Comparing versions of a hierarchical object
View Patent ↗A hierarchical object is exported from a first electronic system to a second electronic system, where the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems, and where a baseline version of the hierarchical object is created. A first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system is compared against the baseline version, to form a first data structure identifying any changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version. A second data structure is received identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version. A visualization based on the first and second data structures is provided.
1. A method comprising:
exporting a hierarchical object from a first electronic system to a second electronic system, wherein the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems, and wherein a baseline version of the hierarchical object is created;
comparing, by the first electronic system, a first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system against the baseline version, to form a first data structure identifying changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version;
receiving, by the first electronic system, a second data structure identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version, wherein each of the first and second data structures includes comparison nodes that represent respective entities of the first and second versions and depict how each of the first and second versions of the hierarchical object has changed from the baseline version; and
providing a visualization based on the first and second data structures, the visualization displaying the comparison nodes of the first and second data structures in respective first and second screens, wherein each of the comparison nodes of the first data structure has a corresponding comparison node in the second data structure, and wherein the comparison nodes of the first data structure are aligned with corresponding comparison nodes of the second data structure.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the comparison nodes comprises displaying status indicators associated with the comparison nodes, wherein each status indicator provides a status change indication of a corresponding entity of the hierarchical object.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the status change indication is for indicating whether the corresponding entity of the hierarchical object has been added, deleted, or modified.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating links between comparison nodes of the first data structure and comparison nodes of the second data structure.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the second data structure comprises receiving the second data structure based on comparing the second version with the first version at the first electronic system.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising associating a ghost indicator with at least one of the comparison nodes of the first data structure or second data structure to indicate that a respective entity does not actually exist.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein associating the ghost indicator with the at least one of the comparison nodes of the first data structure or second data structure is performed in response to deletion of a corresponding entity from the corresponding first or second version of the hierarchical object.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein associating the ghost indicator with the at least one of the comparison nodes of the first data structure or second data structure is performed in response to moving a corresponding entity within the corresponding first or second version of the hierarchical object.
9. A method comprising:
exporting a hierarchical object from a first electronic system to a second electronic system, wherein the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems, and wherein a baseline version of the hierarchical object is created;
comparing, by the first electronic system, a first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system against the baseline version, to form a first data structure identifying any changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version;
receiving, by the first electronic system, a second data structure identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version;
providing a visualization based on the first and second data structures; and
associating a ghost indicator in the visualization with a particular comparison node of the first data structure to indicate that a respective entity of the hierarchical object does not actually exist in the first version but exists in the second version, and where the respective entity also does not exist in the baseline version.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein associating the ghost indicator with the particular comparison node of the first data structure is performed in response to addition of the respective entity in the second version of the hierarchical object.
11. A first electronic system comprising:
a storage media to store a first library and a baseline library, wherein the baseline library is created at a particular point in time, and wherein the first library is a modified version of the baseline library; and
a processor to:
export the baseline library to a second electronic system to provide a second library at the second electronic system, wherein the second library is a modified version of the baseline library, and wherein each of the baseline library, first library, and second library has a hierarchical arrangement of entities;
compare the baseline library to each of the first and second libraries;
produce result trees based on the comparing, wherein each of the result trees includes a hierarchical arrangement of comparison nodes based on the hierarchical arrangements of the baseline library and a corresponding one of the first and second libraries; and
align the comparison nodes of a first of the result trees with the comparison nodes of a second of the result trees, wherein each of the comparison nodes of the first result tree has a corresponding comparison node in the second result tree.
12. The first electronic system of claim 11 , wherein each of the result trees has a corresponding comparison node for each of the entities present in the baseline library.
13. The first electronic system of claim 12 , wherein each comparison node in each of the result trees that corresponds to an entity in the corresponding first or second library but not to an entity in the baseline library is marked as added.
14. The first electronic system of claim 12 , wherein each comparison node in each of the result trees that corresponds to an entity in the baseline library but not to an entity in the corresponding first or second library is marked as deleted.
15. The first electronic system of claim 12 , wherein each comparison node in the first result tree corresponding to the first library that corresponds to an entity added to the second library that is not added to the first library and that is not present in the baseline library is marked as a ghost node.
16. The first electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the entities of the baseline, first, and second libraries represent intellectual assets.
17. An article comprising at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing instructions that upon execution cause a first electronic system to:
export a hierarchical object to a second electronic system, wherein the hierarchical object is modifiable at each of the first and second electronic systems;
upon exporting, create a baseline version of the hierarchical object;
compare a first version of the hierarchical object at the first electronic system against the baseline version to form a first data structure identifying changes between the first version of the hierarchical object and the baseline version;
receive a second data structure identifying changes between a second version of the hierarchical object at the second electronic system and the baseline version, wherein each of the first and second data structures includes comparison nodes that represent respective entities of the first and second versions and depict how each of the first and second versions of the hierarchical object has changed from the baseline version; and
provide a visualization of changes of the first and second versions with respect to the baseline version based on the first and second data structures, the visualization displaying the comparison nodes of the first and second data structures in respective first and second screens, wherein each of the comparison nodes of the first data structure has a corresponding comparison node in the second data structure, and the comparison nodes of the first data structure are aligned with corresponding comparison nodes of the second data structure.
18. The article of claim 17 , wherein the instructions upon execution cause the first electronic system to further:
associate a ghost indicator with a particular comparison node of the first data structure to indicate that a respective entity of the hierarchical object does not actually exist in the first version but exists in the second version, and where the respective entity also does not exist in the baseline version.