client device, of a document having visible document content and including an embedded preview region that includes content item previews corresponding to content items included in a folder of a content management system, wherein the content item previews are synchronized with the content items, each content item preview including a portion of visible content of a corresponding content item displayed within the content item preview; 
 detecting a change to a content item corresponding to a content item preview displayed within the preview region; and 
 responsive to detecting the change to the content item, modifying the content item preview displayed within the preview region to reflect the change to the content item. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further steps comprising:
 responsive to a new content item being added to the folder of the content management system, displaying a new content item preview corresponding to the new content item within the preview region.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further steps comprising:
 responsive to the content item corresponding to the content item preview displayed within the preview region being removed from the folder of the content management system, removing the content item preview from the preview region.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform steps of:
 causing display, by a client device, of a document having visible document content and including an embedded preview region that includes content item previews corresponding to content items included in a folder of a content management system, wherein the content item previews are synchronized with the content items, each content item preview including a portion of visible content of a corresponding content item displayed within the content item preview;   detecting a change to a content item corresponding to a content item preview displayed within the preview region; and   responsive to detecting the change to the content item, modifying the content item preview displayed within the preview region to reflect the change to the content item.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18  further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the steps of:
 responsive to a new content item being added to the folder of the content management system, displaying a new content item preview corresponding to the new content item within the preview region. 
 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 18  further comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the steps of:
 responsive to the content item corresponding to the content item preview displayed within the preview region being removed from the folder of the content management system, removing the content item preview from the preview region.