Undo/redo architecture across multiple files

• US 20040205663A1
• Filed: 06/07/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mohamed, Ibrahim A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,823,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/530
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Editing operations are monitored for operations for which information must be stored in order to properly apply an undo or undo/redo sequence to plurality of files. A snapshot is taken and persisted before such an operation is performed. Upon the execution of an undo or redo command, the persisted snapshot is retrieved and applied to the newly generated editing element.

Claims

1. A method for performing an editing operation on a plurality of files substantially simultaneously, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of files, the plurality of files comprising at least a first file and a second file; and

performing an editing operation on a first element in the first file, wherein the editing operation is associated with a second element in the second file; and

performing the editing operation on the second element in the second file automatically.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the editing operation is one of an undo operation and a redo operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an editing operation on a first element in the first file further comprises:

in response to determining that the first element is not the same as the second element, persisting the second element in a first store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an editing operation on a first element in the first file further comprises:

in response to determining that the first element is not the same as the second element, persisting a third element and an identifier of the first element in a first store.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second element is the same as the third element.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the second element is generated by applying the third element to the first element.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the first store is a hash table, keyed on a first element identifier.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising, adding an operation unit identifying an editing operation and an identifier of the first element to an operation store.

9. The method of claim 3, in response to receiving an operation, the operation comprising one of an undo and a redo:

retrieving an operation unit associated with the operation from the operation store;

retrieving an identifier of a first element from the operation unit;

retrieving the second element associated with the identifier of the first element from the first store; and

applying the second element to the second file.

10. The method of claim 4, in response to receiving an operation, the operation comprising one of an undo and a redo:

retrieving an operation unit associated with the operation from the operation store;

retrieving an identifier of a first element from the operation unit;

retrieving the third element associated with the identifier of the first element from the first store;

applying the third element to the first element to generate the second element; and

applying the second element to the second file.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising adding a second operation unit to the operation store, the second operation unit identifying the one of the undo and a redo operation and the identifier of the first element to the operation stack.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of files are documents.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first file is a WebForm and the second file is a Code-Behind file.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the editing operation is one of a delete and a cut.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first element is a control.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second element is the state of the control.

17. The method of claim 17, wherein a serializer persists the state of the control as one of a code object, XML, string and BLOB.

18. A system for performing an editing operation to a plurality of files substantially simultaneously, the system comprising:

means for accessing a plurality of files; and

means for applying an editing operation to the plurality of files.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for accessing a plurality of files further comprises an editing tool.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of files comprises at least a first file associated with a first element and a second file associated with a second element.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for applying an editing operation to the plurality of files further comprises:

a module for applying an operation comprising one of a redo and an undo operation on the first element of the first file, and for ascertaining that the second element of the second file associated with the first operation on the first element must be persisted;

a first store for storing the persisted second element;

a second store for storing an object identifying the operation and an identifier of the first element.

22. A computer-readable medium including computer-readable instructions for:

opening a first file and a second file;

receiving a request to perform a first operation on a first element in the first file;

in response to determining that the first element in the first file is associated with a second element in the second document, capturing the second element;

persisting the second element in a first store; and

adding an object identifying the operation and the first element to an second store.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 23 further comprising computer-readable instructions for:

receiving a request to perform a second operation on the first element in the first file;

in response to determining that the second operation is one of an undo and a delete operation, retrieving the object identifying the operation and the first element from the second store;

retrieving the second element from the first store; and

applying the second element to the second file.