Annotation validity using partial checksums

• US 8,140,964 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cragun, Brian J., Rapp, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, THU V
• Application Number:
  US12/113,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,420 Days
• Field of Search: 715230-233, 715254-255, 715/229
• US Class Current: 715/230
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a system, method and article of manufacture for validating annotations describing one or more portions of a data object. In general, prior to displaying a requested annotation, a current change detection value may be calculated from current data extracted from portions of the data object described by the annotation. The current change detection value may be compared to a previously saved change detection value calculated from data extracted from the portions of the data object at the time the annotation was generated. A mismatch in the current change detection value and the previously saved change detection value indicates a change in the annotated portions of the data object, which may render the annotation invalid. The annotated portions of the data object may be continuous or discontinuous.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a program which, when executed by a processor, performs operations comprising:

receiving, from a user, a request for an annotation for one or more portions of a data object;

prior to receiving the request for the annotation;

creating the requested annotation;

calculating a previous change detection value; and

creating an annotation record containing at least an index to the one or more portions, the previous change detection value, and the requested annotation;

calculating a current change detection value for data extracted from the one or more portions in response to receiving the request;

comparing the current change detection value to the previous change detection value calculated for data extracted from the one or more portions prior to receiving the request; and

upon determining that the current change detection value and the previous change detection value do not match, indicating to the user that the requested annotation is invalid due to a change in the one or more portions of the data object by generating a message that provides the user with the option of overwriting the previous change detection value with the current change detection value.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing the user with options comprising at least one of:

editing the annotation;

overwriting the previous change detection value with the current change detection value to reflect the change in the one or more portions of the data object; and

deleting the annotation.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more portions of the data object comprise discontinuous portions.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, further comprising:

extracting data from the one or more portions of the data object to a buffer; and

calculating the change detection value on the data extracted to the buffer.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising storing the annotation record in an annotation database.

6. An annotation system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, comprising;

an annotation database;

an annotation generation component which, when executed by the processor, is configured to generate an annotation for one or more portions of a data object, calculate at least a first change detection value on data extracted from the on one or more portions of the data object, create an annotation record containing the first change detection value and the generated annotation, and store the annotation record in the annotation database; and

an annotation validation component which, when executed by the processor, is configured to calculate at least a second change detection value on data extracted from the one or more portions of the data object in response to receiving a request for the generated annotation from a user, compare the first and second change detection values, and provide an indication to the user that the one or more portions of the data object have changed if the first and second change detection values do not match by generating a message, and wherein the annotation validation component is further configured to provide the user with the option of overwriting the first change detection value with the second change detection value.

7. The annotation system of claim 6, wherein the one or more portions of the data object comprise discontinuous data elements.

8. The annotation system of claim 6, wherein the annotation generation component and the annotation validation component are configured to calculate change detection values for each of the one or more portions of the data object.

9. The annotation system of claim 6, wherein the generated message includes the requested annotation.

10. The annotation system of claim 6, wherein the annotation validation component is further configured to provide the user with the options of editing or deleting the requested annotation.

11. A method for determining validity of annotations, comprising:

(a) providing a plurality of annotations of a data object containing a plurality of annotated portions, each annotated portion being referenced by one of the plurality of annotations, wherein the plurality of annotated portions includes at least two discontinuous portions; and

(b) for each annotation of the data object;

(i) calculating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a current change detection value for data in a respective annotated portion of the data object referenced by the annotation;

(ii) comparing the current change detection value to a previous change detection value calculated for data in the annotated portion referenced by the annotation; and

(iii) upon determining that the current change detection value and the previous change detection value do not match, providing an indication that the annotation is possibly invalid due to a change in data in the annotated portion object by generating a message that provides the user with the option of overwriting the previous change detection value with the current change detection value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing an indication that the annotation is possibly invalid due to a change in data comprises displaying the annotated portion referenced by the annotation and providing an indication that the annotated portion referenced by the annotation has changed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing an indication that the annotated portion referenced by the annotation has changed comprises at least one of:

changing an appearance of the displayed annotated portion referenced by the annotation; and

adding, removing, or changing a graphical icon.

14. A method for determining validity of annotations in a data object, comprising:

(a) calculating, by operation of one or more computer processors, a single current change detection value for data in a plurality of annotated portions of the data object, wherein each of the annotated portions is referenced by a different annotation selected from a plurality of annotations, and wherein the single current change detection value is calculated only for the annotated portions of the data object, and wherein the plurality of annotated portions contains at least two discontinuous portions;

(b) comparing the single current change detection value to a previous change detection value calculated for data in the plurality of annotated portions of the data object; and

(c) upon determining that the single current change detection value and the previous change detection value do not match, providing an indication that at least one of the annotations in the data object is possibly invalid due to a change in data in the plurality of annotated portions object by generating a message that provides the user with the option of overwriting the previous change detection value with the single current change detection value.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the data object contains at least one unannotated portion, and wherein the calculated single current change detection value is not calculated for the at least one unannotated portion of the data object.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein providing an indication that the at least one of the annotations in the data object is possibly invalid due to a change in data comprises:

displaying at least one annotated portion referenced by the at least one of the annotations; and

providing an indication that the at least one annotated portion has changed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein providing an indication that the at least one annotated portion has changed comprises at least one of:

changing an appearance of the displayed annotated portion referenced by the annotation; and

one or more of adding, removing, or changing a graphical icon.