Graphical user interface facilitating uploading of electronic documents to shared storage

Abstract

In an end user application running on a computer, for collaborative modification of shared electronic documents, a graphical user interface is provided that facilitates identifying other users to collaborate with and for storing an electronic document in shared storage. This graphical user interface includes a graphical element that conveys information about shared status of the currently accessed electronic document to the end user. Through input devices of the end user computer, an end user can manipulate this graphical element. Certain manipulations of this graphical element instruct the end user computer to determine if the electronic document can be shared. If the document can be shared, the graphical user interface prompts the user for additional users with whom the document is to be shared and then stores the document in shared storage. A graphical user interface that allows an electronic document to be quickly shared improves user efficiency and productivity in collaborative authoring.