Version management system using pointers shared by a plurality of versions for indicating active lines of a version

• US 5,278,979 A
• Filed: 11/20/1990
• Issued: 01/11/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCaulley, Ellory K., Foster, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORZECH, JENNIFER
• Application Number:
  US07/630,928
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/100, 395/500, 395/650
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A single entity contains source lines, being operated on by one or more end users. Within the same entity are entity version and level control data. Individual source lines contain version-related identification variables. After each version or level update by a user, a comparison is made between new and old versions; source line identification variables are modified, and new source lines are added; dependent version information is stored in the entity, and control data is updated. Subsequent retrievals of a version are responsive to the dependent version information, and produce indications of any changes that had been made to dependent versions.

Claims

1. In a programming code development system comprising a CPU, system storage comprising main and auxiliary storage, an application program, and versions of source data in said system storage, said versions having individual data items, an apparatus for providing version management for said source data comprising:

I) a data repository, in said system storage, comprising

a) a control data element comprising one or more version/level control data field pairs, each of said data field pairs uniquely identifying a level of a version of source code and comprising;

i) a version control data element comprising a version identifier identifying one of said versions of source data;

ii) a level control data element comprising a pointer variable field having one or more pointer variables; and

b) one or more data item data elements, each of said data item data elements comprising a prefix field and a data field, said prefix field comprising a single one of said one or more pointer variables, said data field comprising one of said individual data items wherein more than one of said prefix fields have pointer variables in common;

II) an extract means, invocable by said application program, for extracting a specified version level of said versions of source data from said data repository, said extract means comprising Read Control means for obtaining said control data element, and Read Data means for constructing a copy of said specified version level by reading each of said data item data elements and selectively placing a specific one of said data item data elements in said copy if the pointer variable in the prefix area of said specific item data element matches one of said one or more pointer variables in the level control data element paired with the version control data element having the version identifier identifying said specified version.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said version control data element further comprises a version locking flag, and said level control data element further comprises a level locking flag, said apparatus also further comprising a LOCKON/LOCKOFF means, invokable by said application program, for setting and resetting said version locking flag and said level locking flag.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a) PUT means, invokable by said application program, for copying application-defined data from an input file to said control data element; and

b) GET means, invokable by said application program, for retrieving said application-defined data from said control data element, and placing said application-defined data in a specified output file.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising store means, invocable by said application program, for storing a changed version of said specified version level into said data repository, and in which said control data element further comprises an identity control element, comprising a highest used pointer variable identifier said highest used pointer variable identifier being updated by said store means on said storing and used by said store means in assigning new pointer variables for said data item data elements.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said store means comprises:

a) compare means for comparing said changed version with said specified version to produce a computer output file;

b) deleted line processing means for updating said data repository in response to an indication of a deleted line in said compare output file; and

c) added line processing means for updating said data repository in response to an indication of an added line in said compare output file.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 in which said version control data element further comprises a base version identifier identifying a base version of said source data upon which said one of said version is based, and a base level change detection (BLCD) list identifying one or more dependent version of said source data potentially affected by a change, in which said store means further comprises BLCD list update means for updating said BLCD list when storing said changed version, and in which said extract means further comprises detection means for detecting said change, by inspecting said BLCD list, when extracting one of said one or more dependent versions from said data repository and returning a notification to said application program.

7. In a programming code development system comprising versions of source data having individual data items, a method for providing version management for said source data comprising the steps of:

a) creating a first version of said source data in a data repository, said first version of said source data comprising a first version control data element and a first set of one or more data item data elements, said first version control data element comprising base level change detection (BLCD) list means for identifying one or more dependent versions of said source data potentially affected by a change to said first version of said source data;

b) creating a second version of said source data, said second version comprising a second version control data element and a second set of one or more data item data elements, said second set including a first subset of said first set so that said second version is dependent on said first version said second version control data element comprising a base version identifier identifying said first version of said source data as being a base version upon which said second version is dependent;

c) modifying a second subset of said first set of individual data items of said first version and storing a resultant modified, first version into said data repository; and

d) scanning all base version identifiers to determine all versions of said source data dependent upon said first version and identifying said second version upon scanning said base version identifier in said second version control data element;

e) placing an indicator of said first version in said BLCD list means of said second version control data element;

f) automatically notifying an accessor, on subsequently accessing said second version and finding said indicator of said first version in said BLCD list means of said second version, of the modifying of said first version.