Identifying and representing changes between extensible markup language (XML) files using symbols with data element indication and direction indication

• US 8,984,396 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Architecture Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Architecture Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Tingstrom, Daniel James, Joyce, Robert A., Stillerman, Matthew A., Brueckner, Stephen Kurt, Bar, Haim Yehuda
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Yahao
• Application Number:
  US13/316,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20120109905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 715/229, 715/234, 707/690, 707/758
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/219 Managing data history or versioning querying versioned data G06F16/2474; querying temporal data G06F16/2477
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/146 Coding or compression of tree-structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/194 Calculation of difference between files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to techniques for providing comparing first and second XML files to one another. According to these techniques, a computing device (e.g., a version control service executing on the computing device), may be configured generate at least two edit transcripts that each include one or more operational changes that may be applied to data elements of the first XML file to arrive at data elements of the second XML file (or vice versa). The computing device may select at least one optimal edit transcript based on which of the number of operational changes of the at least two edit transcripts.

Claims

1. A method of identifying one or more differences between a first extensible markup language (XML) file and a second XML file, comprising:

determining a first plurality of symbols associated with the first XML file, wherein the first plurality of symbols comprises symbols that indicate a first plurality of data elements of the first XML file and a hierarchical arrangement of the first plurality of data elements of the first XML file, and wherein each symbol of the first plurality of symbols indicates a particular data element of the first plurality of data elements and further indicates a direction to arrive at the particular data element of the first plurality of data elements in a particular level of the first hierarchical arrangement;

determining a second plurality of symbols associated with the second XML file, wherein the second plurality of symbols comprises symbols that indicate a second plurality of data elements of the second XML file and a hierarchical arrangement of the second plurality of data elements of the second XML file, and wherein each symbol of the second plurality of symbols indicates a particular data element of the second plurality of data elements and further indicates a direction to arrive at the particular data element of the second plurality of data elements in a particular level of the second hierarchical arrangement;

comparing the first plurality of symbols with the second plurality of symbols;

determining, based on the comparing, a first edit transcript that comprises a first plurality of operational changes that may be applied to at least one of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the other of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols;

determining, based on the comparing, a second edit transcript that comprises a second plurality of operational changes that may be applied to at least one of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the other of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols; and

selecting one of the first edit transcript or the second edit transcript as an optimal edit transcript based on whether the first number of operational changes is less than the second number of operational changes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the selected optimal edit transcript to provide a user with a graphical indication of one or more differences between the first XML file and the second XML file.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the optimal edit transcript is a first optimal edit transcript, and further comprising:

determining at least one second optimal edit transcript that comprises a same number of changes as the first optimal edit transcript.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting one of the first optimal edit transcript or the at least one second optimal edit transcript.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

using the selected one of the first optimal edit transcript or the second optimal edit transcript to provide a user with a graphical indication of one or more differences between the first XML file and the second XML file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first XML file comprises a first web services descriptive language (WSDL) file that represents a first version of a first web service of a service oriented architecture (SOA) system, and the second XML file comprises a second WSDL file that represents a second version of the first web service of the SOA system;

and

wherein providing the user with a graphical indication of the one or more differences comprises providing a user with a graphical indication that executing the second version of the first web service within the SOA system will cause a change in operation to at least one second web service of the SOA system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number of operational changes and the second number of operational changes comprise one or more operational changes selected from the group consisting of:

a replacement of first data element by a second data element;

a substitution of the first data element by the second data element; and

insertion of a new data element in one of the first plurality of data elements or the second plurality of data elements.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a first vector comprising the first plurality of symbols by serializing a first plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements of the first XML file; and

generating a second vector comprising the second plurality of symbols by serializing a second plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements of the second XML file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of operational changes of the first edit transcript may be applied to the first plurality of symbols to arrive at the second plurality of symbols, and wherein the second plurality of operational changes of the second edit transcript may be applied to the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the first plurality of symbols.

10. A computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions configured to cause a computing device to:

determine a first plurality of symbols associated with a first XML file, wherein the first plurality of symbols comprises symbols that indicate a first plurality of data elements of the first XML file and a hierarchical arrangement of the first plurality of data elements of the first XML file, and wherein each symbol of the first plurality of symbols indicates a particular data element of the first plurality of data elements and further indicates a direction to arrive at the particular data element of the first plurality of data elements in a particular level of the first hierarchical arrangement;

determine a second plurality symbols associated with a second XML document, wherein the second plurality of symbols comprises symbols that indicate a second plurality of data elements of the second XML file and a hierarchical arrangement of the second plurality of data elements of the second XML file, and wherein each symbol of the second plurality of symbols indicates a particular data element of the second plurality of data elements and further indicates a direction to arrive at the particular data element of the second plurality of data elements in a particular level of the second hierarchical arrangement;

compare the first plurality of symbols with the second plurality of symbols;

determine, based on the comparing, a first edit transcript that comprises a first plurality of operational changes that may be applied to at least one of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the other of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols;

determine, based on the comparing, a second edit transcript that comprises a second plurality of operational changes that may be applied to at least one of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the other of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols; and

select one of the first edit transcript or the second edit transcript as an optimal edit transcript based on whether the first number of operational changes is less than the second number of operational changes.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

use the selected optimal edit transcript to provide a user with a graphical indication of one or more differences between the first XML file and the second XML file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the optimal edit transcript is a first optimal edit transcript, and wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

determine at least one second optimal edit transcript that comprises a same number of changes as the first optimal edit transcript.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

select one of the first optimal edit transcript or the at least one second optimal edit transcript.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

use the selected one of the first optimal edit transcript or the second optimal edit transcript to provide a user with a graphical indication of one or more differences between the first XML file and the second XML file.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first XML file comprises a first web services descriptive language (WSDL) file that represents a first version of a first web service of a service oriented architecture (SOA) system, and the second XML file comprises a second WSDL file that represents a second version of the first web service of the SOA system;

and

wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to provide the user with a graphical indication of the one or more differences by providing a user with a graphical indication that executing the second version of the first web service within the SOA system will cause a change in operation to at least one second web service of the SOA system.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first number of operational changes and the second number of operational changes comprise one or more operational changes selected from the group consisting of:

a replacement of first data element by a second data element;

a substitution of the first data element by the second data element; and

insertion of a new data element in one of the first plurality of data elements or the second plurality of data elements.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

generate a first vector comprising the first plurality of symbols by serializing a first plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements of the first XML file; and

generate a second vector comprising the second plurality of symbols by serializing a second plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements of the second XML file.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first plurality of operational changes of the first edit transcript may be applied to the first plurality of symbols to arrive at the second plurality of symbols, and wherein the second plurality of operational changes of the second edit transcript may be applied to the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the first plurality of symbols.

19. A device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a version control service (VCS) configured to;

determine a first plurality of symbols associated with the first XML file, wherein the first plurality of symbols comprises symbols that indicate a first plurality of data elements of the first XML file and a hierarchical arrangement of the first plurality of data elements of the first XML file, and wherein each symbol of the first plurality of symbols indicates a particular data element of the first plurality of data elements and further indicates a direction to arrive at the particular data element of the first plurality of data elements in a particular level of the first hierarchical arrangement;

determine a second plurality symbols associated with the second XML document, wherein the second plurality of symbols comprises symbols that indicate a second plurality of data elements of the second XML file and a hierarchical arrangement of the second plurality of data elements of the second XML file, and wherein each symbol of the second plurality of symbols indicates a particular data element of the second plurality of data elements and further indicates a direction to arrive at the particular data element of the second plurality of data elements in a particular level of the second hierarchical arrangement;

compare the first plurality of symbols with the second plurality of symbols;

determine, based on the comparing, a first edit transcript that comprises a first plurality of operational changes that may be applied to at least one of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the other of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols;

determine, based on the comparing, a second edit transcript that comprises a second plurality of operational changes that may be applied to at least one of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the other of the first plurality of symbols or the second plurality of symbols; and

select one of the first edit transcript or the second edit transcript as an optimal edit transcript based on whether the first number of operational changes is less than the second number of operational changes.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the VCS is further configured to:

use the selected optimal edit transcript to provide a user with a graphical indication of one or more differences between the first XML file and the second XML file.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the optimal edit transcript is a first optimal edit transcript, and wherein the VCS is further configured to:

determine at least one second optimal edit transcript that comprises a same number of changes as the first optimal edit transcript.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the VCS is further configured to:

select one of the first optimal edit transcript or the at least one second optimal edit transcript.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the VCS is further configured to:

use the selected one of the first optimal edit transcript or the second optimal edit transcript to provide a user with a graphical indication of one or more differences between the first XML file and the second XML file.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the first XML file comprises a first web services descriptive language (WSDL) file that represents a first version of a first web service of a service oriented architecture (SOA) system, and the second XML file comprises a second WSDL file that represents a second version of the first web service of the SOA system;

and

wherein the VCS is further configured to provide a user with a graphical indication that executing the second version of the first web service within the SOA system will cause a change in operation to at least one second web service of the SOA system.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the first number of operational changes and the second number of operational changes comprise one or more operational changes selected from the group consisting of:

a replacement of first data element by a second data element;

a substitution of the first data element by the second data element; and

insertion of a new data element in one of the first plurality of data elements or the second plurality of data elements.

26. The device of claim 19, wherein the VCS is further configured to:

generate a first vector comprising the first plurality of symbols by serializing a first plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements of the first XML file; and

generate a second vector comprising the second plurality of symbols by serializing a second plurality of hierarchically arranged data elements of the second XML file.

27. The device of claim 19, wherein the first plurality of operational changes of the first edit transcript may be applied to the first plurality of symbols to arrive at the second plurality of symbols, and wherein the second plurality of operational changes of the second edit transcript may be applied to the second plurality of symbols to arrive at the first plurality of symbols.