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From Meta Desktop

Contents 1 The Makings of a new UI 2 File Browser 2.1 Browsing by facet 2.2 Browsing by Smart Directory 2.3 Browsing by traditional file tree 3 Open dialog 4 Save (Save As) dialog 4.1 Save, Adding Metadata 4.2 Save, Choosing a Directory 5 Some notes 5.1 Metadata manipulation

[edit] The Makings of a new UI

The Meta Desktop founder is primarily an interface designer, so a lot of the project thinking is quite granular and specific to the UI. What follows are some very early ideas for core, windowed UI elements, notably the system-wide file browser (the equivalent of Nautilus in Gnome, the Finder on the Mac or Windows Explorer on the PC) open and save dialogs.

Each is roughly annotated and brief explanations follow each diagram.

You must forgive the fact these all look very Macintosh. The Meta Desktop founder is a died-in-the-wool Mac user, which shows.

[edit] File Browser

The File Browser is divided into three modes: Faceted Browsing, Smart Directories and Traditional Tree. Each mode offers a different method of file browsing.

[edit] Browsing by facet

Image:Md facet browser facets.png

1. In this case, the first mode, Faceted Browsing is selected.
2. Shows one of the primary filtering categories. This is a calendar, so items can be filtered by date.
3. The other categories are filtered by facet. There are five categories displayed in this example, plus the date category in 2.
4. There is an ability to filter each category which will be particularly useful for the user-added keyword (tag) data.
5. There are simple reset buttons.
6. Here are the facets. Click on any facet and the other (in all columns) react, filtering the pool of files accordingly.
7. Returned results are shown immediately in the lower half of the window.
8. In this example three files with the combination of chosen facets are returned.
9. Part of the window gives detailed information and a preview of the file contents.
10. Hints at the fact the window is configurable. There would be a mechanism to refine the window content. (See 11.)
11. Shows a likely configuration dialog where certain categories can be switched on and off.

There really is no better way to describe this than to link you to a slick, working, online example: A Flash facet browser showing (the usual) Nobel Winners data.

[edit] Browsing by Smart Directory

Image:Md facet browser smart.png

1. In this case, the second mode, Smart Directories is selected.
2. All available Smart Directories are listed here. their name shows the criteria by which they are filtering their content.
3. This Smart Directory is a child of the one above. It will inherit its parent's smartness. In this example it would filter on the keyword 'John' and the received by email attribute.
4. Properties of the selected Smart Directory can be edited here.
5. In this example three files filtered by the selected Smart Directory are returned.
6. Part of the window gives detailed information and a preview of the file contents.

[edit] Browsing by traditional file tree

Image:Md facet browser tree.png

1. In this case, the third mode, Traditional Tree is selected.
2. Users can browse the tree in the left panel.
3. Files are displayed in the middle panel.
4. The right panel gives detailed information and a preview of the file contents.
5. Tools for adding directories and changing the view are provided.

[edit] Open dialog

The open dialog is really an application specific version of the File browser and as such it is very similar. Please see the File Browser section above for a discussion of the three browsing modes.

Image:Md dialog open.png

1. A limited version of the same category panels in the Faceted Browsing mode of the File Browser are displayed. (See above)
2. Unlike the file browser example the files displayed here have no preview - though they could - and are ordered in a list view.

[edit] Save (Save As) dialog

The Save dialog is divided into two modes: Add Metadata and Choose Directory. Each mode offers a different method of saving a file, the first requiring user input of metadata, rather than the traditional selection of the save location.

[edit] Save, Adding Metadata

Image:Md dialog save faceted.png

1. In this case, the first mode, Add Metadata is selected.
2. The file is named as in the traditional system.
3. There is a keyword (tag) field. Users can type freely in here. Each metadata term is confirmed by the system visually within the box and can be deleted with the 'x' next to each term.
4. Importantly, the system suggests keywords (tags), based on information already inside the facet map. Clicking a suggestion adds it to the keyword list.
5. The advanced tab allows edits of all the metadata information that would usually be automatically machine-written.
6. Examples here respect the facet map metadata structure including the Dublin Core terms. See the Facet map page for more information.

[edit] Save, Choosing a Directory

Image:Md dialog save tree.png

This mode supports the backwards-compatible method of saving in a traditional, hierarchical directory tree. files saved in the manner will have machine-written metadata of 'Untagged' or similar so they are retrievable in the faceted system.

1. In this case, the second mode, Choose Directory is selected.
2. The directory is selected by drilling down in the tree.

[edit] Some notes

There are still a number of questions to be resolved and the above information is currently limited in scope, especially where drag-and-drop to different types of directory is concerned. As such it must be noted that this page is very much a work-in-progress.

Below is the original list of considerations, some of which are covered above, others of which aren't.

• A Faceted filtering mechanism with the option of using free-text input. (Considered)
• Today/calendar view (as files are automatically categorised with a date heading.) (Considered)
• Untagged view
• Create/edit/delete smart directory (Considered)
• Create/delete/move static directory
• Move between directories (smart, static, both)
• Move file to smart directory and add filter/attribute to that directory (i.e. if file with unknown tag added that tag added to smart filter)
• File/directory delete (Considered)
• Reminder system/good housekeeping

[edit] Metadata manipulation

• Add tag (Considered)
• Edit tag
• Offer tag suggestions (Considered)
• Tag deletion
• Group tag

The filtering application provides services to file-specific functions of other applications. (Eg the save dialog.) (Considered)

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