Abstract:
Methods and systems and machine readable media for managing data. In one exemplary embodiment, an initial search query is received and examined to determine whether elements within the initial search query are within the same category of data, and a machine interpreted search query is derived in response to the determining. Other methods and systems and media are also described.

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/877,584, filed on Jun. 25, 2004 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,012. This application also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/643,087 filed on Jan. 7, 2005, which provisional application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety; this application claims the benefit of the provisional&#39;s filing date under 35 U.S.C. §119(e). This present application hereby claims the benefit of these earlier filing dates under 35 U.S.C. §120. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Modern data processing systems, such as general purpose computer systems, allow the users of such systems to create a variety of different types of data files. For example, a typical user of a data processing system may create text files with a word processing program such as Microsoft Word or may create an image file with an image processing program such as Adobe&#39;s PhotoShop. Numerous other types of files are capable of being created or modified, edited, and otherwise used by one or more users for a typical data processing system. The large number of the different types of files that can be created or modified can present a challenge to a typical user who is seeking to find a particular file which has been created. 
     Modern data processing systems often include a file management system which allows a user to place files in various directories or subdirectories (e.g. folders) and allows a user to give the file a name. Further, these file management systems often allow a user to find a file by searching for the file&#39;s name, or the date of creation, or the date of modification, or the type of file. An example of such a file management system is the Finder program which operates on Macintosh computers from Apple Computer, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Another example of a file management system program is the Windows Explorer program which operates on the Windows operating system from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. Both the Finder program and the Windows Explorer program include a find command which allows a user to search for files by various criteria including a file name or a date of creation or a date of modification or the type of file. However, this search capability searches through information which is the same for each file, regardless of the type of file. Thus, for example, the searchable data for a Microsoft Word file is the same as the searchable data for an Adobe PhotoShop file, and this data typically includes the file name, the type of file, the date of creation, the date of last modification, the size of the file and certain other parameters which may be maintained for the file by the file management system. 
     Certain presently existing application programs allow a user to maintain data about a particular file. This data about a particular file may be considered metadata because it is data about other data. This metadata for a particular file may include information about the author of a file, a summary of the document, and various other types of information. A program such as Microsoft Word may automatically create some of this data when a user creates a file and the user may add additional data or edit the data by selecting the “property sheet” from a menu selection in Microsoft Word. The property sheets in Microsoft Word allow a user to create metadata for a particular file or document. However, in existing systems, a user is not able to search for metadata across a variety of different applications using one search request from the user. Furthermore, existing systems can perform one search for data files, but this search does not also include searching through metadata for those files. 
     Certain existing systems can receive a multiple word search input and automatically add Boolean AND operators between the words of the search input to create a search input which is used to perform a search. These certain existing systems cannot, however, determine whether elements within the multiple word search input are within a same category of data. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DESCRIPTION 
     Methods for managing data in a data processing system and systems for managing data are described herein. These methods and systems typically receive a first input and convert it into a second input for use in performing a search. 
     According to one aspect of the inventions, an exemplary method includes receiving an input which represents an initial search query, determining whether elements within the initial search query are within the same category of data, and deriving a machine-interpreted search query in response to the determining. One specific implementation of this method involves grouping elements within the same category of data with a Boolean OR operator, and wherein the category of data is one of a date parameter for a file, a file type parameter, or a person parameter, such as an author or sender of a document. Alternative implementations may group some or all of the elements with other Boolean operators (e.g. AND, NOT, XOR, etc.). 
     According to another aspect of the inventions, an exemplary method includes receiving a user input which specifies an initial search query, interpreting the initial search query to create a machine interpreted search query, and performing a search using the machine-interpreted search query before advising the user that the search used the machine-interpreted search query which is different than the initial search query. 
     According to another aspect of the inventions, an exemplary method includes receiving an input which represents a search query which includes at least one word, and performing, in response to the input, a prefix matching search through metadata from a plurality of files created by at least one software application wherein the type of information in metadata for files of a first type differs from the type of information in metadata of a second type. In one specific implementation of this method, at least one of the characters dot (“.”) and dash (“-”) are matched as part of the prefix matching search. In other words, characters which are normally treated as separators between words (and hence not part of a word) are treated as part of a word, such as the beginning of a word, and are considered for matching as part of a prefix matching search. 
     Other aspects of the present inventions include various data processing systems which perform these methods and machine readable media which perform various methods described herein. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  shows an exemplary embodiment of a data processing system, which may be a general purpose computer system and which may operate in any of the various methods described herein. 
         FIG. 2  shows a general example of one exemplary method of one aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 3A  shows an example of the content of the particular type of metadata for a particular type of file. 
         FIG. 3B  shows another example of a particular type of metadata for another particular type of file. 
         FIG. 4  shows an example of an architecture for managing metadata according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing another exemplary method of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  shows an example of a storage format which utilizes a flat file format for metadata according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 7A-7E  show a sequence of graphical user interfaces provided by one exemplary embodiment in order to allow searching of metadata and/or other data in a data processing system. 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  show two examples of formats for displaying search results according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  shows another exemplary user interface of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  shows another exemplary user interface of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 11A-11D  show, in sequence, another exemplary user interface according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 12A-12D  show alternative embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  show further alternative embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 14A ,  14 B,  14 C, and  14 D show further alternative embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 15A ,  15 B,  15 C and  15 D show another alternative embodiment of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 16A and 16B  show certain aspects of embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 17  shows an aspect of certain embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 18A and 18B  show further aspects of certain embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIGS. 19A ,  19 B,  19 C,  19 D, and  19 E show further illustrative embodiments of user interfaces according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 20  is a flow chart which illustrates another exemplary method of the present invention. 
         FIG. 21  is a flow chart showing another exemplary method of the present invention. 
         FIGS. 22A ,  22 B,  22 C, and  22 D illustrate the display of a display device on which an embodiment of the method of  FIG. 21  is performed. 
         FIG. 23  is a flowchart which illustrates an exemplary method of the present invention which uses a machine-interpreted form of a search query. 
         FIG. 24  is a flowchart which illustrates another exemplary method of the present invention which allows a user to turn on or to turn off machine interpretation of user inputted search queries. 
         FIG. 25  is a flowchart which illustrates a more specific exemplary method of the present invention. 
         FIG. 26  is a flowchart which illustrates another more specific exemplary method of the present inventions. 
         FIG. 27 ,  FIG. 28 , and  FIG. 29  provide examples of how search queries are interpreted by a machine to provide a machine-interpreted search query according to at least certain embodiments of the present inventions. 
         FIG. 30  is a flowchart which illustrates another exemplary method of the present inventions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The subject invention will be described with reference to numerous details set forth below, and the accompanying drawings will illustrate the invention. The following description and drawings are illustrative of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, in certain instances, well known or conventional details are not described in order to not unnecessarily obscure the present invention in detail. 
     The present description includes material protected by copyrights, such as illustrations of graphical user interface images. The owners of the copyrights, including the assignee of the present invention, hereby reserve their rights, including copyright, in these materials. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrights whatsoever. Copyright Apple Computer, Inc. 2004. 
       FIG. 1  shows one example of a typical computer system which may be used with the present invention. Note that while  FIG. 1  illustrates various components of a computer system, it is not intended to represent any particular architecture or manner of interconnecting the components as such details are not germane to the present invention. It will also be appreciated that network computers and other data processing systems which have fewer components or perhaps more components may also be used with the present invention. The computer system of  FIG. 1  may, for example, be a Macintosh computer from Apple Computer, Inc. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the computer system  101 , which is a form of a data processing system, includes a bus  102  which is coupled to a microprocessor(s)  103  and a ROM (Read Only Memory)  107  and volatile RAM  105  and a non-volatile memory  106 . The microprocessor  103  may be a G3 or G4 microprocessor from Motorola, Inc. or one or more G5 microprocessors from IBM. The bus  102  interconnects these various components together and also interconnects these components  103 ,  107 ,  105 , and  106  to a display controller and display device  104  and to peripheral devices such as input/output (I/O) devices which may be mice, keyboards, modems, network interfaces, printers and other devices which are well known in the art. Typically, the input/output devices  109  are coupled to the system through input/output controllers  108 . The volatile RAM (Random Access Memory)  105  is typically implemented as dynamic RAM (DRAM) which requires power continually in order to refresh or maintain the data in the memory. The mass storage  106  is typically a magnetic hard drive or a magnetic optical drive or an optical drive or a DVD RAM or other types of memory systems which maintain data (e.g. large amounts of data) even after power is removed from the system. Typically, the mass storage  106  will also be a random access memory although this is not required. While  FIG. 1  shows that the mass storage  106  is a local device coupled directly to the rest of the components in the data processing system, it will be appreciated that the present invention may utilize a non-volatile memory which is remote from the system, such as a network storage device which is coupled to the data processing system through a network interface such as a modem or Ethernet interface. The bus  102  may include one or more buses connected to each other through various bridges, controllers and/or adapters as is well known in the art. In one embodiment the I/O controller  108  includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) adapter for controlling USB peripherals and an IEEE 1394 controller for IEEE 1394 compliant peripherals. 
     It will be apparent from this description that aspects of the present invention may be embodied, at least in part, in software. That is, the techniques may be carried out in a computer system or other data processing system in response to its processor, such as a microprocessor, executing sequences of instructions contained in a memory, such as ROM  107 , RAM  105 , mass storage  106  or a remote storage device. In various embodiments, hardwired circuitry may be used in combination with software instructions to implement the present invention. Thus, the techniques are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software nor to any particular source for the instructions executed by the data processing system. In addition, throughout this description, various functions and operations are described as being performed by or caused by software code to simplify description. However, those skilled in the art will recognize what is meant by such expressions is that the functions result from execution of the code by a processor, such as the microprocessor  103 . 
     Capturing and Use of Metadata Across a Variety of Application Programs 
       FIG. 2  shows a generalized example of one embodiment of the present invention. In this example, captured metadata is made available to a searching facility, such as a component of the operating system which allows concurrent searching of all metadata for all applications having captured metadata (and optionally for all non-metadata of the data files). The method of  FIG. 2  may begin in operation  201  in which metadata is captured from a variety of different application programs. This captured metadata is then made available in operation  203  to a searching facility, such as a file management system software for searching. This searching facility allows, in operation  205 , the searching of metadata across all applications having captured metadata. The method also provides, in operation  207 , a user interface of a search engine and the search results which are obtained by the search engine. There are numerous possible implementations of the method of  FIG. 2 . For example,  FIG. 5  shows a specific implementation of one exemplary embodiment of the method of  FIG. 2 . Alternative implementations may also be used. For example, in an alternative implementation, the metadata may be provided by each application program to a central source which stores the metadata for use by searching facilities and which is managed by an operating system component, which may be, for example, the metadata processing software. The user interface provided in operation  207  may take a variety of different formats, including some of the examples described below as well as user interfaces which are conventional, prior art user interfaces. The metadata may be stored in a database which may be any of a variety of formats including a B tree format or, as described below, in a flat file format according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     The method of  FIG. 2  may be implemented for programs which do not store or provide metadata. In this circumstance, a portion of the operating system provides for the capture of the metadata from the variety of different programs even though the programs have not been designed to provide or capture metadata. For those programs which do allow a user to create metadata for a particular document, certain embodiments of the present invention may allow the exporting back of captured metadata back into data files for applications which maintain metadata about their data files. 
     The method of  FIG. 2  allows information about a variety of different files created by a variety of different application programs to be accessible by a system wide searching facility, which is similar to the way in which prior art versions of the Finder or Windows Explorer can search for file names, dates of creation, etc. across a variety of different application programs. Thus, the metadata for a variety of different files created by a variety of different application programs can be accessed through an extension of an operating system, and an example of such an extension is shown in  FIG. 4  as a metadata processing software which interacts with other components of the system and will be described further below. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  show two different metadata formats for two different types of data files. Note that there may be no overlap in any of the fields; in other words, no field in one type of metadata is the same as any field in the other type of metadata. Metadata format  301  may be used for an image file such as a JPEG image file. This metadata may include information such as the image&#39;s width, the image&#39;s height, the image&#39;s color space, the number of bits per pixel, the ISO setting, the flash setting, the F/stop of the camera, the brand name of the camera which took the image, user-added keywords and other fields, such as a field which uniquely identifies the particular file, which identification is persistent through modifications of the file. Metadata format  331  shown in  FIG. 3B  may be used for a music file such as an MP3 music file. The data in this metadata format may include an identification of the artist, the genre of the music, the name of the album, song names in the album or the song name of the particular file, song play times or the song play time of a particular song and other fields, such as a persistent file ID number which identifies the particular MP3 file from which the metadata was captured. Other types of fields may also be used. The following chart shows examples of the various fields which may be used in metadata for various types of files. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Copied 
                   
               
               
                 Item 
                 Parent in 
                   
                   
                   
                 Multi- 
                   
                 User 
                   
                 with 
                 App 
               
               
                 name 
                 hierarchy 
                 Attribute name 
                 Description/Notes 
                 CFType 
                 value 
                 Localized 
                 settable 
                 Gettable 
                 copy 
                 viewable 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Item 
                 n/a 
                 Authors 
                 Who created or 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contributed to the 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contents of this item 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Comment 
                 A free form text 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 comment 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ContentType 
                 This is the type that is 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 ? 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 determined by UTI 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ContentTypes 
                 This is the inheritance of 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 ? 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the UTI system 
               
               
                   
                   
                 CreatedDate 
                 When was this item 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 created 
               
               
                   
                   
                 DisplayName 
                 The name of the item as 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Finder (or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the user would like to 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Launch 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 read it. Very well may 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Services) 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 be the file name, but it 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 may also be the subject 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of an e-mail message or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the full name of a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 person, for example. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Keywords 
                 This is a list words set 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 System- 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Ask 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 by the user to identify 
                   
                   
                 provided 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 arbitrary sets of 
                   
                   
                 keywords 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 organization. The scope 
                   
                   
                 (if any) 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 is determined by the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 user and can be flexibly 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 used for any kind of 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 organization. For 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 example, Family, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Hawaii, Project X, etc. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Contact 
                 A list of contacts that 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Ask 
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Keywords 
                 are associated with this 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document, beyond what 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 is captured as Author. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 This may be a person 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 who&#39;s in the picture or a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document about a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 person or contact 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 (performance review, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contract) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ModifiedDate 
                 When this item was last 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 modified 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Rating 
                 A relative rating (0 to 5 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                 n/a 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 value) on how important 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 a particular item is to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 you, whether it&#39;s a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 person, file or message 
               
               
                   
                   
                 RelatedTos 
                 A list of other items that 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 are arbitrarily grouped 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 together. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 TextContent 
                 An indexed version of 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 any content text 
               
               
                   
                   
                 UsedDates 
                 Which days was the 
                 CFDate 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 opened/viewed/played 
               
               
                 Content/ 
                 Item 
                 Copyright 
                 Specifies the owner of 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                 Data 
                   
                   
                 this content, i.e. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Copyright Apple 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Computer, Inc. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 CreatorApp 
                 Keeps track of the 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 ? 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 application that was 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 used to create this 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document (if it&#39;s 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 known). 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Languages 
                 The languages that this 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document is composed 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 in (for either text or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 audio-based media) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ParentalControl 
                 A field that is used to 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 ? 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 determine whether this 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 is kid-friendly content or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 not 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Publishers 
                 The name or a person or 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 organization that 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 published this content. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PublishedDate 
                 The original date that 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 this content was 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 published (if it was), 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 independent of created 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 date. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Reviewers 
                 A list of contacts who 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 have reviewed the 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contents of this file. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 This would have to be 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 set explicitly by an 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 application. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ReviewStatus 
                 Free form text that used 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 ? 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 to specify where the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document is in any 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 arbitrary review process 
               
               
                   
                   
                 TimeEdited 
                 Total time spent editing 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 WhereTos 
                 Where did this go to, eg. 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 System- 
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 CD, printed, backedup 
                   
                   
                 provided 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 words 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 only (if 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 any) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 WhereFroms 
                 Where did this come 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 System- 
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 from, e.g. camera, email, 
                   
                   
                 provided 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 web download, CD 
                   
                   
                 words 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 only (if 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 any) 
               
               
                 Image 
                 Data 
                 BitsPerSample 
                 What is the bit depth of 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the image (8-bit, 16-bit, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 etc.) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ColorSpace 
                 What color space model 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 ColorSync 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 is this document 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Utility? 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 following 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ImageHeight 
                 The height of the image 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 in pixels 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ImageWidth 
                 The width of the image 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 in pixels 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ProfileName 
                 The name of the color 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 ColorSync 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 profile used with for 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Utility? 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 image 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ResolutionWidth 
                 Resolution width of this 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 image (i.e. dpi from a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 scanner) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ResolutionHeight 
                 Resolution height of this 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 image (i.e. dpi from a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 scanner) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 LayerNames 
                 For image formats that 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contain “named” layers 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 (e.g. Photoshop files) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Aperture 
                 The f-stop rating of the 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 camera when the image 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 was taken 
               
               
                   
                   
                 CameraMake 
                 The make of the camera 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 that was used to acquire 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 this image (e.g. Nikon) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 CameraModel 
                 The model of the camera 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 used to acquire this 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 image (Coolpix 5700) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 DateTimeOriginal 
                 Date/time the picture 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 was taken 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ExposureMode 
                 Mode that was used for 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the exposure 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ExposureTime 
                 Time that the lens was 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 exposed while taking the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 picture 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Flash 
                 This attribute is 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 overloaded with 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 information about red- 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 eye reduction. This is 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 not a binary value 
               
               
                   
                   
                 GPS 
                 Raw value received 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 from GPS device 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 associated with photo 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 acquisition. It hasn&#39;t 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 necessarily been 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 translated to a user- 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 understandable location. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ISOSpeed 
                 The ISO speed the 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 camera was set to when 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the image was acquired 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Orientation 
                 The orientation of the 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 camera when the image 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 was acquired 
               
               
                   
                   
                 WhiteBalance 
                 The white balance 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 setting of the camera 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 when the picture was 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 taken 
               
               
                   
                   
                 EXIFversion 
                 The version of EXIF 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 that was used to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 generate the metadata 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 for the image 
               
               
                 Time- 
                 Data 
                 Acquisition- 
                 The name or type of 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                 based 
                   
                 Sources 
                 device that used to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 acquire the media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Codecs 
                 The codecs used to 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 encode/decode the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 DeliveryType 
                 FastStart or RTSP 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Duration 
                 The length of time that 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the media lasts 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Streamable 
                 Whether the content is 
                 CFBoolean 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 prepared for purposes of 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 streaming 
               
               
                   
                   
                 TotalBitRate 
                 The total bit rate (audio 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 &amp; video combined) of 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the media. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 AudioBitRate 
                 The audio bit rate of the 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 AspectRatio 
                 The aspect ratio of the 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 video of the media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ColorSpace 
                 The color space model 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 used for the video aspect 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of the media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 FrameHeight 
                 The frame height in 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 pixels of the video in the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 FrameWidth 
                 The frame width in 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 pixels of the video in the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ProfileName 
                 The name of the color 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 profile used on the video 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 portion of the media 
               
               
                   
                   
                 VideoBitRate 
                 The bit rate of the video 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 aspect of the media 
               
               
                 Text 
                 Data 
                 Subject 
                 The subject of the text. 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 This could be metadata 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 that&#39;s supplied with the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 text or something 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 automatically generated 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 with technologies like 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 VTWIN 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PageCount 
                 The number of printable 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 pages of the document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 LineCount 
                 The number of lines in 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 WordCount 
                 The number of words in 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 URL 
                 The URL that will get 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 you to this document (or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 at least did at one time). 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Relevant for saved 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 HTML documents, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 bookmarks, RSS feeds, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 etc. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PageTitle 
                 The title of a web page. 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Relevant to HTML or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 bookmark documents 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Google 
                 Structure of where this 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Hierarchy 
                 page can be found in the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Google hierarchy. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Relevant to HTML or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 bookmark documents 
               
               
                 Compound 
                 Data 
                 &lt;Abstract&gt; 
                 There are no specific 
                 n/a 
                 n/a 
                 n/a 
                 n/a 
                 n/a 
                 n/a 
                 n/a 
               
               
                 document 
                   
                   
                 attributes assigned to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 this item. This is to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 catch all app-specific 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 file formats that fall 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 within Data, but don&#39;t fit 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 into any of the other 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 types. Typically these 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 documents have 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 multiple types of media 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 embedded within them. 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 (e.g. P 
               
               
                 PDF 
                 Compound 
                 NumberOfPages 
                 The number of printable 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                 document 
                   
                 pages in the document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PageSize 
                 The size of the page 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 stored as points 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFTitle 
                 PDF-specific title 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFAuthor 
                 PDF-specific author 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFSubject 
                 PDF-specific subject 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFKeywords 
                 PDF-specific keywords 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFCreated 
                 PDF-specific created 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFModified 
                 PDF-specific modified 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 PDFVersion 
                 PDF-specific version 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                 ? 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 metadata for the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document 
               
               
                   
                   
                 SecurityMethod 
                 Method by which this 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 document is kept secure 
               
               
                 Presentation 
                 Compound 
                 SlideTitles 
                 A collection of the titles 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                 (Keynote) 
                 document 
                   
                 on slides 
               
               
                   
                   
                 SlideCount 
                 The number of slides 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 SpeakerNotes- 
                 The content of all the 
                 CFString 
                 ? 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Content 
                 speaker notes from all of 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the slides together 
               
               
                 Application 
                 Item 
                 Categories 
                 The kind of application 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 this is: productivity, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 games, utility, graphics, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 etc. A set list that 
               
               
                 Message 
                 Item 
                 Recipients 
                 Maps to To and Cc: 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 addresses in a mail 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 message. 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Priority 
                 The priority of the 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 message as set by the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 sender 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Attachment- 
                 The list of filenames that 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Names 
                 represent attachments in 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 a particular message 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 (should be actionable 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 within the Finder) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Authors 
                 maps to From address in 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 mail message 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Comment 
                 Not applicable to Mail 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 right now (should we 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 consider?) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ContentType 
                   
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ContentTypes 
                   
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 CreatedDate 
                 When was this message 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 was sent or received 
               
               
                   
                   
                 DisplayName 
                 Subject of the message 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Keywords 
                 There will be a way to 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 System- 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Ask 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 set keywords within 
                   
                   
                 provided 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Mail 
                   
                   
                 keywords 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 (if any) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Contact 
                 Could be where 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Ask 
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Keywords 
                 recipients are held 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ModifiedDate 
                 Not applicable 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Rating 
                 A relative rating (0 to 5 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                 n/a 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 stars) on how important 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 a particular message is 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 to you (separate from a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 message&#39;s Priority) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 RelatedTos 
                 Potentially threaded 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 messages could be put 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 into this category 
               
               
                   
                   
                 TextContent 
                 An indexed version of 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the mail message 
               
               
                   
                   
                 UsedDates 
                 The day/time in which 
                 CFDate 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the mail message was 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 viewed/read 
               
               
                 Contact 
                 Item 
                 Company 
                 The company that this 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contact is an employee 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 E-mails 
                 A list of e-mail 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 Mail 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 addresses that this 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contact has 
               
               
                   
                   
                 IMs 
                 A list of instant message 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 iChat 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 handles this contact has 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Phones 
                 A list of phone numbers 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 that relate to this contact 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Addresses 
                 A list of physical 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 addresses that relate to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 this person 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Authors 
                 the name of the owner of 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the Address Book 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 (current user name) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Comment 
                   
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ContentType 
                   
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ContentTypes 
                   
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 CreatedDate 
                 date the user entered this 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 into his AddressBook 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 (either through import or 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 direct entry) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 DisplayName 
                 Composite name of 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 contact (First Name, 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Last Name) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Keywords 
                 There will be a way to 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 System- 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Ask 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 set keywords within 
                   
                   
                 provided 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 Address Book 
                   
                   
                 keywords 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 (if any) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Contact 
                   
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
                 Ask 
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Keywords 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                 ModifiedDate 
                 Last time this contact 
                 CFDate 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 entry was modified 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Rating 
                 A relative rating (0 to 5 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                 n/a 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 stars) on how important 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 a particular contact is to 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 you (separate from a 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 message&#39;s Priority) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 RelatedTos 
                 (potentially could be 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 Yes 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 used to associate people 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 from the same company 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 or family) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 TextContent 
                 An indexed version of 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the Notes section 
               
               
                   
                   
                 UsedDates 
                 The day/time in which 
                 CFDate 
                 Yes 
                 No 
                 No 
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the contact entry was 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 viewed in Address Book 
               
               
                 Meeting 
                 Item 
                 Body 
                 text, rich text or 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                 (TBD) 
                   
                   
                 document that represents 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the full content of the 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 event 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Description 
                 text describing the event 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 EventTimes 
                 time/date the event starts 
                 CFDate 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Duration 
                 The length of time that 
                 CFNumber 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 the meeting lasts 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Invitees 
                 The list of people who 
                 CFString 
                 Yes 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
                   
                 Address 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 are invited to the 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 Book 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 meeting 
               
               
                   
                   
                 Location 
                 The name of the location 
                 CFString 
                 No 
                   
                   
                 Yes 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 where the meeting is 
               
               
                   
                   
                   
                 taking place 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     One particular field which may be useful in the various metadata formats would be a field which includes an identifier of a plug in or other software element which may be used to capture metadata from a data file and/or export metadata back to the creator application. 
     Various different software architectures may be used to implement the functions and operations described herein. The following discussion provides one example of such an architecture, but it will be understood that alternative architectures may also be employed to achieve the same or similar results. The software architecture shown in  FIG. 4  is an example which is based upon the Macintosh operating system. The architecture  400  includes a metadata processing software  401  and an operating system (OS) kernel  403  which is operatively coupled to the metadata processing software  401  for a notification mechanism which is described below. The metadata processing software  401  is also coupled to other software programs such as a file system graphical user interface software  405  (which may be the Finder), an email software  407 , and other applications  409 . These applications are coupled to the metadata processing software  401  through client application program interface  411  which provide a method for transferring data and commands between the metadata processing software  401  and the software  405 ,  407 , and  409 . These commands and data may include search parameters specified by a user as well as commands to perform searches from the user, which parameters and commands are passed to the metadata processing software  401  through the interface  411 . The metadata processing software  401  is also coupled to a collection of importers  413  which extract data from various applications. In particular, in one exemplary embodiment, a text importer is used to extract text and other information from word processing or text processing files created by word processing programs such as Microsoft Word, etc. This extracted information is the metadata for a particular file. Other types of importers extract metadata from other types of files, such as image files or music files. In this particular embodiment, a particular importer is selected based upon the type of file which has been created and modified by an application program. For example, if the data file was created by PhotoShop, then an image importer for PhotoShop may be used to input the metadata from a PhotoShop data file into the metadata database  415  through the metadata processing software  401 . On the other hand, if the data file is a word processing document, then an importer designed to extract metadata from a word processing document is called upon to extract the metadata from the word processing data file and place it into the metadata database  415  through the metadata processing software  401 . Typically, a plurality of different importers may be required in order to handle the plurality of different application programs which are used in a typical computer system. The importers  413  may optionally include a plurality of exporters which are capable of exporting the extracted metadata for particular types of data files back to property sheets or other data components maintained by certain application programs. For example, certain application programs may maintain some metadata for each data file created by the program, but this metadata is only a subset of the metadata extracted by an importer from this type of data file. In this instance, the exporter may export back additional metadata or may simply insert metadata into blank fields of metadata maintained by the application program. 
     The software architecture  400  also includes a file system directory  417  for the metadata. This file system directory keeps track of the relationship between the data files and their metadata and keeps track of the location of the metadata object (e.g. a metadata file which corresponds to the data file from which it was extracted) created by each importer. In one exemplary embodiment, the metadata database is maintained as a flat file format as described below, and the file system directory  417  maintains this flat file format. One advantage of a flat file format is that the data is laid out on a storage device as a string of data without references between fields from one metadata file (corresponding to a particular data file) to another metadata file (corresponding to another data file). This arrangement of data will often result in faster retrieval of information from the metadata database  415 . 
     The software architecture  400  of  FIG. 4  also includes find by content software  419  which is operatively coupled to a database  421  which includes an index of files. The index of files represents at least a subset of the data files in a storage device and may include all of the data files in a particular storage device (or several storage devices), such as the main hard drive of a computer system. The index of files may be a conventional indexed representation of the content of each document. The find by content software  419  searches for words in that content by searching through the database  421  to see if a particular word exists in any of the data files which have been indexed. The find by content software functionality is available through the metadata processing software  401  which provides the advantage to the user that the user can search concurrently both the index of files in the database  421  (for the content within a file) as well as the metadata for the various data files being searched. The software architecture shown in  FIG. 4  may be used to perform the method shown in  FIG. 5  or alternative architectures may be used to perform the method of  FIG. 5 . 
     The method of  FIG. 5  may begin in operation  501  in which a notification of a change for a file is received. This notification may come from the OS kernel  403  which notifies the metadata processing software  401  that a file has been changed. This notification may come from sniffer software elements which detect new or modified files and deletion of files. This change may be the creation of a new file or the modification of an existing file or the deletion of an existing file. The deletion of an existing file causes a special case of the processing method of  FIG. 5  and is not shown in  FIG. 5 . In the case of a deletion, the metadata processing software  401 , through the use of the file system directory  417 , deletes the metadata file in the metadata database  415  which corresponds to the deleted file. The other types of operations, such as the creation of a new file or the modification of an existing file, causes the processing to proceed from operation  501  to operation  503  in which the type of file which is the subject of the notification is determined. The file may be an Acrobat PDF file or an RTF word processing file or a JPEG image file, etc. In any case, the type of the file is determined in operation  503 . This may be performed by receiving from the OS kernel  403  the type of file along with the notification or the metadata processing software  401  may request an identification of the type of file from the file system graphical user interface software  405  or similar software which maintains information about the data file, such as the creator application or parent application of the data file. It will be understood that in one exemplary embodiment, the file system graphical user interface software  405  is the Finder program which operates on the Macintosh operating system. In alternative embodiments, the file system graphical user interface system may be Windows Explorer which operates on Microsoft&#39;s Windows operating system. After the type of file has been determined in operation  503 , the appropriate capture software (e.g. one of the importers  413 ) is activated for the determined file type  505 . The importers may be a plug-in for the particular application which created the type of file about which notification is received in operation  501 . Once activated, the importer or capture software imports the appropriate metadata (for the particular file type) into the metadata database, such as metadata database  415  as shown in operation  507 . Then in operation  509 , the metadata is stored in the database, In one exemplary embodiment, it may be stored in a flat file format. Then in operation  511 , the metadata processing software  401  receives search parameter inputs and performs a search of the metadata database (and optionally also causes a search of non-metadata sources such as the index of files  421 ) and causes the results of the search to be displayed in a user interface. This may be performed by exchanging information between one of the applications, such as the software  405  or the software  407  or the other applications  409  and the metadata processing software  401  through the interface  411 . For example, the file system software  405  may present a graphical user interface, allowing a user to input search parameters and allowing the user to cause a search to be performed. This information is conveyed through the interface  411  to the metadata processing software  401  which causes a search through the metadata database  415  and also may cause a search through the database  421  of the indexed files in order to search for content within each data file which has been indexed. The results from these searches are provided by the metadata processing software  401  to the requesting application which, in the example given here, was the software  405 , but it will be appreciated that other components of software, such as the email software  407 , may be used to receive the search inputs and to provide a display of the search results. Various examples of the user interface for inputting search requests and for displaying search results are described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings. 
     It will be appreciated that the notification, if done through the OS kernel, is a global, system wide notification process such that changes to any file will cause a notification to be sent to the metadata processing software. It will also be appreciated that in alternative embodiments, each application program may itself generate the necessary metadata and provide the metadata directly to a metadata database without the requirement of a notification from an operating system kernel or from the intervention of importers, such as the importers  413 . Alternatively, rather than using OS kernel notifications, an embodiment may use software calls from each application to a metadata processing software which receives these calls and then imports the metadata from each file in response to the call. 
     As noted above, the metadata database  415  may be stored in a flat file format in order to improve the speed of retrieval of information in most circumstances. The flat file format may be considered to be a non-B tree, non-hash tree format in which data is not attempted to be organized but is rather stored as a stream of data. Each metadata object or metadata file will itself contain fields, such as the fields shown in the examples of  FIGS. 3A and 3B . However, there will typically be no relationship or reference or pointer from one field in one metadata file to the corresponding field (or another field) in the next metadata file or in another metadata file of the same file type.  FIG. 6  shows an example of the layout in a flat file format of metadata. The format  601  includes a plurality of metadata files for a corresponding plurality of data files. As shown in  FIG. 6 , metadata file  603  is metadata from file  1  of application A and may be referred to as metadata file A 1 . Similarly, metadata file  605  is metadata from file  1  of application B and may be referred to as metadata file B 1 . Each of these metadata files typically would include fields which are not linked to other fields and which do not contain references or pointers to other fields in other metadata files. It can be seen from  FIG. 6  that the metadata database of  FIG. 6  includes metadata files from a plurality of different applications (applications A, B, and C) and different files created by each of those applications. Metadata files  607 ,  609 ,  611 , and  617  are additional metadata files created by applications A, B, and C as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     A flexible query language may be used to search the metadata database in the same way that such query languages are used to search other databases. The data within each metadata file may be packed or even compressed if desirable. As noted above, each metadata file, in certain embodiments, will include a persistent identifier which uniquely identifies its corresponding data file. This identifier remains the same even if the name of the file is changed or the file is modified. This allows for the persistent association between the particular data file and its metadata. 
     User Interface Aspects 
     Various different examples of user interfaces for inputting search parameters and for displaying search results are provided herein. It will be understood that some features from certain embodiments may be mixed with other embodiments such that hybrid embodiments may result from these combinations. It will be appreciated that certain features may be removed from each of these embodiments and still provide adequate functionality in many instances. 
       FIG. 7A  shows a graphical user interface which is a window which may be displayed on a display device which is coupled to a data processing system such as a computer system. The window  701  includes a side bar having two regions  703 A, which is a user-configurable region, and  703 B, which is a region which is specified by the data processing system. Further details in connection with these side bar regions may be found in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/873,661 filed on Jun. 21, 2004, and entitled “Methods and Apparatuses for Operating a Data Processing System,” by inventors Donald Lindsay and Bas Ording. The window  701  also includes a display region  705  which in this case displays the results of searches requested by the user. The window  701  also includes a search parameter menu bar  707  which includes configurable pull down menus  713 ,  715 , and  717 . The window  701  also includes a text entry region  709  which allows a user to enter text as part of the search query or search parameters. The button  711  may be a start search button which a user activates in order to start a search based upon the selected search parameters. Alternatively, the system may perform a search as soon as it receives any search parameter inputs or search queries from the user rather than waiting for a command to begin the search. The window  701  also includes a title bar  729  which may be used in conjunction with a cursor control device to move, in a conventional manner, the window around a desktop which is displayed on a display device. The window  701  also includes a close button  734 , a minimize button  735 , and a resize button  736  which may be used to close or minimize or resize, respectively, the window. The window  701  also includes a resizing control  731  which allows a user to modify the size of the window on a display device. The window  701  further includes a back button  732  and a forward button  733  which function in a manner which is similar to the back and forward buttons on a web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Safari. The window  701  also includes view controls  737  which include three buttons for selecting three different types of views of the content within the display region  705 . When the contents found in a search exceed the available display area of a display region  705 , scroll controls, such as scroll controls  721 ,  722 , and  723 , appear within the window  701 . These may be used in a conventional manner, for example, by dragging the scroll bar  721  within the scroll region  721 A using conventional graphical user interface techniques. 
     The combination of text entry region  709  and the search parameter menu bar allow a user to specify a search query or search parameters. Each of the configurable pull down menus presents a user with a list of options to select from when the user activates the pull down menu. As shown in  FIG. 7A , the user has already made a selection from the configurable pull down menu  713  to specify the location of the search, which in this case specifies that the search will occur on the local disks of the computer systems. Configurable pull down menu  715  has also been used by the user to specify the kind of document which is to be searched for, which in this case is an image document as indicated by the configurable pull down menu  715  which indicates “images” as the selected configuration of this menu and hence the search parameter which it specifies. The configurable pull down menu  717 , as shown in  FIG. 7A , represents an add search parameter pull down menu. This add search parameter pull down menu allows the user to add additional criteria to the search query to further limit the search results. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7A , each of the search parameters is logically ANDed in a Boolean manner. Thus the current search parameter specified by the user in the state shown in  FIG. 7A  searches all local disks for all images, and the user is in the middle of the process of selecting another search criteria by having selected the add search criteria pull down menu  717 , resulting in the display of the pull down menu  719 , which has a plurality of options which may be selected by the user. 
       FIG. 7B  shows the window  701  after the user has caused the selection of the time option within pull down menu  719 , thereby causing the display of a submenu  719 A which includes a list of possible times which the user may select from. Thus it appears that the user wants to limit the search to all images on all local disks within a certain period of time which is to be specified by making a selection within the submenu  719 A. 
       FIG. 7C  shows the window  701  on the display of a data processing system after the user has selected a particular option (in this case “past week”) from the submenu  719 A. If the user accepts this selection, then the display shown in  FIG. 7D  results in which the configurable pull down menu  718  is displayed showing that the user has selected as part of the search criteria files that have been created or modified in the past week. It can be seen from  FIG. 7D  that the user can change the particular time selected from this pull down menu  718  by selecting another time period within the pull down menu  718 A shown in  FIG. 7D . Note that the configurable pull down menu  717 , which represents an add search parameter menu, has now moved to the right of the configurable pull down menu  718 . The user may add further search parameters by pressing or otherwise activating the configurable pull down menu  717  from the search parameter menu bar  707 . If the user decides that the past week is the proper search criteria in the time category, then the user may release the pull down menu  718 A from being displayed in a variety of different ways (e.g. the user may release the mouse button which was being depressed to keep the pull down menu  718 A on the display). Upon releasing or otherwise dismissing the pull down menu  718 A, the resulting window  701  shown in  FIG. 7E  then appears. There are several aspects of this user interface shown in  FIG. 7A-7E  which are worthy of being noted. The search parameters or search query is specified within the same window as the display of the search results. This allows the user to look at a single location or window to understand the search parameters and how they affected the displayed search results, and may make it easier for a user to alter or improve the search parameters in order to find one or more files. The configurable pull down menus, such as the add search parameter pull down menu, includes hierarchical pull down menus. An example of this is shown in  FIG. 7B  in which the selection of the time criteria from the pull down menu  717  results in the display of another menu, in this case a submenu  719 A which may be selected from by the user. This allows for a compact presentation of the various search parameters while keeping the initial complexity (e.g. without submenus being displayed) at a lower level. Another useful aspect of the user interface shown in  FIG. 7A-7E  is the ability to reconfigure pull down menus which have previously been configured. Thus, for example, the configurable pull down menu  713  currently specifies the location of the search (in this case, all local disks), however, this may be modified by selecting the pull down region associated with the configurable pull down menu  713 , causing the display of a menu of options indicating alternative locations which may be selected by the user. This can also be seen in  FIG. 7D  in which the past week option has been selected by the user (as indicated by “past week” being in the search parameter menu bar  707 ), but a menu of options shown in the pull down menu  718 A allows the user to change the selected time from the “past week” to some other time criteria. Another useful aspect of this user interface is the ability to continue adding various search criteria by using the add search criteria pull down menu  717  and selecting a new criteria. 
     It will also be appreciated that the various options in the pull down menus may depend upon the fields within a particular type of metadata file. For example, the selection of “images” to be searched may cause the various fields present in the metadata for an image type file to appear in one or more pull down menus, allowing the user to search within one or more of those fields for that particular type of file. Other fields which do not apply to “images” types of files may not appear in these menus in order reduce the complexity of the menus and to prevent user confusion. 
     Another feature of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 7A-7E . In particular, the side bar region  703 A, which is the user-configurable portion of the side bar, includes a representation of a folder  725  which represents the search results obtained from a particular search, which search results may be static or they may be dynamic in that, in certain instances, the search can be performed again to obtain results based on the current files in the system. The folder  725  in the example shown in  FIGS. 7A-7E  represents a search on a local disk for all images done on December 10 th . By selecting this folder in the side bar region  703 A, the user may cause the display in the display region  705  of the results of that search. In this way, a user may retrieve a search result automatically by saving the search result into the side bar region  703 A. One mechanism for causing a search result or a search query to be saved into the side bar region  703 A is to select the add folder button  727  which appears in the bottom portion of the window  701 . By selecting this button, the current search result or search query is saved as a list of files and other objects retrieved in the current search result. In the case where the search query is saved for later use rather than the saving of a search result, then the current search query is saved for re-use at a later time in order to find files which match the search query at that later time. The user may select between these two functionalities (saving a search result or saving a search query) by the selection of a command which is not shown. 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  show another aspect of a user interface feature which may be used with certain embodiments of the present invention. The window  801  of  FIG. 8A  represents a display of the search results which may be obtained as a result of using one of the various different embodiments of the present invention. The search results (e.g., search results  805 A and  805 B), are separated into categories which are separated by headers  805 ,  807 ,  809 , and  811  which in this case represent periods of time. This particular segmentation with headers was selected by the user&#39;s selecting the heading “date modified” using the date modified button  803  at the top of the window  801 . An alternative selection of the kind category by selecting the button  802  at the top of the window  801 A shown in  FIG. 8B  results in a different formatting of the search results which are now categorized by headers which indicate the types of files which were retrieved in the search and are separated by the headings  815 ,  817 ,  819 , and  821  as shown in  FIG. 8B . The use of these headings in the search results display allows the user to quickly scan through the search results in order to find the file. 
       FIG. 9  shows another aspect of the present invention that is illustrated as part of the window  901  shown in  FIG. 9 . This window includes a display region  905  which shows the results of the search and the window also includes two side bar regions  903 A and  903 B, where the side bar region  903 A is the user-configurable portion and the side bar region  903 B is the system controlled portion. A folder add button  927  may be selected by the user to cause the addition of a search result or a search query to be added to the user-configurable portion of the side bar. The window  901  also includes conventional window controls such as a title bar or region  929  which may be used to move the window around a display and view select buttons  937  and maximize, minimize and resize buttons  934 ,  935 , and  936  respectively. The window  901  shows a particular manner in which the results of a text-based search may be displayed. A text entry region  909  is used to enter text for searching. This text may be used to search through the metadata files or the indexed files or a combination of both. The display region  905  shows the results of a search for text and includes at least two columns,  917  and  919 , which provide the name of the file that was found and the basis for the match. As shown in column  919 , the basis for the match may be the author field or a file name or a key word or comments or other data fields contained in metadata that was searched. The column  921  shows the text that was found which matches the search parameter typed into the text entry field  909 . Another column  911  provides additional information with respect to the search results. In particular, this column includes the number of matches for each particular type of category or field as well as the total number of matches indicated in the entry  913 . Thus, for example, the total number of matches found for the comments field  915  is only 1, while other fields have a higher number of matches. 
       FIG. 10  shows certain other aspects of some embodiments of the present invention. Window  1001  is another search result window which includes various fields and menus for a user to select various search parameters or form a search query. The window  1001  includes a display region  1005  which may be used to display the results of a search and a user-configurable side bar portion  1003 A and a system specified side bar portion  1003 B. In addition, the window  1001  includes conventional scrolling controls such as controls  1021  and  1022  and  1021 A. The window further includes conventional controls such as a title bar  1029  which may be used to move the window and view control buttons  1037  and maximize, minimize, and resize buttons  1034 ,  1035 , and  1036 . A start search button  1015  is near a text entry region  1009 . A first search parameter menu bar  1007  is displayed adjacent to a second search parameter bar  1011 . The first search parameter search bar  1007  allows a user to specify the location for a particular search while two menu pull down controls in the second search parameter menu bar  1011  allow the user to specify the type of file using the pull down menu  1012  and the time the file was created or last modified using the menu  1013 . 
     The window  1001  includes an additional feature which may be very useful while analyzing a search result. A user may select individual files from within the display region  1005  and associate them together as one collection. Each file may be individually marked using a specific command (e.g. pressing the right button on a mouse and selecting a command from a menu which appears on the screen, which command may be “add selection to current group”) or similar such commands. By individually selecting such files or by selecting a group of files at once, the user may associate this group of files into a selected group or a “marked” group and this association may be used to perform a common action on all of the files in the group (e.g. print each file or view each file in a viewer window or move each file to a new or existing folder, etc.). A representation of this marked group appears as a folder in the user-configurable portion  1003 A. An example of such a folder is the folder  1020  shown in the user-configurable portion  1003 A. By selecting this folder (e.g. by positioning a cursor over the folder  1020  and pressing and releasing a mouse button or by pressing another button) the user, as a result of this selection, will cause the display within the display region  1005  of the files which have been grouped together or marked. Alternatively, a separate window may appear showing only the items which have been marked or grouped. This association or grouping may be merely temporary or it may be made permanent by retaining a list of all the files which have been grouped and by keeping a folder  1020  or other representations of the grouping within the user-configurable side bar, such as the side bar  1003 A. Certain embodiments may allow multiple, different groupings to exist at the same time, and each of these groupings or associations may be merely temporary (e.g. they exist only while the search results window is displayed), or they may be made permanent by retaining a list of all the files which have been grouped within each separate group. It will be appreciated that the files within each group may have been created from different applications. As noted above, one of the groupings may be selected and then a user may select a command which performs a common action (e.g. print or view or move or delete) on all of the files within the selected group. 
       FIGS. 11A ,  11 B,  11 C, and  11 D show an alternative user interface for allowing a user to input search queries or search parameters. The user interface shown in these figures appears within the window  1101  which includes a user-configurable side bar region  1103 A and a system specified side bar region  1103 B. The window  1101  also includes traditional window controls such as a window resizing control  1131  which may be dragged in a conventional graphical user interface manner to resize the window, and the window further includes scrolling controls such as controls  1121 ,  1122 , and  1123 . The scrolling control  1121  may, for example, be dragged within the scrolling region  1121 A or a scroll wheel on a mouse or other input device may be used to cause scrolling within a display region  1105 . Further, traditional window controls include the title bar  1129  which may be used to move the window around a desktop which is displayed on a display device of a computer system and the window also includes view buttons  1137  as well as close, minimize, and resize buttons  1134 ,  1135  and  1136 . A back and forward button, such as the back button  1132 , are also provided to allow the user to move back and forth in a manner which is similar to the back and forth commands in a web browser. The window  1101  includes a search parameter menu bar  1111  which includes a “search by” pull down menu  1112  and a “sort by” pull down menu  1114 . The “search by” pull down menu  1112  allows a user to specify the particular search parameter by selecting from the options which appear in the pull down menu once it is activated as shown in  FIG. 11B . In particular, the pull down menu  1113  shows one example of a pull down menu when the “search by” pull down menu  1112  has been activated. The “sort by” pull down menu  1114  allows a user to specify how the search results are displayed within a display region  1105 . In the example shown in  FIGS. 11A-11D  a user has used the “sort by” pull down menu  1114  to select the “date viewed” criteria to sort the search results by. It should also be noted that the user may change the type of view of the search results by selecting one of the three view buttons  1137 . For example, a user may select an icon view which is the currently selected button among the view buttons  1137 , or the user may select a list view or a column view. 
       FIG. 11B  shows the result of the user&#39;s activation of a “search by” pull down menu  1112  which causes the display of the menu  1113  which includes a plurality of options from which the user may choose to perform a search by. It will be appreciated that there are a number of different ways for a user to activate the “search by” pull down menu  1112 . One way includes the use of a cursor, such as a pointer on a display which is controlled by a cursor control device, such as a mouse. The cursor is positioned over the region associated with the “search by” menu title (which is the portion within the search parameter menu bar  1111  which contains the words “search by”) and then the user indicates the selection of the menu title by pressing a button, such as a mouse&#39;s button, to cause the pull down menu to appear, which in this case is the menu  1113  shown in  FIG. 11B . At this point, the user may continue to move the cursor to point to a particular option within the menu, such as the “time” option. This may result in the display of a submenu to the left or to the right of the menu  1113 . This submenu may be similar to the submenu  719 A or to the menu  1214  shown in  FIG. 12A . If the “kind” option is selected in the menu  1113 , the submenu may include a generic list of the different kinds of documents, such as images, photos, movies, text, music, PDF documents, email documents, etc. or the list may include references to specific program names such as PhotoShop, Director, Excel, Word, etc. or it may include a combination of generic names and specific names.  FIG. 11C  shows the result of the user having selected PhotoShop type of documents from a submenu of the “kind” option shown in menu  1113 . This results in the display of the search parameter menu bar  1111 A shown in  FIG. 11C  which includes a highlighted selection  1111 B which indicates that the PhotoShop type of documents will be searched for. The search parameter menu bar  1111  appears below the search parameter menu bar  1111 A as shown in  FIG. 11C . The user may then specify additional search parameters by again using the “search by” pull down menu  1112  or by typing text into the text entry field  1109 . For example, from the state of the window  1101  shown in  FIG. 11C , the user may select the “search by” pull down menu  1112  causing the display of a menu containing a plurality of options, such as the options shown within the menu  1113  or alternative options such as those which relate to PhotoShop documents (e.g. the various fields in the metadata for PhotoShop type of documents). A combination of such fields contained within metadata for PhotoShop type documents and other generic fields (e.g. time, file size, and other parameters) may appear in a menu, such as the menu  1113  which is activated by selecting the “search by” pull down menu. The user may then select another criteria such as the time criteria. In this case, the window  1101  displays a new search parameter menu bar  1115  which allows a user to specify a particular time. The user may select one of the times on the menu bar  1115  or may activate a pull down menu by selecting the menu title “time,” which is shown as the menu title  1116 . The state of the window  1101  shown in  FIG. 11D  would then search for all PhotoShop documents created in the last 30 days or 7 days or 2 days or today or at any time, depending on the particular time period selected by the user. 
       FIGS. 12A ,  12 B,  12 C and  12 D show another example of a user interface for allowing the creation of search queries for searching metadata and other data and for displaying the results of the search performed using a search query. The different implementation shown in  FIGS. 12A-12D  shows a user interface presentation in a column mode; this can be seen by noting the selection of the column button, which is the rightmost button in the view buttons  1237  shown in  FIG. 12A . The window  1201  has two columns  1211  and the display region  1205 , while the window  1251  of  FIG. 12C  has three columns which are columns  1257 ,  1259 , and the display region  1255 , and the window  1271  has three columns which are columns  1277 ,  1279 , and the display region  1275 . 
     The window  1201  shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B  includes a display region  1205  which shows the results of a search; these results may be shown dynamically as the user enters search parameters or the results may be shown only after the user has instructed the system to perform the search (e.g. by selecting a “perform search” command). The window  1201  includes conventional window controls, such as a resizing control  1231 , a scrolling control  1221 , a title bar  1229  which may be used to move the window, a window close button, a window minimize button, and a window resize button  1234 ,  1235 , and  1236 , respectively. The window  1201  also includes a user-configurable side bar region  1203 A and a system specified side bar region  1203 B. It can be seen from  FIG. 12A  that a browse mode has been selected as indicated by the highlighted “browse” icon  1203 C in the system specified side bar region  1203 B. The window  1201  also includes a text entry region  1209 , which a user may use to enter text for a search, and the window  1201  also includes view selector buttons  1237 . 
     A column  1211  of window  1201  allows a user to select various search parameters by selecting one of the options which in turn causes the display of a submenu that corresponds to the selected option. In the case of  FIG. 12A , the user has selected the “kind” option  1212  and then has used the submenu  1214  to select the “photos” option from the submenu, resulting in an indicator  1213  (photos) to appear in the column  1211  under the “kind” option as shown in  FIG. 12A . It can also be seen that the user has previously selected the “time” option in the column  1211  and has selected from a submenu brought up when the “time” option was selected the “past week” search parameter. When the user has finished making selections of the various options and suboptions from both the column  1112  and any of the corresponding submenus which appear, then the display showed in  FIG. 12B  appears. Note that the submenus are no longer present and that the user has completed the selection of the various options and suboptions which specify the search parameters. Column  1211  in  FIG. 12B  provides feedback to the user indicating the exact nature of the search query (in this case a search for all photos dated in the past week), and the results which match the search query are shown in the display region  1205 . 
       FIGS. 12C and 12D  show an alternative embodiment in which the submenus which appear on a temporary basis in the embodiment of  FIGS. 12A and 12B  are replaced by an additional column which does not disappear after a selection is made. In particular, the column  1259  of the window  1251  functions in the same manner as the submenu  1214  except that it remains within the window  1251  after a selection is made (wherein the submenu  1214  is removed from the window after the user makes the selection from the submenu). The column  1279  of window  1271  of  FIG. 12D  is similar to the column  1259 . The window  1251  includes a side bar which has a user-configurable side bar region  1253 A and a system defined side bar region  1253 B. The system specified side bar region  1253 B includes a “browse” selection region  1254  which has a clear button  1258  which the user may select to clear the current search query. The window  1271  of  FIG. 12D  provides an alternative interface for clearing the search query. The window  1271  also includes a user configurable side bar region  1273 A and a system specified side bar region  1273 B, but the clear button, rather than being with the “search” region  1274  is at the top of the column  1277 . The user may clear the current search parameter by selecting the button  1283  as shown in  FIG. 12D . 
       FIG. 13A  shows another embodiment of a window  1301  which displays search results within a display region  1302 . The window  1301  may be a closeable, minimizeable, resizeable, and moveable window having a resizing control  1310 , a title bar  1305  which may be used to move the window, a text entry region  1306  and a user configurable portion  1303 , and a system specified portion  1304 . The window  1301  further includes buttons for selecting various views, including an icon view, a list view, and a column view. Currently, the list view button  1316  has been selected, causing the display of the search results in a list view manner within the display region  1302 . It can be seen that the text (“button”) has been entered into the text entry region  1306  and this has caused the system to respond with the search results shown in the display region  1302 . The user has specified a search in every location by selecting “everywhere” button  1317 . Further, the user has searched for any kind of document by selecting the “kind” option from the pull down menu  1315  and by selecting the “any” option in the pull down menu  1319 . The where or location slice  1307  includes a “+” button which may be used to add further search parameters, and similarly, the slice  1308  includes a “+” and a “−” button for adding or deleting search parameters, respectively. The slice  1307  further includes a “save” button  1309  which causes the current search query to be saved in the form of a folder which is added to the user configurable portion  1303  for use later. This is described further below and may be referred to as a “smart folder.” The search input user interface shown in  FIGS. 13A and 13B  is available within, in certain embodiments, each and every window controlled by a graphical user interface file management system, such as a Finder program which runs on the Macintosh or Windows Explorer which runs on Microsoft Windows. This interface includes the text entry region  1306  as well as the slices  1307  and  1308 . 
     The window  1301  shown in  FIG. 13B  shows the activation of a menu by selecting the search button  1323 A, causing a display of a menu having two entries  1323  and  1325 . Entry  1323  displays recently performed searches so that a user may merely recall a prior search by selecting the prior search and cause the prior search to be run again. The menu selection  1325  allows the user to clear the list of recent searches in the menu. 
       FIGS. 14A ,  14 B, and  14 C show examples of another window in a graphical user interface file system, such as the Finder which runs on the Macintosh operating system. These windows show the results of a particular search and also the ability to save and use a smart folder which saves a prior search. The window  1401  shown in  FIG. 14A  includes a display region  1403 , a user configurable region  1405 , a smart folder  1406 , a system specified region  1407 , an icon view button  1409 , a list view button  1410 , and a column view button  1411 . The window  1401  also includes a text entry region  1415  and a location slice  1416  which may be used to specify the location for the search, which slice also includes a save button  1417 . Additional slices below the slice  1416  allow the user to specify further details with respect to the search, in this case specifying types of documents which are images which were last viewed this week. The user has set the search parameters in this manner by selecting the “kind” option from the pull down menu  1419  and by selecting the “images” type from the pull down menu  1420  and by selecting the “last viewed” option from pull down menu  1418  and by selecting “this week” from the pull down menu  1422 . The user has also selected “everywhere” by selecting the button  1421  so that the search will be performed on all disks and storage devices connected to this system. The results are shown within the display region  1403 . The user can then save the search query by selecting the “save” button  1417  and may name the saved search query as “this week&#39;s images” to produce the smart folder  1406  as shown in the user configurable portion  1405 . This allows the user to repeat this search at a later time by merely selecting the smart folder  1406  which causes the system to perform a new search again, and all data which matches the search criteria will be displayed within the display region  1403 . Thus, after several weeks, a repeating of this search by selecting the smart folder  1406  will produce an entirely different list if none of the files displayed in the display region  1403  of  FIG. 14A  are viewed in the last week from the time in which the next search is performed by selecting the smart folder  1406 . 
       FIG. 14B  shows a way in which a user may sort or further search within the search results specified by a saved search, such as a smart folder. In the case of  FIG. 14B , the user has selected the smart folder  1406  and has then entered text “jpg”  1425  in the text entry region  1415 . This has caused the system to filter or further limit the search results obtained from the search query saved as the smart folder  1406 . Thus, PhotoShop files and other files such as TIF files and GIF files are excluded from the search results displayed within the display region  1403  of  FIG. 14B  because the user has excluded those files by adding an additional search criteria specified by the text  1425  in the text entry region  1415 . It can be seen that the “jpg” text entry is ANDed logically with the other search parameters to achieve the search results displayed in the display region  1403 . It can also be seen that the user has selected the icon view by selecting the icon view button  1409 . Thus, it is possible for a user to save a search query and use it later and to further limit the results of the search query by performing a search on the results of the search query to further limit the search results. 
       FIG. 14C  shows the window  1401  and shows the search results displayed within the display region  1403 , where the results are based upon the saved search specified by the smart folder  1406 . The user has caused a pull down menu  1427  to appear by selecting the pull down region  1427 A. The pull down region  1427  includes several options which a user may select. These options include hiding the search criteria or saving the search (which is similar to selecting the button  1417 ) or showing view options or opening the selected file. This allows the user, for example, to hide the search criteria, thereby causing the slice  1416  and the other search parameters to be removed from the window  1401  which is a moveable, resizeable, minimizeable, and closeable window. 
       FIG. 14D  shows an example of a user interface which allows the user to specify the appearance of a smart folder, such as the smart folder  1406   FIG. 14C . 
       FIGS. 15A ,  15 B,  15 C, and  15 D show an example of a system wide search input user interface and search result user interface. In one particular exemplary embodiment, these user interfaces are available on the entire system for all applications which run on the system and all files and metadata, and even address book entries within an address book program, such as a personal information manager, and calendar entries within a calendar program, and emails within an email program, etc. In one exemplary embodiment, the system begins performing the search and begins displaying the results of the search as the user types text into a text entry field, such as the text entry field  1507 . The search results are organized by categories and are displayed as a short list which is intentionally abbreviated in order to present only a selected number of the most relevant (scored) matches or hits to the search query. The user can ask for the display of all the hits by selecting a command, such as the “show all” command  1509 .  FIG. 15A  shows a portion of a display controlled by a data processing system. This portion includes a menu bar  1502  which has at its far end a search menu command  1505 . The user can select the search menu command by positioning a cursor, using a mouse, for example, over the search menu command  1505  and by pressing a button or by otherwise activating or selecting a command. This causes a display of a text entry region  1507  into which a user can enter text. In the example shown in  FIG. 15A , which is a portion of the display, the user has entered the text “shakeit” causing the display of a search result region immediately below a “show all” command region  1509  which is itself immediately below the text entry region  1507 . It can be seen that the hits or matches are grouped into categories (“documents” and “PDF documents”) shown by categories  1511  and  1513  within the search result region  1503 .  FIG. 15B  shows another example of a search. In this case, a large number of hits was obtained (392 hits), only a few of which are shown in the search result region  1503 . Again, the hits are organized by categories  1511  and  1513 . Each category may be restricted in terms of the number of items displayed within the search result region  1503  in order to permit the display of multiple categories at the same time within the search result region. For example, the number of hits in the documents category may greatly exceed the available display space within the search result region  1503 , but the hits for this category are limited to a predetermined or dynamically determinable number of entries within the search result region  1503  for the category  1511 . An additional category, “top hit” is selected based on a scoring or relevancy using techniques which are known in the art. The user may select the “show all” command  1509  causing the display of a window, such as window  1601  shown in  FIG. 16A .  FIG. 15C  shows a display of a graphical user interface of one embodiment of the invention which includes the menu bar  1502  and the search menu command  1505  on the menu bar  1502 .  FIG. 15D  shows another example of the search result region  1503  which appeared after a search of the term “safari” was entered into the text entry region  1507 . It can be seen from the search result region  1503  of  FIG. 15D  that the search results are again grouped into categories. Another search result window  1520  is also shown in the user interface of  FIG. 15D . It can be seen that application programs are retrieved as part of the search results, and a user may launch any one of these application programs by selecting it from the search result region, thereby causing the program to be launched. 
       FIGS. 16A and 16B  show examples of search result windows which may be caused to appear by selecting the “show all” command  1509  in  FIG. 15A  or  15 B. Alternatively, these windows may appear as a result of the user having selected a “find” command or a some other command indicating that a search is desired. Moreover, the window  1601  shown in  FIGS. 16A and 16B  may appear in response to either of the selection of a show all command or the selection of a find command. The window  1601  includes a text entry region  1603 , a group by menu selection region  1605 , a sort by menu selection region  1607 , and a where menu selection region  1609 . The group by selection region  1605  allows a user to specify the manner in which the items in the search results are grouped according to. In the example shown in  FIG. 16A , the user has selected the “kind” option from the group by menu selection region  1605 , causing the search results to be grouped or sorted according to the kind or type of document or file. It can be seen that the type of file includes “html” files, image files, PDF files, source code files, and other types of files as shown in  FIG. 16A . Each type or kind of document is separated from the other documents by being grouped within a section and separated by headers from the other sections. Thus, headers  1611 ,  1613 ,  1615 ,  1617 ,  1619 ,  1621 , and  1623  designate each of the groups and separate one group from the other groups. This allows a user to focus on evaluating the search results according to certain types of documents. Within each group, such as the document groups or the folder groups, the user has specified that the items are to be sorted by date, because the user has selected the date option within the sort by menu region  1607 . The user has also specified that all storage locations are to be searched by selecting “everywhere” from the where menu selection region  1609 . Each item in the search result list includes an information button  1627  which may be selected to produce the display of additional information which may be available from the system. An example of such additional information is shown in  FIG. 17  in which a user has selected the information button  1627  for item  1635 , resulting in the display of an image  1636  corresponding to the item as well as additional information  1637 . Similarly, the user has selected the information button for another item  1630  to produce the display of an image of the item  1631  as well as additional information  1632 . The user may remove this additional information from the display by selecting the close button  1628  which causes the display of the information for item  1635  to revert to the appearance for that item shown in  FIG. 16A . The user may collapse an entire group to hide the entries or search results from that group by selecting the collapse button  1614  shown in  FIG. 16A , thereby causing the disappearance of the entries in this group as shown in  FIG. 16B . The user may cause these items to reappear by selecting the expand button  1614 A as shown in  FIG. 16B  to thereby revert to the display of the items as shown in  FIG. 16A . 
     The search results user interface shown in  FIGS. 16A and 16B  presents only a limited number of matches or hits within each category. In the particular example of these figures, only the five top (most relevant or most highly sorted) hits are displayed. This can be seen by noticing the entry at the bottom of each list within a group which specifies how many more hits are within that group; these hits can be examined by selecting this indicator, such as indicator  1612 , which causes the display of all of the items in the documents category or kind for the search for “button” which was entered into the text entry region  1603 . Further examples of this behavior are described below and are shown in conjunction with  FIGS. 18A and 18B . It will be appreciated that window  1601  is a closeable and resizable and moveable window and includes a close button and a resizing control  1625 A. 
       FIGS. 18A and 18B  illustrate another window  1801  which is very similar to the window  1601 . The window  1801  includes a text entry region  1803 , a group by menu selection region  1805 , a sort by menu selection region  1807 , and a where menu selection region  1809 , each of which function in a manner which is similar to the regions  1605 ,  1607 , and  1609  respectively of  FIG. 16A . Each item in a list view within the window  1801  includes an information button  1827 , allowing a user to obtain additional information beyond that listed for each item shown in the window  1801 . The window  1801  further includes headers  1811 ,  1813 ,  1815 ,  1817 ,  1819 ,  1821 , and  1823  which separate each group of items, grouped by the type or kind of document, and sorted within each group by date, from the other groups. A collapse button  1814  is available for each of the headers. The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 18A and 18B  shows the ability to switch between several modes of viewing the information. For example, the user may display all of the hits within a particular group by selecting the indicator  1812  shown in  FIG. 18A  which results in the display of all of the images files within the window  1801  within the region  1818 A. The window is scrollable, thereby allowing the user to scroll through all the images. The user can revert back to the listing of only five of the most relevant images by selecting the “show top 5” button  1832  shown in  FIG. 18B . Further, the user can select between a list view or an icon view for the images portion shown in  FIGS. 18A and 18B . The user may select the list view by selecting the list view button  1830  or may select the icon view by selecting the icon view button  1831 . The list view for the images group is shown in  FIG. 16A  and the icon view for the images group is shown in  FIGS. 18A and 18B . It can be seen that within a single, moveable, resizable, closeable search result window, that there are two different views (e.g. a list view and an icon view) which are concurrently shown within the window. For example, the PDF documents under the header  1819  are displayed in a list view while the images under the header  1817  are displayed in an icon view in  FIGS. 18A and 18B . It can also be seen from  FIGS. 18A and 18B  that each image is shown with a preview which may be capable of live resizing as described in a patent application entitled “Live Content Resizing” by inventors Steve Jobs, Steve Lemay, Jessica Kahn, Sarah Wilkin, David Hyatt, Jens Alfke, Wayne Loofbourrow, and Bertrand Serlet, filed on the same date as this application, and being assigned to the assignee of the present inventions described herein, and which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIG. 19A  shows another example of a search result window which is similar to the window  1601 . The window  1901  shown in  FIG. 19A  includes a text entry region  1903  and a group by menu selection region  1905  and a sort by menu selection region  1907  and a where menu selection region  1908 . Further, the window includes a close button  1925  and a resizing control  1925 A. Text has been entered into the text entry region  1903  to produce the search results shown in the window  1901 . The search results again are grouped by a category selected by a user which in this case is the people options  1906 . This causes the headers  1911 ,  1913 ,  1915 , and  1917  to show the separation of the groups according to names of people. Within each group, the user has selected to sort by the date of the particular file or document. The user interface shown in  FIG. 19A  allows a user to specify an individual&#39;s name and to group by people to look for communications between two people, for example.  FIG. 19B  shows another way in which a user can group a text search (“imran”) in a manner which is different from that shown in  FIG. 19A . In the case of  FIG. 19B , the user has selected a flat list from the group by menu selection region  1905  and has selected “people” from the sort by menu region  1907 . The resulting display in window  1901 A is without headers and thus it appears as a flat list. 
       FIG. 19C  shows the user interface of another search result window  1930  which includes a text entry region  1903  and the selection regions  1905 ,  1907 , and  1908  along with a scrolling control  1926 . The results shown in the window  1930  have been grouped by date and sorted within each group by date. Thus, the headers  1932 ,  1934 ,  1936 ,  1938 , and  1940  specify time periods such as when the document was last modified (e.g. last modified today, or yesterday, or last week). Also shown within the search results window  1930  is the information button  1942  which may be selected to reveal further information, such as an icon  1945  and additional information  1946  as shown for one entry under the today group. This additional information may be removed by selecting the contraction button  1944 . 
       FIG. 19D  shows a search result window  1950  in which a search for the text string “te” is grouped by date but the search was limited to a “home” folder as specified in the where menu selection region  1908 . Time specific headers  1952 ,  1954 ,  1956 , and  1958  separate items within one group from the other groups as shown in  FIG. 19D . 
       FIG. 19E  shows an alternative embodiment of a search result window. In this embodiment, the window  1970  includes elements which are similar to window  1901  such as the selection regions  1905 ,  1907 , and a scrolling control  1926  as well as a close button  1925  and a resizing control  1925 A. The search result window  1970  further includes a “when” menu selection region  1972  which allows the user to specify a search parameter based on time in addition to the text entered into the text entry region  1903 . It can be seen from the example shown in  FIG. 19E  that the user has decided to group the search results (e.g., search results  1981 ), by the category and to sort within each group by date. This results in the headers  1973 ,  1975 ,  1977 , and  1979  as shown in  FIG. 19E . 
       FIG. 20  shows an exemplary method of operating a system wide menu for inputting search queries, such as the system wide menu available by selecting the search menu command  1505  shown in  FIG. 15A  or  15 B, or  15 C. In operation  2001 , the system displays a system wide menu for inputting search queries. This may be the search menu command  1505 . The user, in operation  2003 , inputs a search, and as the search query is being inputted, the system begins performing and begins displaying the search results before the user finishes inputting the search query. This gives immediate feedback and input to the user as the user enters this information. The system is, in operation  2005 , performing a search through files, metadata for the files, emails within an email program, address book entries within an address book program, calendar entries within a calendar program, etc. The system then, in operation  2007 , displays an abbreviated (e.g. incomplete) list of hits if there are more than a certain number of hits. An example of this abbreviated listing is shown in  FIG. 15B . The listing may be sorted by relevance and segregated into groups such as categories or types of documents. Then in operation  2009 , the system receives a command from the user to display all the hits and in operation  2011  the system displays the search results window, such as the window  1601  shown in  FIG. 16A . This window may have the ability to display two different types of views, such as an icon view and a list view within the same closeable, resizable, and moveable window. It will be appreciated that the searching, which is performed as the user is typing and the displaying of results as the user is typing may include the searching through the metadata files created from metadata extracted from files created by many different types of software programs. 
       FIGS. 21 , and  22 A,  22 B,  22 C, and  22 D will now be referred to while describing another aspect of the inventions. This aspect relates to a method of selecting a group of files, such as a group of individual data files. In an exemplary method of this aspect, a data processing system receives a selection of a plurality of items, such as data files, folders (e.g. graphical user interface representations of subdirectories), application programs or a combination of one or more of these items. This selection may be performed by one of the many conventional ways to select a plurality of items such as (a) positioning a cursor at each item individually (e.g. through the movement of a mouse) and indicating a selection individually by, for example, pressing and releasing a button, such as a mouse&#39;s button; (b) pointing a cursor at a first item in a list and indicating a selection of the first item and pointing the cursor at a last item in a list of items and indicating a selection of all items from the first item to the last item in the list; (c) drawing a selection rectangle by a dragging operation of the cursor, etc. Thus operation  2101  shown in  FIG. 21  receives one or more inputs indicating a selection of a plurality of items. The system in operation  2103  receives a command requesting both the creation of a new storage facility (e.g. a folder) and an association of the plurality of items with the new storage facility. While the operation  2103  is shown following operation  2101 , in certain embodiments operation  2103  may precede operation  2101 . The association of operation  2103  may be a copy or a move operation. For example, the user may select multiple items and then command the system to move those items from their existing locations to a new folder which is created in one operation as a result of the move and create new folder command. In response to the command received in operation  2103 , the system creates a new storage facility, such as a new folder, with a predetermined directory path name or a user specified path name and the system further associates the selected plurality of items with the new storage facility. This association may be either a move or a copy operation. A copy operation would typically involve making a copy of each selected item and storing the item with a path name that reflects the storage of the item within the new folder having a predetermined directory path name or a user specified directory path name. A move operation, in which the items are moved into the new folder, may merely change the path names associated with each of the selected items (rather than making a copy of the items) which changed path names will reflect the new file system location (e.g. within the subdirectory of the new folder) of the selected items. 
       FIGS. 22A-22D  show one example of the method of  FIG. 21 . A desktop  2201  on a display device is shown containing multiple windows and also an icon  2227  on the desktop. A cursor  2211  is also shown on the desktop. The windows  2203 ,  2205 , and  2207  each contain a plurality of items shown as icons. In particular, window  2203  includes a data file represented by icon  2215  in a folder (e.g. a graphical representation of a subdirectory in a file storage system) represented by icon  2217 . The window  2205  includes a program icon  2223  and a document icon  2219  and another document icon  2225  and a folder icon  2221 . The window  2207  shows a list view of several files including “File B.” The user may then, using the cursor  2211  or using other conventional user interface techniques, select multiple items. This may be done with one input or more inputs which indicate the selection of multiple items.  FIG. 22B  shows the result of the user having selected icons  2215 ,  2217 ,  2223 ,  2225 ,  2227 , and “File B”  2252  in window  2207 . It can be seen that the cursor  2211  is positioned adjacent to the icon  2225  at this point in the operation. Then the user, after having selected a plurality of items, may invoke the command referred to in operation  2103 . An example of this is shown in  FIG. 22C  which represents a portion of the desktop  2101 , which portion is designated  2201 A as shown in  FIG. 22C . The user has caused a pop up menu  2230  to appear, which pop up menu includes three options  2231 ,  2232 , and  2233 . Option  2231  would allow a user to move all the selected items into the trash (e.g. delete them) while options  2232  and  2233  relate to the command referred to in operation  2103  of  FIG. 21 . In particular, option  2232  is a command which is selectable by the user to create a new folder and, in the same operation, move the items which have been selected into the new folder. Option  2233  is a command which allows the user to, in one operation, create a new folder and copy the selected items into the new folder. In the example shown in  FIGS. 22A-22D , the user will select option  2232 , thereby causing the system to create a new storage facility, such as a new folder with a predetermined directory name (e.g. “new folder”) or alternatively, a user specified path name. This result is shown in  FIG. 22D  in which the desktop  2201  now includes a new window  2251  labeled “new folder” which represents and shows the contents of this new folder, which is also shown as the folder  2253  which is a graphical user interface representation of this new folder. 
     It will be appreciated that this method may employ various alternatives. For example, a window may appear after the command option  2232  or  2233  has been selected, and this window asks for a name for the new folder. This window may display a default name (e.g. “new folder”) in case the user does not enter a new name. Alternatively, the system may merely give the new folder or new storage facility a default path name. Also, the system may merely create the new folder and move or copy the items into the new folder without showing the new window as shown in  FIG. 22D . 
       FIG. 23  shows an exemplary method of using a machine-interpreted form of a search query. In operation  2301 , the data processing system receives a user input which represents the initial search query. Typically, this is a group of words entered by a user into a text field which receives text entry. In operation  2303 , the data processing system evaluates the initial search query, and automatically creates a machine-interpreted form of the search query, which may be considered to be a second query. Then the data processing system in operation  2305  performs the search using the second query, and in operation  2307  the data processing system displays the search results. Optionally, the data processing system may display how the initial search query was interpreted to be the second query and give the user the option to do another search with the initial search query without creating a machine-interpreted form. This allows the user to see how the initial search input was interpreted by the machine and to decide that it was an improper interpretation and to redo the search without allowing the machine to interpret the search query. 
     Certain embodiments may be implemented using an application program interface, such as the interaction between two or more computer programs. In this instance, one program (e.g. a first program) may provide a user interface by receiving an initial user input and providing the initial user input to another program (e.g. a second program such as a “plug in”) which automatically interprets the initial search input and produces a machine interpreted search input. This machine interpreted search input is then used to perform a search (which may be performed by the second program or by yet another program such as a third program). The results of the search are then conveyed to, for example, the first program which displays the search results to the user. The first program, or another program, may optionally display a control to allow machine interpretation to be turned on or off. 
       FIG. 24  shows a method to allow a user to turn on or to turn off machine interpretation. According to this exemplary method, a data processing system in operation  2401  displays a control on a display device. This control allows a user to turn on or to turn off machine interpretation of user inputted search queries. This control may be a radio button or other type of graphical user interface elements which are known in the art. The control may allow a user to turn on or turn off, on a search by search basis, machine interpretation of user inputted search queries. In operation  2403 , the data processing system receives the user input through this control and accordingly turns on or turns off machine interpretation of user inputted search queries. The methods shown in  FIGS. 25 and 26  assume that the user has turned on the machine interpretation rather than having it turned off. 
     Examples of certain types of machine interpretation of the search queries are described below. In general, the data processing system attempts to interpret the user&#39;s intent, and, in general, for certain embodiments, the data processing system avoids attempting to perform sophisticated natural language interpretation. This is typically done by detecting keywords which are recognized to specify a type of information, such as a date parameter, or a type of file or document parameter. An algorithm detects these key words and transforms the query using certain Boolean operators. One approach attempts to break down a search query which would, without machine interpretation, produce an empty set, such as the query “today yesterday”. There can be nothing which happened on both today and yesterday, so this query, if logically ANDed, will return an empty set. Clearly this is not what the user wanted. In this instance, by detecting these disjoint predicates and using a logical OR to join them, instead of a Boolean AND, the user&#39;s intent is achieved. Disjoint predicates may also be separated into groups. Two such groups include types of documents and date parameters. Other groups may include authors, senders of e-mails, etc. One example of a general algorithm is: A) gather all key words from the query into groups by type (e.g. dates, file types); B) within each group, map the keywords to their predicates, and OR the predicates together, forming a predicate for the category; C) AND logically the predicate for each category together; D) take the remaining (non-keyword) search terms, map each to a predicate matching against any metadata of files in the metadata database; E) join the predicates from operation D) with ANDs; F) form a predicate on file contents with all of the non-keywords, and OR that with the predicate from operation E); G) AND, through a Boolean operator, the predicates formed in operation F) and operation C) together to get the final query. 
       FIG. 25  shows an exemplary method for performing machine interpretation of a search query. The data processing system receives, in operation  2501 , a search input which may be considered to be the initial search input from the user. In operation  2503 , the data processing system detects keywords which relate to one or more classes or categories of data, such as a type of file, a date parameter of a file, an author of a file, or the sender of an electronic message, etc. After detecting these keywords, the data processing system, in operation  2505 , groups keywords of the same class with a Boolean OR. An example of this grouping of keywords in the same class can be seen in  FIG. 29 , in which a user input in row  2901  of  FIG. 29  specifies two different types of documents or files. In particular, the user input has specified a PhotoShop file and a jpeg file. Both of these inputs are recognized as a key word of the same class, the class being the kind or type of file. Thus, row  2903  shows that the machine categorization of both these key words is the same, resulting in the grouping of the keywords with a Boolean OR as shown in row  2905 , which represents the machine-interpreted search query in  FIG. 29 . After operation  2505 , the data processing system in operation  2507 , grouped keywords and non-keywords with a Boolean AND to create a machine-interpreted form of the search query, which may be considered to be the second search query. An example of this grouping of grouped keywords and non-keywords can be seen in  FIG. 27 , in which the user input in row  2701  is “Steve today message”. The data processing system characterizes or categorizes this input as shown in row  2703 . In particular, the machine interprets the word “Steve” as not a keyword, and interprets the word “today” as a time keyword, and interprets the word “message” as a kind keyword. This results in the machine-interpreted search query shown in row  2705  in which the non-keyword “Steve” has been joined through a Boolean AND operator with the time keyword “today” and the type keyword “e-mail or instant message” (a type of document). Thus, the machine-interpreted search query shown in row  2705  of  FIG. 27  causes the data processing system to search through e-mail documents and instant messaging documents which are created or modified today and which include the word “Steve”. The search may be performed through a metadata database and/or an indexed database containing an index of the full text content of the files which have been indexed. The search query shown in row  2901  of  FIG. 29  results in the search of all jpeg files or PhotoShop files. The search may be performed through the metadata database as in the example shown in operation  2509  of  FIG. 25 . This will result in the display of the search results in operation  2511 . 
       FIG. 28  shows another example of how a data processing system interprets an initial search query to produce a machine-interpreted search query. In the example of  FIG. 28 , the user input in row  2801  is interpreted as two different types of keywords as shown in row  2803 . In particular, the word “movies” is interpreted as a kind keyword representing a movie file type (e.g., a .mov or .avi file), and the user input “today” is interpreted as a time keyword. This produces the machine-interpreted search query shown in row  2805  which will cause a search for movie files having a date of creation or date of modification of today. 
       FIG. 26  shows a further exemplary method in which a data processing system interprets a search query to provide a machine-interpreted search query. In operation  2601 , the data processing system receives the initial search input from a user, and detects in operation  2603  keywords which relate to one or more categories of data within the search input. In operation  2605 , the data processing system groups keywords of the same category together. For example, keywords “today” AND “yesterday” will be grouped together. Another example of the grouping of keywords of the same category is shown in  FIG. 29  in which jpeg file types and PhotoShop file types are grouped together with a Boolean OR in order to cause a search for either file type. Operation  2607  logically links the keywords with a Boolean OR operator within each group of keywords to form a linked set for each group. Then in operation  2609 , the data processing system logically links with Boolean AND operators all of the linked sets from each group to form a combined set. Further, in operation  2611 , the data processing system logically links through Boolean AND operators all non-keywords within the search input and the combined set to get a final machine-interpreted search query. Then, in operation  2613 , the data processing system performs a search using the final machine-interpreted search query. This search may be through the metadata database and/or the full text content of the files. The full text content of the files may be searched through an index database or through the files directly without the use of an index database. 
     An example of a complex search query will now be used to show an example of the method of  FIG. 26 . “Foo bar today yesterday movies” is interpreted automatically by a date processing system as the following machine interpreted query (which is used to search in both a metadata database and full text content of files): (time=today or yesterday) AND (type=movies) AND (foo AND bar). The two time parameters called “today” and “yesterday” form one linked set and the typed parameter “movies” forms another linked set which are grouped together with a Boolean AND to create the combined set of “(today OR yesterday) AND (type=movies)” which forms the combined set which is logically linked with a Boolean AND operator with the two non-keywords “foo” and “bar”. 
     In certain embodiments, the parameter in the metadata may define how the parameter is combined logically (e.g. which Boolean operator is used) with other parameters or with the same parameter. For example, the kind parameter in metadata for a file specifies the type of file, and this parameter may be defined to use a Boolean OR operator to combine words which are categorized as being within the kind parameter, such as “movies” or “jpeg” or “message.” Thus, the parameter within a definition of the type of information in metadata for a file type may specify a rule (such as, use a Boolean OR to combine words) which indicates how to interpret a user&#39;s search query. The rule may also specify the words which are considered to mach the parameter&#39;s data type; for example, the kind parameter may include a rule that specifies that the words “email” or “message” are to be interpreted as requesting a search of email documents, and the rule may further specify that the words “jpeg” or “picture” or “image” or “photoshop” or “psd” or “tiff” are all to be interpreted as requesting a search of a variety of different image files. 
     Another aspect of the inventions is shown in  FIG. 30 , which represents a method of performing prefix matching when performing a search of a metadata database which has different types of data for different types of files. In other words, the type of information in metadata for files of a first type differs from the type of information in metadata for files of a second type. The method of  FIG. 30  also shows that in certain embodiments, a space will normally define the beginning of a word but a dash or a dot is treated as a character rather than as a separator and thus is considered to be a character which may define the beginning of a word. In this case, characters which are normally treated as separators between words (and hence not part of a word) are treated as part of a word, such as the beginning of a word, and are considered for matching as part of a prefix matching search. Operation  3001  involves the receipt by the data processing system of a user search input. The data processing system then determines, in operation  3003 , the beginning of each word. A space is used to define the beginning of the word but a dash or a dot is treated as a character rather than as a separator of words. The data processing system then uses the search input to perform a comparison from the beginning of each word in the content or metadata database. In particular, each word within the search input is compared to words in the metadata database or in the index database from the beginning of each word in the databases. As shown in operation  3005 , the data processing system attempts to match until it finds a non-word or mismatch within the metadata database or index database. The results of the search are displayed in operation  3007 . An example of how this type of prefix matching in which a dot or dash will be considered the beginning of a word is shown in the following table. In this table, the use of an “*” represents a wild card. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Input 
                 Searched Data 
                 Result 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 *.jpeg 
                 picture.jpeg 
                 match 
               
               
                   
                   
                 picture jpeg 
                 no match 
               
               
                   
                   
                 picture.jpegbig 
                 match 
               
               
                   
                 .test 
                 testnow 
                 no match 
               
               
                   
                   
                 .testnow 
                 match 
               
               
                   
                 f-115 
                 f 115 
                 no match 
               
               
                   
                   
                 of-115 
                 no match 
               
               
                   
                   
                 f-115.jpeg 
                 match 
               
               
                   
                 paris 
                 paris 
                 match 
               
               
                   
                   
                 comparison 
                 no match 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     This table shows that prefix matching will cause a non-match (e.g., note how “paris” does not find “comparison”). This table also shows how the dot character may serve as a character which defines the beginning of the word, and hence, the input “.test” does not match “testnow”. 
     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.