System and method for maintaining a file system at a computing device

A method of maintaining a file system on a computing device having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

• maintaining in the memory a plurality of items including a plurality of files having unique content and a plurality of folders, each folder represented by a container structure, each container structure including references indicating items contained by the referencing container structure, at least one item being referenced by more than one container structure;
• and
• performing an operation on the file system,
• wherein the operation is “Delete” for deleting a selected item selected from one of the plurality of items and wherein the performing further comprises one of:
• deleting the selected item by:
• removing, from the plurality of container structures, any references to the selected item;
• and
• removing the selected item from the file system;
• and
• when the selected item is a folder optionally applying one of:
• when items are left unreferenced by any container structure in the file system as a result of deleting the selected folder, removing the unreferenced items from the file system;
• and
• performing, on all items referenced by the container structure corresponding to the selected folder, the “Delete” operation.

A method of maintaining a file system on a computing device having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

• maintaining in the memory a plurality of items including a plurality of files having unique content and a plurality of folders, each folder represented by a container structure, each container structure including references indicating items contained by the referencing container structure, at least one item being referenced by more than one container structure;
• and
• performing an operation on the file system,
• wherein the plurality of items include archived items and active items, wherein the operation is “Archive” for archiving a selected one of the plurality of active items and wherein the performing further comprises:
• classifying the selected active item as an archived item;
• and
• when the selected active item is a folder optionally applying one of:
• classifying as archived, all items becoming unreferenced by an active folder as a result of archiving the selected active item;
• and
• classifying as archived, all items directly referenced by the selected folder.

A method of maintaining a file system on a computing device having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

• maintaining in the memory a plurality of items including a plurality of files having unique content and a plurality of folders, each folder represented by a container structure, each container structure including references indicating items contained by the referencing container structure, at least one item being referenced by more than one container structure;
• and
• performing an operation on the file system,
• wherein the plurality of items include archived items and active items, wherein the operation is “Restore” for restoring a selected one of the plurality of archived items, wherein the selected archived item includes a contained-by structure and wherein the performing further comprises:
• restoring the selected archived item as an active item by adding references to the selected archived item based on the contained-by structure of the selected archived item.

A method of maintaining a file system on a computing device having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

• maintaining in the memory a plurality of items including a plurality of files having unique content and a plurality of folders, each folder represented by a container structure, each container structure including references indicating items contained by the referencing container structure, at least one item being referenced by more than one container structure;
• and
• performing an operation on the file system,
• wherein the operation is provision of a context based view of the file system and wherein the performing further comprises:
• receiving an indication of a selected item from the plurality of items;
• and
• selectively presenting a portion of the file system in accordance with a context of the selected item wherein the context comprises at least one of:
• each of the plurality of folders directly containing the selected item, as identified on the basis of the selected item's contained-by array;
• and
• each of the plurality of folders indirectly containing the selected item, as identified on the basis of the selected item's contained-by array.

A method of maintaining a file system on a computing device having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

• maintaining in the memory a plurality of items including a plurality of files having unique content and a plurality of folders, each folder represented by a container structure, each container structure including references indicating items contained by the referencing container structure, at least one item being referenced by more than one container structure;
• and
• performing an operation on the file system,
• wherein each of the plurality of files includes derivation files, each derivation file having a content derivation structure having derivation relationship references to other derivation files based on a derived-by and derived-from relationship and wherein the operation is “Delete” for deleting a selected derivation file selected from one of the plurality of derivation files and wherein the performing further comprises:
• deleting the selected derivation file from the file system;
• and
• when the selected derivation file is both referenced-by derivation files and references referenced derivation files, linking the references to form derived-by and derived-from relationships with the referenced-by and referenced derivation files.

A method of maintaining a file system on a computing device having a memory and a processor, the method comprising:

• maintaining in the memory a plurality of items including a plurality of files having unique content and a plurality of folders, each folder represented by a container structure, each container structure including references indicating items contained by the referencing container structure, at least one item being referenced by more than one container structure;
• and
• performing an operation on the file system,
• wherein the operation is “Populate” for determining the contents of a selected folder selected from one of the plurality of folders and wherein the performing further comprises:
• determining the content of the selected folder based on a formula combining one or more of the plurality of items.