System for facilitating selection and searching for object files in a graphical window computer environment

Claim 1

In a computer system having a graphical user interface, a method for allowing a user to search for a file, where each file is designated by a file icon and has one of a plurality of priority levels, the method comprising: a first step of displaying a window showing a first group of file icons, where the icons designate files having at least a first priority level, where the displayed first group is representative of a first range of files to be searched; a second step of, in response to a command for enlargement in the size of the window, enlarging the window by at least a predetermined threshold amount to expand the range for searching for a plurality of files displayed by icons in the window, where the enlarged window displays the first group of file icons and all of a second group of file icons designating files having a lower priority level than the first priority level, where the displayed second group is representative of a second range of files to be searched; and a third step of, in response to a command to reduce the size of the window, reducing the window to narrow the range for searching for the plurality of files displayed by icons in the window, where the reduced window displays a third group of file icons designating only files having a priority greater than the first priority level, and the displayed third group is representative of a third range of files to be searched.