Web site content change management

• US 7,240,077 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Lopez, Gus, Treder, Douglas, Edelman, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSBORNE, LUKE R
• Application Number:
  US10/335,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• Field of Search: 707/103.R, 707/203, 707/10, 705/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A facility for specifying and previewing changes to a web site is described. Sets of changes to a web site are scheduled for release at a specified time. While the changes are being specified using a tool/interface, methods for showing the change as it will appear on the live web site are implemented. Inconsistencies between specified changes and changes in future releases may be identified as the changes are specified. Web page preview functionality is provided to allow any release to be viewed before publication to a live web site. The preview further allows inconsistencies between selected changes and changes in other future releases to be identified.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for specifying changes to a web site, the method comprising:

in the computer system, receiving a request for a first change to the web site, the first change scheduled for release at a first specified time;

in the computer system, receiving information for the first change;

prior to the specified time for release of the first change, in the computer system, receiving a request for a second change to the web site, the second change scheduled for release at a second specified time;

in the computer system, applying the first change and the second change in a preview page environment associated with the web site to automatically determine whether the release of the second change would result in an inconsistency once both the first change and the second change are released; and

where the release of the second change would result in an inconsistency, in the computer system, providing an indication of the inconsistency.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first change is scheduled for release prior to the second change.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second change is scheduled for release prior to the first change.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the requests for change are made using a tool for specifying the display of products on the web site.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the requests for change are made using a tool for specifying the browsing structure of the web site.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the requests for change are made using a tool for adding images to the web site.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the requests for change are made using a tool for adding new products to the web site.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication of the inconsistency is a warning message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the inconsistency is a broken dependency.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first change is scheduled for release prior to the second change and wherein the first change is a deletion of a parent browse node and the second change is an addition of a child browse node to the parent browse node deleted by the first change.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the second change is scheduled for release prior to the first change and wherein the first change is an is an addition of a child browse node to a parent browse node and the second change is a deletion of the parent browse node.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first change is scheduled for release prior to the second change and wherein the first change is a modification of an image and the second change is a modification of a textual description associated with the modified image.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the determining includes:

retrieving data associated with the first change according to a process for generating the web site as specified by the first change; and

analyzing the second change to determine if data associated with the second change is consistent with the retrieved data.

14. In a system for releasing new content on a live web site, a method comprising:

providing an indication of saved releases, each of the saved releases scheduled for future release at a specified time;

receiving a selection of at least one of the saved releases to preview;

generating a preview of the at least one selected saved release, wherein generating the preview includes;

automatically identifying one or more saved releases scheduled to occur prior to the selected saved release;

automatically determining changes to a page of the web site that will occur after the identified saved releases and the selected saved release are applied to the web site in chronological order;

applying the determined changes to at least one preview page that provides a simulation of how the live web site will appear after the identified saved releases and the selected saved release are applied; and

displaying the at least one preview page.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

where there is an inconsistency between the changes in the selected saved release and the identified saved releases, identifying the inconsistency; and

providing an indication of the inconsistency on the displayed resulting page of the web site.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the indication of the inconsistency is a warning message displayed with information related to the inconsistency.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the indication of the inconsistency is a warning message displayed on the resulting page of the web site.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the indication of the inconsistency is displayed on a preview page, wherein the preview page is generated using a single code path, and wherein the single code path used to generate the preview page is also configured to generate the live web site after the selected release is scheduled to occur.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the indication of the inconsistency is displayed on a preview page, wherein the preview page is generated using data, and wherein the data used to generate the preview page is also configurable to generate the live web site after the selected release is scheduled to occur.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the indication of saved releases are provided in a report, the report indicating each change associated with the selected saved release.

21. The method of claim 14 including providing an option to approve the selected saved release.

22. The method of claim 14 including providing an option to modify the selected saved release.

23. The method of claim 14 including providing an option to modify the identified saved releases.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes deletion of a browse node.

25. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes addition of a browse node.

26. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes addition of a product description.

27. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes addition of an image.

28. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes addition of a product-specific image.

29. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes a selection of a page layout.

30. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes addition of non-product-specific content.

31. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes addition of automated content.

32. The method of claim 14 wherein the selected release includes deletion of web site content.

33. A system for releasing new content on a web site, the system comprising:

means for providing an indication of saved releases, the saved releases scheduled for future release at a specified time;

means for receiving a selection of a saved release;

means for identifying saved releases scheduled to occur prior to the selected saved release; and

means for generating a report, the report indicating each change associated with the selected saved release, and for each change, providing a link to a preview page, the preview page providing a simulation of how the web site would appear if the identified saved releases and the selected saved releases were applied to at least one page of the web site in chronological order.

34. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing system to provide services for creating content changes for a web site, by a method comprising:

receiving a request for a first release, the first release scheduled for release at a first specified time;

based on the received request for a first release, providing at least one tool for receiving information for the first release;

receiving information for the first release via the provided at least one tool;

prior to the specified time for the first release, receiving a request for a second release, the second release scheduled for release at a second specified time, wherein the second specified time occurs after the first specified time;

based on the request, providing the at least one tool for receiving information related to the second release, the at least one tool providing an indication of the received information for the first release; and

after receiving the information related to the second release, applying the first change and the second change in a preview page environment associated with the web site to automatically determine whether performance of the second release would result in an inconsistency once both the first release and the second release are performed.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for adding product descriptions to the web site.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for adding images to the web site.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for adding product-specific images to the web site.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for selecting a page layout for the web site.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for creating non-product-specific content for the web site.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for scheduling automated content for the web site.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the at least one tool includes a tool for specifying a browsing structure for the web site.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving stored data objects associated with the first release.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the indication of the inconsistency is a warning message.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the indication of the indication of the inconsistency is presented on a preview page of the web site showing changes that will result when the first release and the second release is published to the live web site.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the first release includes a deletion of a browse node and the second release includes an addition of a child browse node to the browse node deleted in the first release.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 34 wherein the first release includes a deletion of a browse node and the second release includes an addition of new or modified product information, wherein the product information is related to the browse node deleted in the first release.

47. A computer-readable medium containing a data structure for use in a system for modifying content on a web site, the data structure including, for each of a plurality of releases, a release specification comprising:

a scheduled release time; and

an indication of a composite of data stored in a data store and managed by a plurality of release services, the composite of data corresponding to a set of changes to be made to the web site at the scheduled release time and providing a specification for generating a preview page using the plurality of release services, wherein the preview page provides a simulation of how the web site would appear if the set of changes associated with each of the plurality of releases with a scheduled release time that occurs on or before a specified time was applied to the web site.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47 wherein for each of the plurality of releases, the indication of composite data provides a specification for generating a live web page at the corresponding scheduled release time, the live web page generated using the plurality of release services.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 47 wherein the preview page is configured to identify inconsistencies between changes in a selected release and a baseline.