A method for providing a user interface for accessing a file based on a corresponding icon comprising: storing a plurality of icons in a memory along with a corresponding plurality of references to an underlying file system for storage information for a plurality of files, each icon having an appearance substantially depicting information content from its corresponding file, wherein the plurality of icons were created by capturing automatically one or more graphical representations of one or more portions of information content of an icon's corresponding file while an application was manipulating an icon's corresponding file and include selected portions of the captured one or more graphical representations of the information content; linking an application to each icon based utility on the ability of the application to manipulate the information content of the file corresponding to the icon; providing a window on a display screen for displaying the plurality of icons; invoking the application for manipulating the information content of the file corresponding to the selected icon upon selection of an icon from the plurality of icons in the window; accessing the file designated by the reference to the underlying file system corresponding to the selected icon; and opening the accessed file into the corresponding application.

The method of Claim 1, wherein capturing a graphical representation is initiated by a user input command while the application manipulating the one or more computer files are active.

A method of accessing one or more computer files via a graphical icon, comprising the steps of: capturing automatically one or more graphical representations of one or more portions of information content of one or more computer files while an application is manipulating the one or more computer files; creating automatically an icon including selected portions of the captured one or more graphical representations of the information content of the one or more computer files wherein the icon graphically depicts at least a portion of the information content from the one or more computer files and wherein the icon is created while the application was manipulating the icon's corresponding one or more computer files and includes selected portions of the captured one or more graphical representations of the information content; linking the icon to the application and to the one or more computer files based on the ability of the application to manipulate the information content of the one or more computer files corresponding to the icon; storing the icon in a memory; displaying the icon in a window on a display screen; invoking the application for manipulating the information content of the one or more computer files upon selection of the icon by accessing the more or more computer files by reference to an underlying file system corresponding to the icon and opening the one or more computer files within the application.

The method of Claim 16, wherein the step of storing a plurality of icons in a memory further comprises storing data related to an application for manipulating the corresponding file along with each of the plurality of icons and wherein the step of invoking the application corresponding to the selected icon comprises invoking an application based on the corresponding stored data related to the application.