Structured-document management apparatus, search apparatus, storage method, search method and program

1. A method comprising:

storing a new structured document data item into storage which stores a plurality of structured document data items each including a plurality of elements, each element of each structured document data item being associated with a node indicating a position of that element in a document tree of the structured document data item containing that element;

acquiring a common structure including a plurality of nodes included in the structured document data items and the new structured document data item;

acquiring, using a computer processor, a differential structure between the common structure and a structure of the new structured document data item, said differential structure being defined at least in part by an identifier of the new structured document data item and a numeral sequence indicating the differential structure corresponding to the new structured document data item; and

storing an array of elements of the new structured document data item into the storage, the array being arranged based on the differential structure between the common structure and a structure of the new structured document data item, with a position of each element of the array corresponding to the position of the node associated with that element in the differential structure.

2. A method comprising:

searching for a desired element and identifying a certain structured document data item containing said element included in a plurality of structured document data items each including a plurality of elements;

recovering, using a computer processor, a structure of the certain structured document data item, based on a differential structure between the structure of the certain structured document data item and a common structure, the common structure including a plurality of nodes included in the structured document data items, and also including the nodes of the certain structured document data item, said differential structure being defined at least in part by an identifier of the certain structured document data item and a numeral sequence indicating the differential structure corresponding to the certain structured document data item; and

detecting the desired element from the recovered structure.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising acquiring position information indicating a position of the desired element in an array, based on a position of the desired element in the recovered structure, the array being formed of elements of the certain structured document data item arranged based on the differential structure.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use with a computer and storage, comprising computer-executable instructions for:

instructing the computer to store a plurality of structured document data items each including a plurality of elements, a new structured document data item stored by instruction of the program, each element of each structured document data item being associated with a node indicating a position of that element in a document tree of the structured document data item containing that element;

instructing the computer to acquire a common structure including a plurality of nodes included in the structured document data items and the new structured document data item;

instructing the computer to acquire a differential structure between the common structure and a structure of the new structured document data item, said differential structure being defined at least in part by an identifier of the new structured document data item and a numeral sequence indicating the differential structure corresponding to the new structured document data item; and

instructing the computer to store an array of elements of the new structured document data item into the storage, the array being arranged based on the differential structure between the common structure and a structure of the new structured document data item, with a position of each element of the array corresponding to the position of the node associated with that element in the differential structure.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for use with a computer and storage, comprising computer-executable instructions for:

instructing the computer to store a plurality of structured document data items each including a plurality of elements, the instructions serving as a search apparatus for searching for a desired element and identifying from said structured document data items a certain structured document data item that contains said element;

instructing the computer to recover the structure of the certain structured document data item, based on a differential structure between the structure of the certain structured document data item and a common structure, the common structure including a plurality of nodes included in the structured document data items, and also including the nodes of the certain structured document data item, said differential structure being defined at least in part by an identifier of the certain structured document data item and a numeral sequence indicating the differential structure corresponding to the certain structured document data item; and

instructing the computer to detect the desired element from the recovered structure.

6. A structured-document management apparatus comprising:

data storage which stores a plurality of structured document data items each including a plurality of elements, each element of each structured document data item being associated with a node indicating a position of that element in a document tree of the structured document data item containing that element;

common-structure storage which stores a common structure including a plurality of the nodes included in the structured document data items;

a first acquisition unit configured to acquire a new structured document data item;

an update unit configured to update the common structure into a new common structure including nodes included in the new structured document data item;

a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a differential structure between the new common structure and a structure of the new structured document data item, said differential structure being defined at least in part by an identifier of the new structured document data item and a numeral sequence indicating the differential structure corresponding to the new structured document data item; and

a storing unit configured to store an array of elements of the new structured document data item, the array being arranged based on the differential structure, with a position of each element of the array corresponding to the position of the node associated with that element in the differential structure.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the second acquisition unit is configured to acquire the differential structure which includes information indicating whether each element of the new common structure exists, and information indicating how many times a sub-structure of the new structured document data item is detected.

8. A search apparatus comprising:

storage which stores a plurality of structured document data items each including a plurality of elements;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a search condition for searching for a desired element included in the elements; and

a search unit configured to search for the desired element and identify from said structured document data items a certain structured document data item that contains said element, the search unit including:

a reconstructing unit configured to recover the structure of the certain structured document data item, based on a differential structure between the structure of the certain structured document data item and a common structure, the common structure including a plurality of structures included in the structured document data items, and also including the structure of the certain structured document data item, said differential structure being defined at least in part by an identifier of the certain structured document data item and a numeral sequence indicating the differential structure corresponding to the certain structured document data item; and

a detecting unit configured to detect the desired element from the recovered structure of the certain structured document data item.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein:

each element of each structured document data item is associated with a node indicating a position of that element in a document tree of the structured document data item containing that element;

the storage is configured to store an array of the elements of the certain structured document data item, the array being arranged based on the differential structure; and

the search unit is configured to acquire position information indicating a position of the desired element in the array, based on a position of the desired element in the recovered structure of the certain structured document data item.