Resolving conflicts between actions that target elements of a hierarchical data structure

• US 8,195,694 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2004
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Vong, Frederick, Eppstein, Christopher Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US10/832,575
• Time in Patent Office: 2,962 Days
• Field of Search: 707100-101, 707102- 3, 707/203, 707 1- 10, 395/700
• US Class Current: 707/791
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4494 data driven

Abstract

A mechanism is disclosed for resolving conflicts between actions that target elements of a hierarchical data structure. Actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by an element of a target data structure are selected from among a plurality of specified actions. The selected actions are sorted by action type. Actions that conflict with a first-ordered action are determined. If the priority of the first-ordered action is the highest of the priorities of the conflicting actions, then the first-ordered action is performed and the other conflicting actions are canceled such that they are not performed relative to the element. Otherwise, the first-ordered action is canceled and processing continues with the next-ordered element. This conflict resolution technique may be applied to each of the remaining sorted actions in order, and for each element in the target data structure.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

determining a set of applicable actions that are applicable to an element of a target hierarchical data structure, wherein determining the set of applicable actions comprises automatically selecting, from among a plurality of actions, only actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the element of the target hierarchical data structure;

selecting a particular action from the set of applicable actions;

determining a set of conflicting actions that comprises the particular action and one or more actions in the set of applicable actions that conflict with the particular action;

determining whether the particular action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the set of conflicting actions;

in response to a determination that the particular action is associated with the highest priority;

performing the particular action relative to the element; and

canceling actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action such that the actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action are not performed relative to the element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the particular action is not associated with the highest priority, canceling the particular action such that the particular action is not performed relative to the element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a modifying data structure that is separate from the target hierarchical data structure.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a first modifying data structure; and

at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a second modifying data structure that is separate from the first modifying data structure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sorting actions in the set of applicable actions based on types of actions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that insert a first element into the target hierarchical data structure as a child element of a second element are of a first action type, and wherein sorting actions in the set of applicable actions comprises:

placing actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the first action type before actions in the set of applicable actions that are not of the first action type.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that remove an element from the target hierarchical data structure are of a second action type, and wherein sorting actions in the set of applicable actions comprises:

placing actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the second action type before actions in the set of applicable actions that are not of the first action type and not of the second action type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that insert a first element into the target hierarchical data structure as a child element of a second element are of a first action type, and wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that remove one or more child elements of the first element from the target hierarchical data structure conflict with actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the first action type.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a new element into the target data structure;

determining a second set of applicable actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the new element;

sorting actions in the second set of applicable actions based on action types of the actions in the second set of applicable actions;

determining a second set of conflicting actions that comprises a first-ordered action in the second set of applicable actions and one or more actions in the second set of applicable actions that conflict with the first-ordered action;

determining whether the first-ordered action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the second set of conflicting actions;

in response to a determination that the first-ordered action is associated with the highest priority among actions in the second set of conflicting actions;

performing the first-ordered action relative to the new element; and

canceling actions in the second set of conflicting actions other than the first-ordered action such that the actions in the second set of conflicting actions other than the first-ordered action are not performed relative to the new element.

10. A tangible machine-readable medium, comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a set of applicable actions that are applicable to an element of a target hierarchical data structure, wherein determining the set of applicable actions comprises automatically selecting, from among a plurality of actions, only actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the element of the target hierarchical data structure;

instructions for causing one or more processors to select a particular action from the set of applicable actions;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a set of conflicting actions that comprises the particular action and one or more actions in the set of applicable actions that conflict with the particular action;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether the particular action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the set of conflicting actions;

instructions for causing one or more processors to perform, in response to a determination that the particular action is associated with the highest priority, the particular action relative to the element; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to cancel, in response to a determination that the particular action is associated with the highest priority, actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action such that the actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action are not performed relative to the element.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to cancel, in response to a determination that the particular action is not associated with the highest priority, the particular action such that the particular action is not performed relative to the element.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a modifying data structure that is separate from the target hierarchical data structure.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein:

at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a first modifying data structure; and

at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a second modifying data structure that is separate from the first modifying data structure.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to sort actions in the set of applicable actions based on types of actions.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that insert a first element into the target hierarchical data structure as a child element of a second element are of a first action type, and wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to sort actions in the set of applicable actions comprise:

instructions for causing one or more processors to place actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the first action type before actions in the set of applicable actions that are not of the first action type.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that remove an element from the target hierarchical data structure are of a second action type, and wherein the instructions for causing one or more processors to sort actions in the set of applicable actions comprises:

instructions for causing one or more processors to place actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the second action type before actions in the set of applicable actions that are not of the first action type and not of the second action type.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that insert a first element into the target hierarchical data structure as a child element of a second element are of a first action type, and wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that remove one or more child elements of the first element from the target hierarchical data structure conflict with actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the first action type.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

instructions for causing one or more processors to insert a new element into the target data structure;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a second set of applicable actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the new element;

instructions for causing one or more processors to sort actions in the second set of applicable actions based on action types of the actions in the second set of applicable actions;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine a second set of conflicting actions that comprises a first-ordered action in the second set of applicable actions and one or more actions in the second set of applicable actions that conflict with the first-ordered action;

instructions for causing one or more processors to determine whether the first-ordered action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the second set of conflicting actions;

instructions for causing one or more processors to perform, in response to a determination that the first-ordered action is associated with the highest priority among actions in the second set of conflicting actions, the first-ordered action relative to the new element; and

instructions for causing one or more processors to cancel, in response to a determination that the first-ordered action is associated with the highest priority among actions in the second set of conflicting actions, actions in the second set of conflicting actions other than the first-ordered action such that the actions in the second set of conflicting actions other than the first-ordered action are not performed relative to the new element.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a mechanism for determining a set of applicable actions that are applicable to an element of a target hierarchical data structure, wherein the mechanism for determining the set of applicable actions comprises a mechanism for automatically selecting, from among a plurality of actions, only actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the element of the target hierarchical data structure;

a mechanism for selecting a particular action from the set of applicable actions;

a mechanism for determining a set of conflicting actions that comprises the particular action and one or more actions in the set of applicable actions that conflict with the particular action;

a mechanism for determining whether the particular action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the set of conflicting actions;

a mechanism for performing, in response to a determination that the particular action is associated with the highest priority, the particular action relative to the element; and

a mechanism for canceling, in response to a determination that the particular action is associated with the highest priority, actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action such that the actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action are not performed relative to the element.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a mechanism for canceling, in response to a determination that the particular action is not associated with the highest priority, the particular action such that the particular action is not performed relative to the element.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a modifying data structure that is separate from the target hierarchical data structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a first modifying data structure; and

at least one action in the set of applicable actions is specified in a second modifying data structure that is separate from the first modifying data structure.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a mechanism for sorting actions in the set of applicable actions based on types of actions.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that insert a first element into the target hierarchical data structure as a child element of a second element are of a first action type, and wherein the mechanism for sorting actions in the set of applicable actions comprises:

a mechanism for placing actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the first action type before actions in the set of applicable actions that are not of the first action type.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that remove an element from the target hierarchical data structure are of a second action type, and wherein the mechanism for sorting actions in the set of applicable actions comprises:

a mechanism for placing actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the second action type before actions in the set of applicable actions that are not of the first action type and not of the second action type.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that insert a first element into the target hierarchical data structure as a child element of a second element are of a first action type, and wherein actions in the set of applicable actions that remove one or more child elements of the first element from the target hierarchical data structure conflict with actions in the set of applicable actions that are of the first action type.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

a mechanism for inserting a new element into the target data structure;

a mechanism for determining a second set of applicable actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the new element;

a mechanism for sorting actions in the second set of applicable actions based on action types of the actions in the second set of applicable actions;

a mechanism for determining a second set of conflicting actions that comprises a first-ordered action in the second set of applicable actions and one or more actions in the second set of applicable actions that conflict with the first-ordered action;

a mechanism for determining whether the first-ordered action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the second set of conflicting actions;

a mechanism for performing, in response to a determination that the first-ordered action is associated with the highest priority among the actions in the second set of conflicting actions, the first-ordered action relative to the new element; and

a mechanism for canceling, in response to a determination that the first-ordered action is associated with the highest priority among the actions in the second set of conflicting actions, actions in the second set of conflicting actions other than the first-ordered action such that the actions in the second set of conflicting actions other than the first-ordered action are not performed relative to the new element.