Method and system for efficiently processing comments to records in a database, while avoiding replication/save conflicts

• US 20060294455A1
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ierace, Vincent, Morris, Benjamin R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and system for displaying comment documents within a parent document that avoids replication/save conflicts regardless of the number of users having local document replicas. The graphical user interface to a parent document provides the user with the ability to enter a comment with regard to the parent document. In response to indication that a comment is to be entered, the user interface to the parent document allows the user to enter content to be included in the comment. In response to indication that the entered comment should be saved, the system operates to capture the comment contents and store it into a newly created comment document associated with the parent document. After a comment document has been created, its contents are presented through a predetermined display region within the user interface to the parent document. In response to detection of a transition of a parent document from a state in which comments can be added to a state in which comments cannot be added, the system locates all comment documents associated with the parent document, copies the contents of those comment documents into the parent document such that they are displayed as part of the parent document, and deletes all associated comment documents for that parent document.

Claims

1. A method for processing comment contents associated with a parent document, comprising:

providing a parent document user interface including a display object enabling a user to enter comment contents;

inputting said comment contents;

creating a comment document associated with said parent document and storing said comment contents in said comment document;

obtaining said comment contents from said comment document and displaying said comment contents within a region of said parent document user interface; and

in the event that a state of said parent document has changed from a state in which comments can be added to a state in which comments cannot be added, copying said comment contents from said comment document into said parent document and deleting said comment document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said parent document comprises an issue record in an issue tracking database, and said comment document is also stored in said issue tracking database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said inputting of said comment contents is through an editable region within said parent document user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating said comment document is completely transparent to said user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining of said comment contents from said comment document is responsive to determining that said status of said parent document comprises said state in which comments can be added.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying said comment contents stored in said parent document in said region of said parent document user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating said comment document further comprising creating an entry for said comment document in a comment document table, wherein said entry includes a unique identifier of said parent document, wherein said unique identifier of said parent document associates said comment document with said parent document.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said deleting said comment document comprises removing said entry for said comment document from said comment document table.

9. A system having a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for processing comment contents associated with a parent document stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code for providing a parent document user interface including a display object enabling a user to enter comment contents;

program code for inputting said comment contents;

program code for creating a comment document associated with said parent document and storing said comment contents in said comment document;

program code for obtaining said comment contents from said comment document and displaying said comment contents within a region of said parent document user interface; and

program code for, in the event that a state of said parent document has changed from a state in which comments can be added to a state in which comments cannot be added, copying said comment contents from said comment document into said parent document and deleting said comment document.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said parent document comprises an issue record in an issue tracking database, and said comment document is also stored in said issue tracking database.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said program code for inputting of said comment contents provides an editable region within said parent document user interface.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said program code for creating said comment document operates completely transparently to said user.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said program code for obtaining of said comment contents from said comment document is responsive to program code for determining that said state of said parent document comprises said state in which comments can be added.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising program code for displaying said comment contents stored in said parent document in said region of said parent document user interface.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said program code for creating said comment document further comprises program code for creating an entry for said comment document in a comment document table, wherein said entry includes a unique identifier of said parent document, wherein said unique identifier of said parent document associates said comment document with said parent document.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said program code for deleting said comment document comprises program code for removing said entry for said comment document from said comment document table.

17. A computer program product having a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for processing comment contents associated with a parent document stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code for providing a parent document user interface including a display object enabling a user to enter comment contents;

program code for inputting said comment contents;

program code for creating a comment document associated with said parent document and storing said comment contents in said comment document;

program code for obtaining said comment contents from said comment document and displaying said comment contents within a region of said parent document user interface; and

program code for, in the event that a state of said parent document has changed from a state in which comments can be added to a state in which comments cannot be added, copying said comment contents from said comment document into said parent document and deleting said comment document.

18. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal including a computer program for processing comment contents associated with a parent document stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code for providing a parent document user interface including a display object enabling a user to enter comment contents;

program code for inputting said comment contents;

program code for creating a comment document associated with said parent document and storing said comment contents in said comment document;

program code for obtaining said comment contents from said comment document and displaying said comment contents within a region of said parent document user interface; and

program code for, in the event that a state of said parent document has changed from a state in which comments can be added to a state in which comments cannot be added, copying said comment contents from said comment document into said parent document and deleting said comment document.

19. A system for processing comment contents associated with a parent document, comprising:

means for providing a parent document user interface including a display object enabling a user to enter comment contents;

means for inputting said comment contents;

means for creating a comment document associated with said parent document and storing said comment contents in said comment document;

means for obtaining said comment contents from said comment document and displaying said comment contents within a region of said parent document user interface; and

means for, in the event that a state of said parent document has changed from a state in which comments can be added to a state in which comments cannot be added, copying said comment contents from said comment document into said parent document and deleting said comment document.