SpoonExplorer Jeremy Hilliker CPSC 533c –

Motivation: File Systems Traditional file systems are based on hierarchy They consist of two primitives  Files (abstraction of byte streams)  Directories (collection of files and directories)

Motivation: Limitations File names must be unique  Can’t have two files called “photo of Bob” Directory hierarchy is terse and restrictive  Where should this file go? Applications have been building databases in files (bad abstraction)  boxes, contact databases, photo journals Can’t easily search for anything  Find all photos of Candice on any vacation  Find all s from Liz about the Vis. project  Find the files that were last changed around the same time as this one

Motivation: Proposed Solution Hierarchy is a crutch; it isn’t the abstraction that we really want  We want to find files, not cludge them into a taxonomy Refactor the meta-data out of the files and into the file system (make a better abstraction) Abandon the notion of hierarchy Just use meta-data for organization (and other relational stuff)

Motivation: New Problem All file browsers are based on hierarchy  Need a new type of browser All file searchers are based on flat lists  Need a new searcher Need a new view into a relational file system that maintains the richness of the relations and meta-data

Solution: SpoonExplorer A window into the relation file system

Solution: SpoonExplorer Encourages meta-data and relationships Easy to query and search Easy to browse Uses semantic zoom and perspective wall Has 3 view levels

Status Not going well…