Automatic republication of data

• US 7,032,173 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2000
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gauthier, Matthew, Sorge, Terri, Liu, Carol Lining, McCaughey, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, PETER J
• Application Number:
  US09/595,736
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 715/530, 715/503, 715/504, 715/513
• US Class Current: 715/209
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces

Abstract

Automatically republishing native data from a native data file into an published file. In response to initially publishing the native data in to the published file, a publish object is created that corresponds to the published data and the native data. The publish object is associated with the native data file and indicates whether the native data is to be automatically republished upon resaving of the native data file. The publish object further indicates the location of the published file, a reference to the location of the native data within the native data file, and an alert string. The alert string may comprise a single alert to be displayed when the native data is republished. The publish object is identified by a unique identifier that is also stored in the published file to indicate the location of the published data. Subsequent to initially publishing the native data, the native data file may be resaved. In response to resaving of the native data, the publish object is examined to determine whether the native data is to be automatically republished. If the native data is to be automatically republished, the published file is retrieved and the native data is republished into the published file. Republishing the native data into the published file comprises translating the native data into a published file format, locating the published data within the published file by way of the unique identifier and replacing the published data with the translated native data.

Claims

1. A method for automatically republishing a portion of native data from a native data file associated with an application program into published data within a published file, comprising:

creating a publish object list, when initially publishing a portion of native data into a published file;

creating a publish object, when initially publishing the portion of native data into the published file, the publish object identifying the portion of the native data being published and indicating whether the portion of the native data is to be automatically republished upon a resave of the native data file;

incorporating the publish object into the publish object list;

subsequent to initially publishing the portion of the native data, determining that the native data file has been resaved;

in response to determining that the native data file has been resaved, determining from the publish object in the publish object list that the portion of the native data is to be automatically republished; and

in response to determining that the portion of the native data is to be automatically republished, retrieving the published file and republishing the portion of the native data into the published file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the publish object is identified by a unique identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the publish object further indicates the location of the published file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein retrieving the published file comprises determining the location of the published file by way of the publish object and retrieving the published file from the location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein republishing the portion of the native data into the published file further comprises:

upon a resave of the native data, locating the portion of the published data within the published file by way of a unique identifier;

deleting the portion of the published data;

locating the portion of the native data within the native data file by way of the publish object;

translating the portion of the native data into a published file format; and

replacing the portion of the published data with the translated portion of the native data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the publish object further identifies an alert string associated with the portion of the native data, the alert string comprising a single alert to be displayed when the portion of the native data is republished.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alert string is determined by identifying a plurality of alerts that should be displayed when the portion of the native data is republished, determining which of the plurality of alerts is most critical, and storing the most critical alert as the alert string.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the published file is web content.

9. A method for automatically republishing native data from a native data file into a published file, at least one native data element having previously been published into the published file and a publish object list having been associated with the native data file, the publish object list including at least one publish object indicating whether a selected native data element is to be automatically republished, identifying the location of the selected native data element in the native data file, and identifying the location of the published data element in the published file, the method comprising:

subsequent to initially publishing the selected native data element, determining that the native data file has been resaved;

in response to determining that the native data file has been resaved, stepping through each publish object in the publish object list;

determining from the publish object that the selected native data element is to be automatically republished;

in response to determining that the selected native data element is to be automatically republished, retrieving the published file and republishing the selected native data element into the published file;

wherein the publish object is identified by a unique identifier;

wherein the published data element within the published file is identified by the unique identifier;

wherein the publish object further indicates a reference to the location of the selected native data element within the native data file; and

wherein republishing the selected native data element into the published file further comprises;

locating the published data element within the published file by way of the unique identifier;

deleting the published data element;

locating the native data element within the native data file by way of the publish object;

translating the native data element into a published file format; and

replacing the published data element with the translated native data element.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the publish object further indicates the location of the published file;

and

wherein retrieving the published file further comprises;

determining the location of the published file by way of the publish object; and

retrieving the published file from the location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the publish object further identifies an alert string associated with the selected native data element, the alert string comprising a single alert to be displayed when the selected native data element is republished.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the publish object is created in response to initially publishing the native data element into the publish file.

13. A system comprising

a memory for storing the native data file and the application program for editing the native data elements;

an input device for generating input signals; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory and the input device for executing the application program and computer-executable instructions for a method of automatically republishing native data elements, which represent portions of a native data file associated with an application program, into at least one published file, the method comprising;

creating a publish object for each native data element published, wherein the publish object is a data structure with a plurality of data elements comprising a unique identifier, an identification of the native data element being published, a location of the native data element within the native data file, an identification of the published file where the native data element was initially published, a location of the published file, and a designation of whether the native data element is to be automatically republished upon a resave of the native data file;

subsequent to initially publishing the native data element, determining that the native data file has been resaved,

in response to determining that the native data file has been resaved, determining from each publish object whether the native data element is to be automatically republished, and

in response to determining that at least one native data element is to be automatically republished, retrieving the published file and republishing each native data element corresponding to a publish object indicating that the native data element is to be automatically republished into the published file.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the published data corresponding within the published file is identified by the unique identifier;

and

wherein republishing each native data element corresponding to a publish object indicating that the native data element is to be automatically republished into the published file further comprises;

translating each modified native data element into a published file format;

upon a resave of the native data element, locating the portion of the published data corresponding within the published file by way of the unique identifier; and

replacing the portion of the published data corresponding with the translated native data element.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein retrieving the published file further comprises:

determining the location of the published file by way of the publish object; and

retrieving the published file from the location.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein republishing each native data element corresponding to a publish object indicating that the native data element is to be automatically republished into the published file further comprises:

locating the published data within the published file by way of the unique identifier,

deleting the published data,

locating the native data element corresponding within the native data file by way of the publish object,

translating the native data element corresponding into a published file format, and

replacing the published data with the translated native data element.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display device;

and

wherein the publish object further identifies an alert string associated with the native data element, the alert string comprising a single alert to be displayed on the display device when the native data element is republished.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the alert string is determined by identifying a plurality of alerts that should be displayed when the native data element is republished, determining which of the plurality of alerts is most critical, and storing the most critical alert as the alert string.

19. A method for automatically republishing a portion of native data from a native data file associated with an application program into published data within a published file, comprising:

creating a publish object list, when initially publishing a portion of native data into a published file;

creating a publish object for each portion of native data published, wherein the publish object is a data structure with a plurality of data elements comprising a unique identifier, an identification of the portion of native data being published, a location of the portion of native data within the native data file, an identification of the published file where the portion of native data was initially published, a location of the published file, and a designation of whether the portion of native data is to be automatically republished upon a resave of the native data file;

incorporating the publish object into the publish object list;

subsequent to initially publishing the portion of the native data, determining that the native data file has been resaved;

in response to determining that the native data file has been resaved, determining from the publish object in the publish object list that the portion of the native data is to be automatically republished; and

in response to determining that the portion of the native data is to be automatically republished, retrieving the published file and republishing the portion of the native data into the published file.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the published data within the published file is identified by the unique identifier;

and

wherein republishing each portion of native data corresponding to a publish object indicating that the native data element is to be automatically republished into the published file further comprises;

translating each modified portion of native data into a published file format;

locating the published data corresponding within the published file by way of the unique identifier; and

replacing the published data corresponding with the translated portion of native data.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein retrieving the published file further comprises:

determining the location of the published file by way of the publish object; and

retrieving the published file from the location.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein republishing each portion of native data corresponding to a publish object indicating that the portion of native data is to be automatically republished into the published file further comprises:

locating the published data within the published file by way of the unique identifier,

deleting the published data,

locating the portion of native data corresponding within the native data file by way of the publish object,

translating the portion of native data corresponding into a published file format, and

replacing the published data with the translated portion of native data.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising a display device;

and

wherein the publish object further identifies an alert string associated with the native data element corresponding, the alert string comprising a single alert to be displayed on the display device when the native data element corresponding is republished.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the alert string is determined by identifying a plurality of alerts that should be displayed when the native data element corresponding is republished, determining which of the plurality of alerts is most critical, and storing the most critical alert as the alert string.