Methods and systems for managing data

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A machine implemented method comprising:
 displaying text within a text processing application;   receiving a selection of at least some of the text;   receiving a selection of a command to search a plurality of files using the selection;   displaying results of a search of the plurality of files.   
     
     
         3 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein the selection is through a pop-up menu which appears associated with the selection and wherein the text processing application is capable of creating a new text document which contains character codes which represent text characters. 
     
     
         4 . A method as in  claim 2  wherein the search is performed through metadata for a plurality of different files having different file types such that the type of data in metadata for one file type is different than the type of data in metadata for another file type and wherein the search is a substantially system wide search and wherein the selection of at least some of the text is received within the text processing application and the selection of the command is received by the text processing application and wherein the text processing application is at least one of a text editor or a word processor or a pdf document processor. 
     
     
         5 . A machine implemented method comprising:
 running an application in a system; and   receiving a selection of information that is part of a file being processed by the application to launch a system wide search operation, through another software component, based on the information.   
     
     
         6 . A method as in  claim 5  wherein the search is launched from within the application. 
     
     
         7 . A method as in  claim 6  wherein the search is for data or metadata of files in the system. 
     
     
         8 . A method as in  claim 7  wherein the search is performed thorough metadata for a plurality of different files having different file types such that the type of data in metadata for one type of file is different than the type of data in metadata for another type of file. 
     
     
         9 . A method as in  claim 7  wherein the information comprises at least one of text currently highlighted in the application, the name of an author of a file being run in the application and the name of a file being run in the application. 
     
     
         10 . A method as in  claim 9  wherein the user is automatically presented with a list of items associated with the application or the file being processed by the application and given the choice to select the information that is used to launch the search operation. 
     
     
         11 . A machine implemented method comprising:
 running a text processing application in a computer system;   selecting some text currently being processed by the application; and   automatically using the selected text to launch a system wide search operation based on the selected text.   
     
     
         12 . A method as in  claim 11  wherein the search is launched from within the application. 
     
     
         13 . A method as in  claim 11  wherein the search is for data or metadata of files in the computer system. 
     
     
         14 . A method as in  claim 11  wherein the search is performed thorough metadata for a plurality of different files having different file types such that metadata for one type of file is different than metadata for another type of file. 
     
     
         15 . A machine readable medium providing instructions which when executed cause a system to perform a method comprising:
 displaying text within a text processing application;   receiving a selection of at least some of the text;   receiving a selection of a command to search a plurality of files using the selection;   displaying results of a search of the plurality of files.   
     
     
         16 . A medium as in  claim 15  wherein the selection is through a pop-up menu which appears associated with the selection and wherein the text processing application is capable of creating a new text document which contains character codes which represent text characters. 
     
     
         17 . A medium as in  claim 15  wherein the search is performed through metadata for a plurality of different files having different file types such that the type of data in metadata for one file type is different than the type of data in metadata for another file type and wherein the search is a substantially system wide search and wherein the selection of at least some of the text is received within the text processing application and the selection of the command is received by the text processing application and wherein the text processing application is at least one of a text editor or a word processor or a pdf document processor.