Here are basic concepts to provide an idea of how the liquid file system works. Information Objects , for lack of a better phrase, is used here to describe any information stored locally. These objects are assigned subjects by both the user and the computer, based on their content. Folders and Directories are largely replaced by subjects . By moving context to the file, the subject technique gives a file its own context and thus independence from its surroundings, while simultaneously giving it a much richer connection to the other files .
Queries become central to the user interface tasks of finding and opening files.
The system would by default have many queries already generated, i.e. each subject would manifest itself on screen as a query of all objects with that subject, among others. Instead of starting from scratch, users could combine and edit these queries, eventually creating windows of information tailored to each project or task. The final addition to the liquid file system is to add an powerful, graphically-oriented way to map hierarchies onto local information, in essence having the operating system create entire hierarchies for you, for each purpose. The part that makes all of this liquid, of course, is that anywhere along the way, the user can, using a simple graphical interface, tweak or completely change the aspect of the query he is currently viewing. There is a screenshot mock-up showing one possible implementation of these ideas.