Selection representation methods applied to logical groupings

In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a selection device, a method of providing items in a first tree structure on the display to allow a user to select or deselect items for inclusion in a predetermined function, at least some of the items being logically grouped, the method comprising:

• retrieving a first tree structure that reflects a hierarchy of data from at least one of memory or storage;
• identifying a first grouping of items in the first tree structure;
• identifying a remainder of items in the first tree structure;
• displaying the first grouping and the remainder of items in the first tree structure on the display;
• receiving input from a user of at least one of:
• positive selections of at least one of the first grouping of items or the remainder of items for including in performing a predetermined function on the positively selected items;
• or
• positive unselections of at least one of the first grouping of items or the remainder of items for excluding from performing a predetermined function on the positively unselected items;
• generating a selection representation for the first grouping of items, wherein the selection representation organizes the first grouping of items as a sub-set of the first tree structure and wherein the first grouping of items includes items from different branches of the tree structure;
• generating a selection representation for the remainder of items;
• and
• merging the selection representation for the first grouping of items with the selection representation of the remainder of items to generate a final selection representation.

A computer system, including a processor and memory, for generating a final selection representation of items selected in a first tree structure, the first tree structure including logical groupings of items, the computer system comprising:

• a file system that stores data using a hierarchy;
• a graphical user interface that interacts with the file system to present the data in the first tree structure to reflect the hierarchy of the data in the file system and receives input from a user of at least one of:
• positive selections from a user of various items in the first tree structure for performing a predetermined function on the positively selected items;
• or
• positive unselections from a user of various items in the first tree structure for excluding from performing a predetermined function on the positively unselected items;
• and
• a selection module programmed to use the input of the user and generate a final selection representation, the selection module operative to:
• identify a first grouping of items in the first tree structure;
• identify a remainder of items in the first tree structure;
• generate a selection representation for the first grouping of items, wherein the selection representation reduces explicitly expressed items while representing the entire first grouping of items;
• generate a selection representation for the remainder of items;
• merge the selection representation for the first grouping of items with the selection representation of the remainder of items to generate a final selection representation;
• and
• display the final selection representation on a display of the computer system.