Patent ID: 7620633

Claim:
A method for organizing graphical user interface (GUI) elements on a display screen responsive to an encoded set of instructions performed by a processor comprising: receiving a selection of a metadata field, the selection operable for sorting a plurality of content items, each of the content items having metadata fields populated depending on attributes of the respective content item; computing, based on the selected metadata field, a set of metadata fields for display as a display set corresponding to the respective content item in the display screen, computing further comprising: identifying priority tiers, the priority tiers predetermined prior to instantiation of the current display screen and indicative of groupings of metadata fields for display; defining a priority matrix for mapping, for each metadata field of the content item, one of the priority tiers such that the priority matrix defines predetermined inclusion of a metadata field in a priority tier based on the selected sorting field; identifying a set of display rules, the display rules defining a display priority for each of the priority tiers, the identified display priority based on a metadata field selected as a sorting field and on fields deemed to have particular descriptive value to a user when a particular metadata field is employed as the sorting field; computing based on the set of display rules, at least one priority tier as the display set of metadata fields defined by the display rules responsive to the selected metadata field employed as a sorting field, the computing display set for display responsively to the particular selected metadata field employed for sorting; sorting the plurality of content items according to the selected metadata field; and displaying, for each of the sorted content items, the computed display set of metadata fields for the respective content item, displaying further comprising displaying the computed display set of metadata fields according to a predetermined metadata layout, each of the content items and corresponding metadata fields concurrently displayed as a GUI element on the display screen; mapping further comprising mapping, for the selected sorting field, a group of metadata fields in each of the priority tiers, the priority tiers being prioritized according to the informative value of a metadata field based on the selected sorting field, the mapping priority tiers including: a first priority tier of mandatory fields, the mandatory fields being first selected for display; a second priority tier including the selected sorting field, the sorting field being selected second for display; a third priority tier including complementary fields, the complementary fields having informational value and being selected third for display; and a fourth priority tier, the fourth priority tier not selected for inclusion in the display set, the priority matrix including the metadata fields in each tier for the selected sorting field.