Method for managing file replication in applications

• US 7,389,309 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 06/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Saliba, Hani, Liu, Hai, Rayson, Steven James, Edelstein, Noah
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus; Jean M
• Application Number:
  US10/376,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,936 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/203, 707/8, 707/200, 707/201, 715/229, 717/108, 717/170
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method for managing a first and second version of an electronic file is disclosed. In the method, first and second versions of an electronic file are recognized and a synchronization event is initiated. An application program interface accesses the first and second versions, compares information associated with each, generates a result and reports the result to the first software application. A second software application generates a user interface in accordance with a feature of the second software application, where the electronic file is associated with the second software application, and the user interface is displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executing on a computer system comprising a processor and a memory, the method for managing a first and second version of an electronic file, the method comprising:

initiating, using a first software application executing on the processor, a synchronization event to synchronize the first version with the second version;

causing, by the first software application, an application program interface of the computer system to access said first and second versions;

comparing, by the application program interface, information associated with each of said first and second versions and generating a result;

reporting, by the application program interface, the result of the comparison to the first software application;

causing, by the application program interface, and in response to the result, a second software application executing on the processor to generate a user interface in accordance with a feature of the second software application, the generated user interface being presented to a user within the second software application, the electronic file being associated with the second software application;

opening the first and second versions of the electronic file, by the second software application and presenting such opened first and second versions to the user;

presenting, by the second software application, a synchronization option to the user with regard to the presented versions using the generated user interface of the second software application, the synchronization option being provided by the second software application;

receiving, by the second software application, user input from the user by way of the user interface;

automatically synchronizing, by the second software application, the first and second versions according to the user input received by way of the user interface; and

automatically synchronizing the first and second versions comprises merging the first and second versions into a third version according to input received from the user interface while remaining in the user interface of the second software application and overwriting the first and second versions with the third version.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second software applications are the same application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the result of said comparing step is a synchronization status of the first and second versions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first version is stored on a first computer, and the second version is stored on a second computer, and said first and second computers are operatively connected by a communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third version of the electronic file comprises a portion of the first version of the electronic file and a portion of the second version of the electronic file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of presenting a synchronization option further comprises displaying the first and second versions in the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application detecting information associated with the first version of the electronic file indicative of the second version of the electronic file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application opening the first version of the electronic file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application saving the first version of the electronic file to a storage device of the computer system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application recognizing the first version and second version.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method for managing a first and second version of an electronic file, the method comprising:

initiating, using a first software application, a synchronization event to synchronize the first version on a first computer with the second version;

causing, by the first software application, an application program interface to access said first and second versions;

comparing, by the application program interface, information associated with each of said first and second versions and generating a result;

reporting, by the application program interface, the result of the comparison to the first software application;

causing, by the application program interface, and in response to the result, a second software application to generate a user interface in accordance with a feature of the second software application, the generated user interface being presented to a user within the second software application, the electronic file being associated with the second software application;

opening the first and second versions of the electronic file, by the second software application and presenting such opened first and second versions to the user;

presenting, by the second software application, a synchronization option to the user with regard to the presented versions using the generated user interface of the second software application, the synchronization option being provided by the second software application;

receiving, by the second software application, user input from the user by way of the user interface;

automatically synchronizing, by the second software application, the first and second versions according to the user input received by way of the user interface; and

automatically synchronizing the first and second versions comprises merging the first and second versions into a third version according to input received from the user interface while remaining in the user interface of the second software application and overwriting the first and second versions with the third version.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first and second software applications are the same application.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the result of said comparing step is a synchronization status of the first and second versions.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first version is stored on a first computer, and the second version is stored on a second computer, and said first and second computers are operatively connected by a communications network.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein, said third version comprises a portion of the second version of the electronic file.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein said step of presenting a synchronization option farther comprises displaying the first and second versions in the user interface.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application detecting information associated with the first version of the electronic file indicative of the second version of the electronic file.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application opening the first version of the electronic file.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application saving the first version of the electronic file to a storage device of the first computer.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the step of initiating the synchronization event occurs upon the first software application recognizing the first version and second version.

21. A computer-implemented method executing on a computer system comprising a processor and a memory, the method for managing a first and second version of an electronic file, the method comprising:

initiating, using a first software application executing on the processor, a synchronization event to synchronize the first version on the first computer with the second version upon the recognition of the first version of the electronic file, the second version of the electronic file, or the first version and the second version of the electronic file;

causing, by the first software application, an application program interface of the computer system to access said first and second versions;

comparing, by the application program interface, information associated with each of said first and second versions and generating a result;

the result being a synchronization status of the first and second versions;

reporting, by the application program interface, the result of the comparison to the first software application;

displaying the first and second versions in a user interface;

causing, by the application program interface, and in response to the result, a second software application executing on the processor to generate a user interface in accordance with a feature of the second software application, the generated user interface being presented to a user within the second software application, the electronic file being associated with the second software application;

opening the first and second versions of the electronic file, by the second software application and presenting such opened first and second versions to the user;

presenting, by the second software application, a synchronization option to the user with regard to the presented versions using the generated user interface of the second software application, the synchronization option being provided by the second software application;

receiving, by the second software application, user input from the user by way of the user interface;

automatically synchronizing, by the second software application, the first and second versions according to the user input received by way of the user interface; and

automatically synchronizing the first and second versions comprises merging the first and second versions into a third version according to input received from the user interface while remaining in the user interface of the second software application and overwriting the first and second versions with the third version.