# US 2008/0307346 A1 · Metadata editing control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0307346 A1 - Document ID: US20080307346A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/193,445 - Filed: 2008-08-18 - Published: 2008-12-11 - Earliest claimed: 2004-04-29 - Assignees: Microsoft Corporation - Inventors: Andrzej Turski; Cornelis K. Van Dok; Lili Cheng; Lyon K.F. Wong; Matthew B. MacLaurin; Patrice L. Miner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080307346A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/10: File systems; File servers - G06F 16/248: Presentation of query results - Y10S 707/99943: Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface - Y10S 707/99952: Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users - Y10S 707/99953: Recoverability - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A metadata management architecture. The architecture includes a property component that lists one or more properties related to a file, and a viewing component that present files having one or more of the related properties. A synchronization component provides immediate synchronization between property editing fields of the property component and a view in the property-based browser component, providing both instantaneous feedback on property changes and an ability to manipulate properties graphically. Thus, a change in the property pane is immediately reflected in the view component, and a change in the view component is immediately reflected in the property pane. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system having computer executable instructions embodied on a computer readable storage medium that when executed on one or more processors facilitates metadata management, comprising: a cluster of files, each file of the cluster of files having a common value for a property; and a Save Ghost feature that provides a Ghost that is a visual representation of a file being saved and upon a user selecting the Ghost and placing the Ghost on a visual representation of the cluster of files, the common value for the property is applied to the file represented by the Ghost. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the property is a document type. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the common value of the document type of the cluster of files is a first document type and the document type of the file represented by the Ghost is a second document type and the common value that is applied to the file represented by the Ghost changes the document type of the file represented by the Ghost to the first document type. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the format of file represented by the Ghost is changed to the first document type. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the first document type is a Microsoft Word document and the second document is a text document. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the Save Ghost feature provides feedback to the user if the first document type cannot be changed to the second document type. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the Save Ghost feature provides feedback to the user if the common value for the property is invalid for the file represented by the Ghost and does not apply the common value to the file represented by the Ghost. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the Save Ghost feature is a feature of an operating system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the Save Ghost feature is a feature of a user interface of the operating system. ### Claim 10 A method of managing metadata in an operating system, comprising: selecting a Ghost, wherein a Ghost is a visual representation of a file being saved; and placing the Ghost on a visual representation of a cluster of files, each file of the cluster of files having a common value for a property, and automatically applying the common value for the property to the file represented by the Ghost. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the property is a document type. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the common value of the document type of the cluster of files is a first document type and the document type of the file represented by the Ghost is a second document type and the common value that is applied to the file represented by the Ghost changes the document type of the file represented by the Ghost to the first document type. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the format of file represented by the Ghost is changed to the first document type. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the first document type is a Microsoft Word document and the second document is a text document. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, providing feedback if the first document type cannot be changed to the second document type. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, providing feedback if the common value for the property is invalid for the file represented by the Ghost and does not apply the common value to the file represented by the Ghost. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, employed as a feature of a computer operating system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, employed as a feature of a user interface of the computer operating system. ### Claim 19 A computer operating system having computer executable instructions embodied on a computer readable storage medium that when executed on one or more processors facilitates metadata management, comprising: means for selecting a Ghost, wherein a Ghost is a visual representation of a file being saved; and means for placing the Ghost on a visual representation of a cluster of files, each file of the cluster of files having a common value for a property, and automatically applying the common value for the property to the file represented by the Ghost. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the common value of the document type of the cluster of files is a first document type and the document type of the file represented by the Ghost is a second document type and the common value that is applied to the file represented by the Ghost changes the document type of the file represented by the Ghost to the first document type.