Drive Previews, Tag Chips, and Faster List↔Grid
Previews that land sooner, tags that filter smarter, and a list/grid toggle that stops jumping.
1) Drive previews: sooner, safer
- Parallel fetch with short deadline. We request preview URLs and content metadata in parallel; if a preview misses the deadline, a crisp type glyph renders instantly and the preview swaps in later.
- Cache keys that make sense.
fileId:modified:size prevents stale thumbs and avoids over-fetch.
- Fail gracefully. If a preview URL expires or fails, we retry once with backoff; otherwise we stay on the glyph—no flicker.
Tech: Google Drive v3 via REST + URLSession (no GTLR), tokens in Keychain, MIME + modified date for cache busting.
2) Tag chips: clearer states, fewer clicks
- Tap = add/remove, Option/Alt-tap (or long-press) = isolate.
- Three visual states (default / active ● / isolated ◎), not color-only—icons + contrast.
- Keyboard: press
t to focus chips; use arrow keys; Space toggles; Enter isolates.
Why it’s calmer: you see exactly what’s filtering, and you can isolate a single tag without hunting in a sidebar.
3) List ↔ Grid: faster and steady
- Per-section persistence. Projects can default to List; Resources can default to Grid; your picks stick via
UserDefaults.
- No layout jump. We normalize row heights and thumbnail placeholders so the header and chip row don’t jitter during toggles.
- Scroll position remembered across toggles within the same section.
Tiny wins that matter
- Progressive disclosure. Modified date and type inline; size/path appear on hover/focus.
- Focus rings you can see. Keyboard navigation is obvious and consistent.
- Touch targets. Chips and toggles are 44pt minimum.
Try it
- Toggle list↔grid in Resources; notice no header jump.
- Tap a couple of tags, then isolate one with Option/Alt.
- Open a large image folder—the first row should render fast with clean fallbacks.
What’s next
- Recents ranking v2 (boost multi-touch files over 48 hours).
- PDF inline preview (first page, cached).
- Session stacks (auto-bundle your last 60–90 minutes of files).
Internal & External Links
Update / Version Box
LifeOS — Dev Log #3
- Build:
0.1.0-dev (Swift 6, Xcode 16)
- Shipped: faster Drive previews, clearer tag chips, steadier list↔grid
- Known limits: giant PDFs still skip preview on slow networks
- Next: Recents ranking v2 + first-page PDF preview
Signature
— Rev. Brian Scott O’Keefe
“Less friction, more flow.”
Recents, Favorites, and Tag Filters That Don’t Fight Your Brain
A calmer file view for LifeOS—PARA-ish structure, faster list/grid toggles, and Drive metadata that actually helps you decide.
Why this sketch (and promise)
My Second Brain is two things:
- a part of an application I’m building (LifeOS), and
- a simple system for organizing anything, anywhere.
Since my strokes, I make better decisions with fewer choices on screen. This view is designed to remove friction: Recents, Favorites, and straightforward tag filters—sitting on top of a PARA-ish structure—so I can pick a file and move.
You’ll get: a visual model you can copy today, and a peek at how it lands in LifeOS.
The model (PARA + overlays)
PARA tiers
- Projects — time-boxed outcomes (draft a post, ship a feature)
- Areas — ongoing responsibilities (Finances, Health, Client A)
- Resources — reference you reuse (Design patterns, Prompts, Research)
- Archives — past work, completed, cold storage
Global overlays
- Recents — last 30 touched. Fast path to “what I was doing.”
- Favorites — manually starred items for the week’s focus.
- Tags — compact chips (topic, status, app). Use 3–7 core tags; more is friction.
Why overlays? Because Recents and Favorites are how I think in motion, not locations. And tags cut across PARA without breaking it.
The view (don’t fight your brain)
List ↔ Grid toggle
- List for density (modified date, size, type inline).
- Grid for visual scan (thumbnails, shorter labels).
- Toggle persists per section (e.g., Projects default list; Resources default grid).
Metadata that matters
- Modified (primary), Type, Size (secondary).
- Progressive disclosure: show more on hover/tap or when the row is focused.
Quick filters
- One row of chips:
#writing #design #needs-review #clientA #pdf
- One “More…” popover for the long tail—never force a sidebar jungle.
How it lands in LifeOS (v0 sketch)
- Sections: PARA panes in the left rail; Recents and Favorites above them.
- List/Grid: segmented control in the header; persists by section via
UserDefaults.
- Drive metadata: size, modified, MIME type pulled via token-based REST (no GTLR).
- Thumbnails: lightweight preview for common types (images, PDFs, key docs).
- Tags: local + cloud; filter chips at top of content pane.
Tech note: LifeOS 0.1.0-dev (Swift 6, Xcode 16). Google Drive/Calendar v3 via REST + URLSession. Tokens in Keychain. No GTLR.
See also: /lifeos-scribraria-dev-log-1
A simple system you can use today (even without LifeOS)
- Create four top folders: Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives.
- Add a Recents smart view (or sort by modified desc).
- Add a Favorites star/flag.
- Pick 5 core tags (topic or status). Keep it small.
- Decide your defaults: Projects=List, Resources=Grid.
- Review weekly: unstar old items, archive done projects.
Accessibility & calm design choices
- Minimum 14–16pt labels; 44pt hit targets.
- One line of tags visible by default; scroll inside the chip row if needed.
- No color-only signals: use icons + text (★ Favorite, ● Modified).
- Keyboard first:
/ to search, g l list, g g grid, t to toggle tag focus.
What I’m testing next
- Thumbnail performance on large folders
- Tag suggestions from content (lightweight, on-device)
- “Session stacks”: an automatic bundle of files from the last 90 minutes
Call to action
What’s your must-have: thumbnails, tags, or modified dates?
Comment below (pick one), and I’ll tune the next build around it.
Internal & External Links
Update / Version Box (for version-sensitive posts)
LifeOS File View — v0.1 Sketch
- Build: 0.1.0-dev (Swift 6 / Xcode 16)
- Status: prototyping list/grid persistence, Drive metadata rows
- Next planned update: thumbnails performance sweep + tag UX polish
Signature
— randomblink
“Calm the screen, speed the decision.”
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