Google Docs gets makeover, improves file organization and filtering

The Google Docs home page has been given a facelift - and the keys to better organization of your spreadsheets, documents, presentations and even photos and videos are a group system called Collections and a filtering system that allows to be refined by type, visibility and sharing.

And, of course, you can always still search.

For just about a year now, users have been able to upload pretty much any type of file into Google Docs, which creates a better system for organizing and locating those files. Google has taken "Folders," integrated the "Labels" system used in Gmail and has changed the name to Collections. Files can live in multiple collections and through the right click button, users can control what's visible where - adding stars, hiding from the home page and so on.

The three features I like best:

• A new way of selecting multiple files for a batch change, using the SHIFT or CTL/CMD + click functionality. The previous way, using those pesky checkboxes that had to be marked one file at a time, is gone.
• The new preview pane on the right side of the screen gives the user information about the file, including its location, its sharing settings and information about versions. And when it's a video file that's playing, the clip can play directly from the preview player.
• The photo slideshow viewer, which brings up a larger preview of an image file and creates a filmstrip across the bottom with other images in that collection.

As always, Google will roll out the new look to Docs over the next few days, with the first wave in progress now.