Method and system for managing volumes within a compilation of content

• US 9,003,282 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Baer, William J., Barker, James A., Hanapole, Edward, Hartman, Robert C. Jr., Johnson, Eugene Jr., Kao, I-Ming, Murray, Janet L., Robertson, Jerry D. III, Walkus, Richard W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US11/831,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,807 Days
• Field of Search: 715/200, 715/234, 715/243, 715/244, 715/251, 715/255
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/252 between a Database Management System and a front-end application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/114 Pagination

Abstract

A web-based system, method and program product are provided for adding content to a content object stored (e.g., a custom compilation or prepublished work) in a data repository as a group of hierarchically related content entities. Each noncontainer content object is preferably stored as a separate entity in the data repository. Each content entity is also stored as a row in a digital library index class as a collection of attributes and references to related content entities and containers. As the user selects desired objects for inclusion in a content object, the system arranges the objects hierarchically, e.g., into volumes, chapters and sections according to the order specified by the user. The system then creates a file object (e.g., a CBO) defining the content object that contains a list or outline of the container and noncontainer entities selected, their identifiers, order and structure. This file object is stored separately in the data repository. An aspect of the invention is the calculation of the compilation'"'"'s cost by estimating the amount of content it contains and determining a content cost based upon the content estimate. Optionally, a cost is assigned to each content entity in the data repository and these actual costs are summed as part of the cost estimation procedure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing containers within a compilation, comprising:

generating an outline of the compilation as a separate data object in a data repository, wherein the outline includes a hierarchical arrangement of identifiers of selected content entities providing content and the hierarchical arrangement indicates locations of the selected content entities within containers of the compilation;

in response to an alteration of the content within the compilation, reorganizing at least one content entity among a current container and at least one other container so that an amount of content of content entities remaining in the current container complies with a predetermined container size;

updating the hierarchical arrangement of identifiers of the outline, of the compilation based on the reorganizing of the at least one content entity; and

deleting the current container in response to the current container becoming empty after the reorganizing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one content entity comprises one of a container and a noncontainer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the compilation is a book and the at least one content entity is one of a chapter and a section.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined container size is measured with respect to a quantity of pages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alteration of content is caused by at least one of addition, deletion, and movement of content within the compilation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the compilation includes at least one container containing a plurality of content entities selected for and arranged in the compilation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other container is a newly created container within the compilation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other container is immediately succeeding the current container within the compilation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other container is immediately preceding the current container within the compilation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the current container and the at least one other container include one of text content, image content, audio content, and video content.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

in response to the reorganizing at least one content entity, balancing content entities among the containers until each container satisfies the predetermined container size, wherein the balancing is based on size of the content entities, the predetermined container size, and content within the containers.

12. The method of claim 1, further including:

in response to the reorganizing at least one content entity, balancing content entities among the containers to satisfy the predetermined container size for each container, wherein the balancing includes for each container;

reorganizing at least one content entity among at least one succeeding container in response to that container exceeding the predetermined container size; and

reorganizing at least one content entity among at least one preceding container in response to that container satisfying the predetermined container size and sufficient space being available in the at least one preceding container.

13. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for managing containers within a compilation, the method comprising:

generating an outline of the compilation as a separate data object in a data repository, wherein the outline includes a hierarchical arrangement of identifiers of selected content entities providing content and the hierarchical arrangement indicates locations of the selected content entities within containers of the compilation;

in response to an alteration of the content within the compilation, reorganizing at least one content entity among a current container and at least one other container so that an amount of content of content entities remaining in the current container complies with a predetermined container size;

updating the hierarchical arrangement of identifiers of the outline of the compilation based on the reorganizing of the at least one content entity; and

deleting the current container in response to the current container becoming empty after the reorganizing.

14. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the at least one content entity comprises one of a container and a noncontainer.

15. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the compilation is a hook and the at least one content entity is one of a chapter and a section.

16. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the predetermined container size is measured with respect to a quantity of pages.

17. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the alteration of content is caused by at least one of addition, deletion, and movement of content within the compilation.

18. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the compilation includes at least one container containing a plurality of content entities selected for and arranged in the compilation.

19. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the at least one other container is a newly created container within the compilation.

20. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the at least one other container is immediately succeeding the current container within the compilation.

21. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the at least one other container is immediately preceding the current container within the compilation.

22. The program storage device of claim 13, wherein the current container and the at least one other container include one of text content, image content, audio content, and video content.

23. A system for managing containers within a compilation, comprising:

a computer system with a processor configured to;

generate an outline of the compilation as a separate data object in a data repository, wherein the outline includes a hierarchical arrangement of identifiers of selected content entities providing content and the hierarchical arrangement indicates locations of the selected content entities within containers of the compilation;

in response to an alteration of the content within the compilation, reorganize at least one content entity among a current container and at least one other container so that an amount of content of content entities remaining in the current container complies with a predetermined container size;

update the hierarchical arrangement of identifiers of the outline of the compilation based on the reorganizing of the at least one content entity; and

delete the current container in response to the current container becoming empty after the reorganizing.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one content entity comprises one of a container and a noncontainer.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the compilation is a book and the at least one content entity is one of a chapter and a section.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the predetermined container size is measured with respect to a quantity of pages.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the alteration of content is caused by at least one of addition, deletion, and movement of content within the compilation.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the compilation includes at least one container containing a plurality of content entities selected for and arranged in the compilation.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one other container is a newly created container within the compilation.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one other container is immediately succeeding the current container within the compilation.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one other container is immediately preceding the current container within the compilation.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein the current container and the at least one other container include one of text content, image content, audio content, and video content.