Patent ID: 7925682
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A non-volatile computer-readable storage medium having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a computer-implemented method of exposing items having associated metadata properties to a user, the method comprising: automatically selecting a first metadata property based on default information corresponding to a user of the computer system, wherein the first metadata property describes at least a portion of more than one item wherein each of the more than one items comprises a file including a first item stored in a first physical location and a second item stored in a second physical location; within a relational database, searching for items that have the selected first metadata property utilizing a computing process and that correspond with a search scope designated by a user, the relational database storing metadata properties of the more than one item each of which is stored within one of a plurality of physical memory locations and storing non-file items comprising emails, contacts, or a combination thereof, wherein the search scope designated by the user comprises a portion of the plurality of physical memory locations in which the more than one item are stored; drawing the items that have the selected first metadata property, wherein file items are drawn from the corresponding physical memory location at which the file item is stored and non-file items are drawn from the relational database at which the non-file items are stored; and providing within a file system user interface a first virtual folder display object that represents the collection of items that have the first metadata property, the first virtual folder display object exposing the first and second items despite physical locations of the items, wherein the user can simultaneously manipulate the items having the first metadata property by manipulating the first virtual folder display object, and wherein manipulating the first virtual folder display object comprises clicking and dragging, copying, or pasting the first virtual folder display object.