Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Erik V Schwiebert

Michael J Connolly

Stuart DeSpain

Kevin Browne

Geoffrey M Price

Described is a system and method that provide an organized view of computer content clippings including text, documents, pictures, and other file types. The clippings are persisted with associated metadata that enables the users to access the clippings in a managed manner via filtering and sorting mechanisms that allow the user to view clippings sorted and/or filtered based on the metadata. The metadata includes originating application information, originating document information, and date and size information. The user can assign categories or projects to the clippings to organize various clippings for a future project to be created from the clippings, assign keywords, and give the clipping a title. The present invention thus allows users to maintain a large database of useful clippings that can be reused in different documents.

Method and system for persisting and managing computer program clippings

Generally described, the invention is a graphical method for creating an embedded database, or List Object, within a spreadsheet program, wherein the List Object is made up of a number of individual records, which in turn are made up of a number of data fields. The method is a multi-step process that uses a graphical interface to create the List Object, also known as a List. In the first step of the process, the user must define where the data for the List is coming from and where the List will be stored in the spreadsheet program. Specifically, the user must identify whether any pre-existing data will be used to populate the List or whether the List will be populated from scratch. Next, the user must define the data fields in the list, which includes naming each field and defining the data type for each field. Finally, in the last step of the process, the List is created in the spreadsheet program in such a manner that each field in each record is logically associated to every other field in the record.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Erik V Schwiebert