Method and apparatus for determining editing conflicts in a multi-authoring system

• US 6,073,161 A
• Filed: 12/16/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Francisco, Grace, DeBoskey, David, Nishimura, Jenny Yukkoo, Mocek, Darryl Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Matar, Ahmad F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US08/991,319
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-206, 709/213-215, 709/220-224, 709/227-228, 709/246, 709/238, 709/242, 707/8-10, 707/103-104, 707/201-203, 707/530, 707/540
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1767 Concurrency control, e.g. optimistic or pessimistic approaches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for resolving multi-authoring conflicts that result when multiple users at client computers on a network computer system read and write to the same network file comprised of a plurality of objects. A first client computer downloads a network file from a network drive and creates and edits a client version of the network file on the first client computer. A second client computer downloads the same network file from the network drive. To determine whether there is a conflict between modifications made by the second client computer to the network file and editing to objects in the client version by the first client computer, a determination is made as to whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version. If so, then a determination is made as to whether there is a conflict between the editing by the first client computer to the object in the client version and the modification to the network file by the second client computer. A user at the first client computer may have the option of overwriting the conflicting object in the network file with the object edited by the first user or saving the edited object under a different name.

Claims

1. A method for editing and saving a network file maintained on a network drive, wherein the network file is comprised of a plurality of objects, and wherein a first and second client computers are linked to the network drive over a network, comprising the steps of:

downloading a network file from the network drive to the first client computer;

downloading the network file to the second client computer;

creating a client version of the network file on the first client computer;

editing an object in the client version on the first client computer;

determining whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version; and

determining whether there is a conflict between the modification to the network file by the second client computer and the editing to the object in the client version by the first client computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a dialog box providing information on the conflict between the editing of the object by the first client computer and the network file modified by the second client computer upon determining that there is a conflict.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the displayed dialog box includes a field for indicating whether the first client computer performs one of saving the edited object in the client version to the network file and saving the edited object in the network file with a different name.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the second client computer modified the network file and whether there is a conflict occurs when the first client computer attempts to save the edited client version as the network file on the network drive.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further includes the step of determining whether the conflict is a member of the set of conflicts comprising:

the first client computer adding an object that has a name identical to a name of an object added to the network file by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version;

the first client computer modifying an object that the second client computer modified in the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version;

the first client computer deleting an object that the second client computer modified in the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version; and

the first client computer modifying an object that the second client computer deleted from the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network file maintains information on a revision time for the network file modified by the second client computer and for each object within the modified network file, wherein the client version maintains a revision time for the network file and for each object in the network file at the time the first client computer downloaded the network file from the network drive, and wherein the step of determining whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version comprises the step of determining whether the revision time for the network file maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the network file maintained in the network file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of editing the object by the first client computer comprises modifying the object, and wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further comprises the steps of:

determining whether the modified object is in the network file modified by the second client computer;

determining whether the revision time for the modified object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file upon determining that the modified object is in the network file;

indicating that the first client computer has modified an object deleted from the network file by the second client computer upon determining that the modified object is not included in the network file; and

indicating that the first client computer has modified an object that the second client computer previously modified in the network file upon determining the revision time for the object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of editing the object by the first client computer comprises deleting the object, and wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further comprises the steps of:

determining whether the revision time for the deleted object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file; and

indicating that the first client computer has deleted an object that the second client computer previously modified in the network file upon determining that the revision time for the deleted object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of editing the object by the first client computer comprises adding an object to the client version, and wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further comprises the steps of:

determining whether the network file includes an object with the same name as the object added by the first client computer to the client version; and

indicating that the first client computer has added an object having a same name as an object the second client computer previously added to the network file upon determining that the network file includes an object with the same name as the object added by the first client computer to the client version.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the network file is comprised of at least two associated files and wherein the client version of the network file is comprised of at least two associated files.

11. A computer programming apparatus, comprising:

means, performed by a first client computer linked to a network drive over a network, for downloading a network file from the network drive, wherein the network file is comprised of a plurality of objects;

means, performed by a second client computer linked to the network drive over the network, for downloading the network file;

means, performed by the first client computer, for creating a client version of the network file;

means, performed by the first client computer, for editing an object in the client version of the network file;

means, performed by the first client computer, for determining whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version; and

means, performed by the first client computer, for determining whether there is a conflict between the modification to the network file by the second client computer and the editing to the object in the client version by the first client computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising, means, performed by the first computer, for displaying a dialog box providing information on the conflict between the editing of the object by the first client computer and the network file modified by the second client computer upon determining that there is a conflict.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the displayed dialog box includes a field for indicating whether the first client computer performs one of saving the edited object in the client version to the network file and saving the edited object in the network file with a different name.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining whether the second client computer modified the network file and whether there is a conflict occurs when the first client computer attempts to save the edited client version as the network file on the network drive.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining whether there is a conflict further includes means for determining whether the conflict is a member of the set of conflicts comprising:

the first client computer adding an object that has a name identical to a name of an object added to the network file by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version;

the first client computer modifying an object that the second client computer modified in the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version;

the first client computer deleting an object that the second client computer modified in the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version; and

the first client computer modifying an object that the second client computer deleted from the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network file maintains information on a revision time for the network file modified by the second client computer and for each object within the modified network file, wherein the client version maintains a revision time for the network file and for each object in the network file at the time the first client computer downloaded the network file from the network drive, and wherein the means for determining whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version comprises means for determining whether the revision time for the network file maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the network file maintained in the network file.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means, performed by the first client computer, for determining whether there is a conflict further includes:

means for determining whether an object in the network file modified by the first client computer was modified by the second client computer;

means for determining whether the revision time for the modified object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file upon determining that the modified object is in the network file;

means for indicating that the first client computer has modified an object deleted from the network file by the second client computer upon determining that the modified object is not included in the network file; and

means for indicating that the first client computer has modified an object that the second client computer previously modified in the network file upon determining that the revision time for the object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether there is a conflict when the first client computer has deleted the object further includes:

means, performed by the first computer, for determining whether the first computer deleted an object from the client version;

means for determining whether the revision time for the deleted object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file upon determining that the object was deleted from the client version; and

means for indicating that the first client computer has deleted an object that the second client computer previously modified in the network file upon determining that the revision time for the deleted object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for determining whether there is a conflict further comprises:

means for determining whether an object was added to the client version by the first client computer;

means for determining whether the network file includes an object with the same name as the object added by the first client computer to the client version; and

means for indicating that the first client computer has added an object having a same name as an object the second client computer previously added to the network file upon determining that the network file includes an object with the same name as the object added by the first client computer to the client version.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the network file is comprised of at least two associated files and wherein the client version of the network file is comprised of at least two associated files.

21. An article of manufacture for use in programming a client computer to edit and save a network file maintained on a network drive, wherein the network file is comprised of a plurality of objects, and wherein a first and second client computers are linked to the network drive over a network, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied therein that causes the first client computer to perform the steps of:

downloading a network file from the network drive;

creating a client version of the network file;

editing an object in the client version;

determining whether the network file on the network drive was modified by a second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version; and

determining whether there is a conflict between the modification to the network file by the second client computer and the editing to the object in the client version by the first client computer.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further causing the first client computer to perform the step of displaying a dialog box providing information on the conflict between the editing of the object by the first client computer and the network file modified by the second client computer upon determining that there is a conflict.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein the displayed dialog box includes a field for indicating whether the first client computer performs one of saving the edited object in the client version to the network file and saving the edited object in the network file with a different name.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the step of determining whether the second client computer modified the network file and whether there is a conflict occurs when the first client computer attempts to save the edited client version as the network file on the network drive.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further includes the step of determining whether the conflict is a member of the set of conflicts comprising:

the first client computer adding an object that has a name identical to a name of an object added to the network file by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version;

the first client computer modifying an object that the second client computer modified in the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version;

the first client computer deleting an object that the second client computer modified in the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version; and

the first client computer modifying an object that the second client computer deleted from the network file while the first client computer was editing the client version.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the network file maintains information on a revision time for the network file modified by the second client computer and for each object within the modified network file, wherein the client version maintains a revision time for the network file and for each object in the network file at the time the first client computer downloaded the network file from the network drive, and wherein the step of determining whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version comprises the step of determining whether the revision time for the network file maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the network file maintained in the network file.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the step of editing the object by the first client computer comprises modifying the object, and wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further comprises the steps of:

determining whether the modified object is in the network file modified by the second client computer;

determining whether the revision time for the modified object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file upon determining that the modified object is in the network file;

indicating that the first client computer has modified an object deleted from the network file by the second client computer upon determining that the modified object is not included in the network file; and

indicating that the first client computer has modified an object that the second client computer previously modified in the network file upon determining the revision time for the object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the step of editing the object by the first client computer comprises deleting the object, and wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further comprises the steps of:

determining whether the revision time for the deleted object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file; and

indicating that the first client computer has deleted an object that the second client computer previously modified in the network file upon determining that the revision time for the deleted object maintained in the client version is earlier than the revision time for the object maintained in the network file.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the step of editing the object by the first client computer comprises adding an object to the client version, and wherein the step of determining whether there is a conflict further comprises the steps of:

determining whether the network file includes an object with the same name as the object added by the first client computer to the client version; and

indicating that the first client computer has added an object having a same name as an object the second client computer previously added to the network file upon determining that the network file includes an object with the same name as the object added by the first client computer to the client version.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the network file is comprised of at least two associated files and wherein the client version of the network file is comprised of at least two associated files.

31. A network computer system, comprising:

(a) a network drive;

(b) a first and second client computers linked to the network drive over a network, wherein the first and second client computers have read and write access to the network drive;

(c) a network file data structure stored on the network drive, comprising;

(1) a plurality of objects;

(2) a network file revision time indicating when the network file was last modified; and

(3) an object revision time for each object in the network files indicating when the object was last modified;

(d) a memory in the first client computer storing a client version of the network file downloaded from the network drive, wherein the client version includes a data structure comprising;

(1) the objects included in the network file at the time the first client computer downloaded the network file from the network drive, including any modifications thereto by the first client computer;

(2) the network file revision time at the time the first client computer downloaded the network file, wherein the first client computer determines whether the network file on the network drive was modified after the first client computer downloaded the network file by comparing the revision time of the network file on the network drive with the network file revision time in the client version; and

(3) the revision time of the objects in the network file at the time the first client computer downloaded the network file, wherein the first client computer determines whether an object in the network file on the network drive was modified after the first client computer downloaded the network file by comparing the revision time of a object in the network file on the network drive with the revision time for the object in the client version.

32. The network computer system of claim 31, wherein the objects are located in the network file and the revision times and information on the objects are located in a file associated with the network file.