Portable annotated merge model and methods of using the same

• US 20050268281A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Letkeman, Kim, Clemm, Geoffrey M.
• Application Number:
  US10/852,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20050268281A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/120
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

A portable annotated merge model and methods of generating and using the same are provided. The portable annotated merge model can be a copy of a baseline file having annotation associated with items of the baseline file. The annotation can be deltas and/or conflicts. The portable annotated merge model is transferable and suspendable to facilitate collaboration among multiple reviewers of the merge model.

Claims

1. A method of merging changes made to a baseline structured data file comprising:

beginning a first merge session by accessing an annotated structured data file;

reviewing, by a first user, at least one annotation within the annotated data file;

saving the annotated data file to create an incomplete merge file; and

closing the first merge session in response to the first user indicating the end the first merge session.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the annotated structured data file prior to beginning the first merge session.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein generating the annotated structured data file comprises:

executing a difference generator on a baseline structured data file, a first contributor structured data file, and a second contributor structured data file to generate a delta table and a conflict table;

copying the baseline structured data file; and

annotating the copy of the baseline structured data file to include each entry of the delta table and the conflict table.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transferring the incomplete merge file to the second user over a network.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising beginning a second merge session by accessing the incomplete merge file and reviewing, by a second user, at least one annotation within the incomplete merge file.

6. A computer readable medium for merging changes made to a baseline structured data file, the computer readable medium comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

begin a first merge session by accessing an annotated structured data file;

provide for a review by a first user of at least one annotation within the annotated data file;

save the annotated data file to create an incomplete merge file; and

close the first merge session in response to the first user indicating the end the first merge session.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 further comprising instructions to generate the annotated structured data file prior to beginning the first merge session.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the instructions to generate the annotated structured data file comprises instructions to:

execute a difference generator on a baseline structured data file, a first contributor structured data file, and a second contributor structured data file to generate a delta table and a conflict table;

copy the baseline structured data file; and

annotate the copy of the baseline structured data file to include each entry of the delta table and the conflict table.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6 further comprising instructions to transfer the incomplete merge file to the second user over a network.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 further comprising instructions to begin a second merge session by accessing the incomplete merge file and reviewing, by a second user, at least one annotation within the incomplete merge file.

11. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for merging changes made to a baseline structured data file, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for beginning a first merge session by accessing an annotated structured data file;

program code for reviewing, by a first user, at least one annotation within the annotated data file;

program code for saving the annotated data file to create an incomplete merge file; and

program code for closing the first merge session in response to the first user indicating the end the first merge session.

12. The computer data signal of claim 11 further comprising program code for generating the annotated structured data file prior to beginning the first merge session.

13. The computer data signal of claim 12 wherein the program code for generating the annotated structured data file comprises:

program code for executing a difference generator on a baseline structured data file, a first contributor structured data file, and a second contributor structured data file to generate a delta table and a conflict table;

program code for copying the baseline structured data file; and

program code for annotating the copy of the baseline structured data file to include each entry of the delta table and the conflict table.

14. The computer data signal of claim 11 further comprising program code for transferring the incomplete merge file to the second user over a network.

15. The computer data signal of claim 14 further comprising program code for beginning a second merge session by accessing the incomplete merge file and reviewing, by a second user, at least one annotation within the incomplete merge file.

16. An apparatus for merging changes made to a baseline structured data file, the computer data signal comprising:

means for accessing an annotated structured data file to begin a first merge session;

means for reviewing, by a first user, at least one annotation within the annotated data file;

means for saving the annotated data file to create an incomplete merge file; and

means for closing the first merge session in response to the first user indicating the end the first merge session.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for generating the annotated structured data file prior to beginning the first merge session.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the means for generating the annotated structured data file comprises:

means for determining differences between a baseline structured data file, a first contributor structured data file, and a second contributor structured data file to generate a delta table and a conflict table;

means for copying the baseline structured data file; and

means for annotating the copy of the baseline structured data file to include each entry of the delta table and the conflict table.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising means for transferring the incomplete merge file to the second user over a network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising means for accessing the incomplete merge file and reviewing at least one annotation within the incomplete merge file, by a second user, to begin a second merge session.

21. A computer readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause a computer to generate a portable annotated data structure comprising a baseline data structure and at least one delta associated with a portion of the baseline data structure.