Hierarchy-Indicating Graphical User Interface For Discussion Threads

Abstract

Techniques are described for display and navigation of hierarchical messages, which displays include contextual data for the messages. Context information for a current message includes reply messages, parent messages, and metadata representations. Message representations are also associated with visual depth indicators that are independent of the text of the messages. Users may navigate displays of hierarchical message data using different navigational inputs. For example, more information may be requested for messages, without selecting a new message for viewing as a focal message, using swipes across portions of the display dedicated to displaying the messages. A limited number of messages for a requested list of messages is initially retrieved and displayed, and a mechanism for viewing more messages from the list is provided. Historical usage of the mechanism is recorded and the number of messages to be displayed for the list of messages is adjusted based on the historical usage data.

1 . A computer-executed method comprising:
 displaying, within a graphical user interface of a computing device, a plurality of messages that belong to a hierarchy of messages;   while a first message, of the plurality of messages, is selected as a focal message, displaying the first message and a first set of messages that reside below the first message in the hierarchy;   in response to selection of a second message, from the first set of messages, as the focal message, performing the steps of:
 establishing the second message as the focal message; 
 ceasing to display all messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the focal message and a second set of messages; 
 wherein all messages in the second set of messages reside below the second message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-executed method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hierarchy of messages comprises messages for a hierarchical discussion thread;   a root message of the hierarchy of messages is an initiating message for the hierarchical discussion thread; and   direct children of a particular message in the hierarchy of messages are reply messages to the particular message.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-executed method of  claim 1 , wherein ceasing to display all messages includes ceasing to display the first message, or one or more messages in a path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message, in response to a predetermined amount of time lapsing after the second message has been established as the focal message. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-executed method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 in response to selection of a third message, in the path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message, as the focal message, performing the steps of:
 establishing the third message as the focal message; 
 ceasing to display all messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the focal message and a third set of messages; 
 wherein all messages in the third set of messages reside below the third message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         5 . The computer-executed method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 visual representations of the one or more messages in the path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message are located above a visual representation of the second message before ceasing to display the one or more messages, and   the method further comprises, after the second message has been established as the focal message:
 receiving a user request to reveal content above the focal message; and 
 in response to receiving the user request, displaying messages in the path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message. 
   
     
     
         6 . The computer-executed method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the hierarchy of messages corresponds to a particular discussion thread of a plurality of related discussion threads; and   the method further comprises:
 in response to receiving the user request, displaying a shortcut to a list of the plurality of related discussion threads; and 
 in response to detecting activation of the shortcut:
 ceasing to display messages of the hierarchy of messages within the graphical user interface; and 
 displaying the list of the plurality of related discussion threads. 
 
   
     
     
         7 . The computer-executed method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 in response to selection of the particular discussion thread from the list of the plurality of related discussion threads, performing the steps of:
 establishing a root message in the hierarchy of messages as the focal message; and 
 displaying messages that reside below the root message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computer-executed method of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of messages that reside below the first message in the hierarchy includes direct children of the first message in the hierarchy and child nodes of the direct children of the first message in the hierarchy. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-executed method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to selection of a message shortcut, performing the steps of:
 establishing a third message, referred to by the message shortcut, in the hierarchy of messages as the focal message; 
 ceasing to display messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the third message and a third set of messages; 
 wherein ceasing to display messages other than the third message and the third set of messages includes ceasing to display at least a fourth message that resides below the second message in the hierarchy; 
 wherein the third set of messages reside below the third message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         10 . The computer-executed method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to detecting a particular type of device motion of the computing device, including the graphical user interface, after establishing the second message as the focal message, performing the steps of:
 establishing the first message as the focal message; and 
 ceasing to display all messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the focal message and the first set of messages. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer-executed method of  claim 10 , wherein the particular type of device motion comprises a shaking motion. 
     
     
         12 .- 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause:
 displaying, within a graphical user interface of a computing device, a plurality of messages that belong to a hierarchy of messages;   while a first message, of the plurality of messages, is selected as a focal message, displaying the first message and a first set of messages that reside below the first message in the hierarchy;   in response to selection of a second message, from the first set of messages, as the focal message, performing the steps of:
 establishing the second message as the focal message; 
 ceasing to display all messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the focal message and a second set of messages; 
 wherein all messages in the second set of messages reside below the second message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the hierarchy of messages comprises messages for a hierarchical discussion thread;   a root message of the hierarchy of messages is an initiating message for the hierarchical discussion thread; and   direct children of a particular message in the hierarchy of messages are reply messages to the particular message.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein ceasing to display all messages includes ceasing to display the first message, or one or more messages in a path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message, in response to a predetermined amount of time lapsing after the second message has been established as the focal message. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:
 in response to selection of a message shortcut, performing the steps of:
 establishing a third message, referred to by the message shortcut, in the hierarchy of messages as the focal message; 
 ceasing to display messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the third message and a third set of messages; 
 wherein ceasing to display messages other than the third message and the third set of messages includes ceasing to display at least a fourth message that resides below the second message in the hierarchy; 
 wherein the third set of messages reside below the third message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         19 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:
 in response to selection of a third message, in the path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message, as the focal message, performing the steps of:
 establishing the third message as the focal message; 
 ceasing to display all messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the focal message and a third set of messages; 
 wherein all messages in the third set of messages reside below the third message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein:
 visual representations of the one or more messages in the path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message are located above a visual representation of the second message before ceasing to display the one or more messages, and the instructions further comprise instructions for:   after the second message has been established as the focal message:
 receiving a user request to reveal content above the focal message; and 
 in response to receiving the user request, displaying messages in the path in the hierarchy between the first message and the second message. 
   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 22 , wherein:
 the hierarchy of messages corresponds to a particular discussion thread of a plurality of related discussion threads; and   the instructions further comprise instructions for:
 in response to receiving the user request, displaying a shortcut to a list of the plurality of related discussion threads; and 
 in response to detecting activation of the shortcut:
 ceasing to display messages of the hierarchy of messages within the graphical user interface; and 
 displaying the list of the plurality of related discussion threads. 
 
   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 23 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:
 in response to selection of the particular discussion thread from the list of the plurality of related discussion threads, performing the steps of:
 establishing a root message in the hierarchy of messages as the focal message; and 
 displaying messages that reside below the root message in the hierarchy. 
   
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for:
 in response to detecting a particular type of device motion of the computing device, including the graphical user interface, after establishing the second message as the focal message, performing the steps of:
 establishing the first message as the focal message; and 
 ceasing to display all messages, within the graphical user interface, other than the focal message and the first set of messages.