TRACKING DATABASE CHANGES

• US 20140032501A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Inventors: Dulaney, Marissa, Shaver, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,853,336 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477

Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to detect a plurality of changes to one of a database format and database content between a first version of a database and a second version of the database, and to transmit change information to a receiving entity, enabling display of the plurality of changes in at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record-wise collective format. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

detecting a plurality of changes to one of a database format and database content between a first version of a database and a second version of the database; and

transmitting change information associated with the plurality of changes to a receiving entity; and

causing a display of a single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes in at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record-wise collective format and that indicates a coded summary of multiple non-identical changes in a single row, a single column, a single field within a group of records, or a group of records within the database, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the plurality of changes does not include detecting a transition in the database content from an element that is empty to an element that is non-empty.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the database in a spreadsheet file format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting timeline information to the receiving entity to cause a display of a timeline that includes the first version and the second version.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the single visual element that is associated with of the plurality of changes in the at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record- e collective format comprises:

a display of a change indicator along with a deleted row or a deleted column representing elements in the database with revised visibility.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the single visual element that is associated with of the plurality of changes in the at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record- wise collective format comprises:

a display of a first change indicator comprising at least one of a color or a graphic shape to indicate a change type associated with the database content for a row, a column, a field, or a group of records representing elements in the database.

7. The method of claim further comprising:

receiving user selection input associated with the first change indicator; and

transmitting element display information to the receiving entity to to cause a display of element changes for each element in the row or the column.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the display of the element changes further comprises:

continuing to display the element changes for a determinable period of time, or until user selection input associated with a second change indicator is detected.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the display of the element changes comprises:

a display of an identification of a user associated with the element changes, and a time the element changes were made.

10. A computer implemented method comprising:

accessing a first version of a database selected from a displayed time line;

accessing a second version of the database selected from the displayed time line and transmitting change information associated with the plurality of changes to a receiving entity; and

causing a display of a single visual element that is associated with a plurality of changes to one of a database format and database content between the first version and the second version in at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record-wise collective format, and that indicates a summary of non-identical change types to individual elements for each row, column, field, and/or record representation of the individual elements in the database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting indicator information to the receiving entity to cause a display of a colored indicator for each one of a group of users on the time line, wherein a color of the colored indicator corresponds to an identity of a user in the group that saved a corresponding version of the database.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the display of the single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes comprises:

a display of a first change indicator comprising a first color to indicate addition of an element to a first row or a column representing first elements in the database; and

a display of a second change indicator comprising a second color to indicate deletion of an element from a second row or column representing second elements in the database.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the display of the single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes comprises:

a display of a shape in a first orientation to indicate addition of an element to a first row or a column representing first elements in the database; and

a display of the shape in a second orientation to indicate deletion of an element from a second row or column representing second elements in the database.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the display of the a single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes comprises:

a display of a change indicator comprising at least two of a first color to indicate addition of a first element to a row or a column representing elements in the database, a second color to indicate deletion of a second element from the row or column, or a third color to indicate changing a third element in the row or column.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting element change information to the receiving entity to to cause a display of element changes for each element in a row or a column representation of the database responsive to receiving an indication of user selection input associated with a change indicator associated with the row or the column.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the display of the single visual element that is associated with the element changes comprises:

a display of the element changes in conjunction with one of a value reuse indicator, an element deletion indicator, or an element reinstatement indicator.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the display of the single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes comprises:

a display of element changes in a header row representation of the database content in the row-wise collective format.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting additional information about the plurality of changes, including changes to at least one of a formula, content type, style, or format applied to a plurality of database elements associated with a columnar representation of the database to the receiving entity, responsive to detecting cursor hover activity associated with a change indicator included in the column-wise collective format.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting additional information about the plurality of changes, including changes to a. title applied to the database, to the receiving entity.

20. A system, comprising:

a display;

a change tracking module to detect a plurality of changes to one of a database format and database content between a first version of a database and a second version of the database; and

a rendering module to cause the display of a single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes in at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record-wise collective format and that indicates a coded summary of multiple non-identical changes in a single row, a single column, a single field. within a group of records, or a group of records within the database, respectively, as part of a graphical user interface on the display.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a user input device to select a change indicator comprising at least one of a color or a shape, wherein selection of the change indicator results in the rendering module causing the display of all changes to the database content for a row, a column, a field, or a group of records in the database.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the rendering module comprises a spreadsheet application program, the system further comprising:

a processor to execute the spreadsheet application program to display the database content as a spreadsheet along with a history of multiple, independently-selectable versions of the database on a time line, including the first version and the second version, via the graphical user interface.

23. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to perform operations, comprising:

detecting a plurality of changes to one of a database format and database content between a first version of a database and a second version of the database; and

transmitting change information associated with the plurality of changes to a receiving entity; and

causing a display of a single visual element that is associated with the plurality of changes in at least one of a row-wise collective format, a column-wise collective format, a field-wise collective format, or a record-wise collective format and that indicates a coded summary of multiple non-identical changes in a single row, a single column, a single field within a group of records, or a group of records within the database, respectively.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting element change information and indicator information to the receiving entity to cause the display of element changes to each element in a row or a column representation of the database, wherein each of the element changes are shown in a separate window, and displaying an indicator within the separate window to permit one of deleting added information, or reinstating deleted information.

25. The medium of claim 24, wherein the display of the indicator comprises:

a display of the indicator only if cursor activity associated with the separate window is detected.