Programmability for XML data store for documents

• US 20060195413A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Little, Robert A., Jones, Brian M., Davis, Tristan A., Taleghani, Ali, Sawicki, Marcin
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/83 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

A programmability mode for interacting with data stores within a document allows real time interaction. Data for structuring information associated with a document, such as document metadata, is maintained in the data store where relationships between different pieces of data are maintained in a location distinct from the surface level view of a document. The data store exposes interfaces to the various pieces of data in the data store for allowing different applications to access and operate on one or more of the data pieces. The pieces of data may be structured according to a markup language such as the Extensible Markup Language (XML), and XML schemas may be associated with each piece of data for allowing the data store to validate the structure applied to the data based on an XML schema associated with a given piece of data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for managing data associated with computer-generated documents, comprising:

storing structured data items that are associated with a document in a data store that is maintained separately from the document; and

exposing an application programming interface (API) to data consumers for allowing programmatic access to the structured data item by the data consumers;

wherein the API provides the ability to access the structured data items within the data store while the document is open and when the document is closed.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising structuring the structured data item according to an Extensible Markup Language (XML).

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the API that allows the programmatic access to the structured data item by the data consumers comprises allowing more than one data consumer to access a same structured data item at the same time.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising determining when a change is made to one of the structured data items using the API;

and when a change is made notifying registered data consumers of the change; and

determining when the change is either accepted or rejected by the registered data consumers.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, further comprising rolling back the change when one of the registered data consumers rejects the change and committing the change to the data store when each of the registered data consumers accepts the change.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising using the API to associate the structured data item with an XML schema file that is used to validate the structured data item before the change is committed to the data store.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the API provides a function to register to receive notification for a change notification to at least one of:

a change to the data store and a change to one or more of the structured data items;

wherein the change may include a deletion, an addition, and a modification to at least one of the data store and the structured data item.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the API provides an interface for adding a node to the data store;

deleting a node from the data store; and

replacing a node within the data store.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the API provides an interface for populating the data store using an existing file;

and populating the data store using a string of XML.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the API provides an interface for adding a namespace;

looking up a namespace;

adding a schema;

deleting a schema; and

reloading a schema.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the API provides an interface for adding a stream;

removing a stream;

adding a subtree;

removing a subtree;

obtaining a next sibling of a current node; and

obtaining a previous sibling of a current node obtaining a node type.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the API provides an interface for obtaining a node value;

and enforcing a structure.

13. A computer-implemented method for managing data associated with computer-generated documents, comprising:

storing structured data items that are associated with documents using data stores;

wherein the structured data item is structured according to the Extensible Markup Language (XML); and

exposing an application programming interface (API) to data consumers that allow programmatic access to the documents and to the structured data items that are contained within the data stores; and

using the API to access the structured data items within the data stores both while the document is being edited and when the document is closed; and

wherein the data consumers receive a notification for a change that is made to the data stores when they are registered.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein using the API further comprises:

initiating a change to one of the data stores using the API;

providing the notification to the registered data consumers relating to the change;

determining when a response from one of the registered data consumers is a rejection, and when the response is a rejection rolling back the change and any side-effect changes;

determining when all of the registered data consumers accept the change; and

when the registered data consumers accept the change;

optionally validating the change using an XML schema file that is provided by one of the data consumers through an API; and

committing the change to one or more of the data stores.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein using the API further comprises providing a programming interface for:

obtaining a value for a node;

adding a node;

deleting a node;

moving a node;

adding a schema;

deleting a schema;

reloading a schema;

adding a namespace; and

removing a namespace.

16. A system for managing data associated with computer-generated documents, comprising:

external data consumers;

a document data store that is configured to store documents; and

a data store that is configured to store structured data items that are associated with one or more of the documents;

wherein the data stores includes;

XML data stores;

an API broker that is configured to interact with the external data consumers and internal data consumers;

a change store that is configured to store changes that are associated with a change that is made to a structured data item; and

an undue store that is configured to roll back any changes made as a result of the change that is made to the structured data item;

wherein the API broker exposes an programming interface (API) that allows programmatic access to the documents and to the structured data item that are contained within the data stores; and

using the API to access the structured data items within the data stores both while the document is open and when the document is closed.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the data store is further configured to:

receive a change to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) markup data applied to the structured data item;

read an XML schema file associated with the structured data item to which the change to the XML markup data is directed;

determine whether the change to the XML markup data is valid according to the read XML schema file; and

disallow the change to the XML markup data if the change to the XML markup data is not valid according to the read XML schema file; and

commit the change to one or more the XML stores when the change to the XML markup data is valid according to the read XML schema file.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the XML data stores comprise an undo store and a change store.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the API provides an interface for adding a node to the data store;

deleting a node from the data store;

replacing a node within the data store; and

obtaining a value from the data store.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the API provides an interface for adding a schema;

deleting a schema; and

reloading a schema.