Method and system for comparing and updating file trees
View Patent ↗The embodiments of the present invention provide a method for comparing file tree descriptions and generating a sequenced log of changes that transform an old file tree to a new file tree. According to one embodiment, the inputs to this comparator are two tree-structured descriptions called file tree indices, and the outputs are a sequence of file tree operations that can transform the old tree to the current tree. According to another embodiment, the comparator has two top level steps, where at step one it recursively goes through the old file tree index and compares each folder along with its children with that of the corresponding file tree generating a raw operation log, and at step two after the recursion is done, the comparator processes the raw operation log and optimizes certain sets of operations by transforming them into single operations.
1. A method for comparing file tree descriptions comprising:
by a computer having a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores a computer program, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to operate the computer as a file tree comparator:
obtaining a first file structure;
obtaining a second file structure;
comparing said first file structure to said second file structure;
generating a sequence log of changes that transform said first file structure to said second file structure; and
optimizing the sequence log of changes by detecting a creation operation and a deletion operation associated with the same file and replacing the creation operation and the deletion operation with a reparent operation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing further comprises:
recursively walking said first file structure.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first file structure is a file tree index.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said second file structure is a file tree index.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said comparing further comprises:
comparing one or more folders of said first file structure along with its children with a corresponding folder along with its children in said second file structure.
6. A system for comparing file tree descriptions comprising:
a processor executing instructions stored in a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, said processor operating as:
a file tree comparator performing:
obtaining and comparing a first file structure to a second file structure;
generating a sequence log of changes that transform said first file structure to said second file structure; and
optimizing the sequence log of changes by detecting a creation operation and a deletion operation associated with the same file and replacing the creation operation and the deletion operation with a reparent operation.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein comparing further comprises:
recursively walking said first file tree structure.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein said first file structure is a file tree index.
9. The system of claim 6 wherein said second file structure is a file tree index.
10. The system of claim 6 wherein comparing further comprises:
comparing one or more folders of said first file structure along with its children with a corresponding folder along with its children in said second file structure.
11. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method of comparing file tree descriptions, said method comprising:
obtaining a first file structure;
obtaining a second file structure;
comparing said first file structure to said second file structure;
generating a sequence log of changes that transform said first file structure to said second file structure; and
optimizing the sequence log changes by detecting a creation operation and a deletion operation associated with the same file and replacing the creation operation and the deletion operation with a reparent operation.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein comparing further comprises:
recursively walking said first file tree structure.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein said first file structure is a file tree index.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein said second file structure is a file tree index.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein comparing further comprises:
comparing one or more folders of said first file structure along with its children with a corresponding folder along with its children in said second file structure.