Data synchronization transparent to application
View Patent ↗Synchronization of data accessible by an application program is performed transparent to the application program. After a data item is instantiated by the application program, the synchronization engine performs data synchronization without or with minimal intervention of the application program. The synchronization engine may be part of an operating system. The synchronization engine is preinstalled on a computing device; therefore, application program developers can simply define whether the data items associated with the application programs should be syncable, and if so, to what extent the data items should be syncable. The application program developer is relieved of the task of developing the synchronization engine or other software components associated with data synchronization.
1. A method of operating a computing device, the method being performed by one or more processors and comprising:
operating an application that accesses a data item associated with the application;
using a lock table, modifying, in an attributes table, an entry from a first value to a second value to prevent the data item from being syncable, the entry corresponding to the data item in order;
determining that the application has finished accessing the data item; and
in response to determining that the application has finished accessing the data item, modifying the entry back from the second value to the first value to enable the data item to be syncable;
wherein the lock table defines data to be locked from synchronization while the data item is being accessed by the application.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data item corresponds to at least one of a calendar entry, a contact information, a message, or an image.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attributes table includes a category table, and wherein modifying the entry includes modifying an entry of the category table so that a category of data items having a same category as the data item is prevented from being synchronized.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attributes table includes a local-only table, and wherein modifying the entry includes modifying an entry of the local-only table so that the data item is individually configured to be prevented from being synchronized.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attributes table includes a field table, and wherein modifying the entry includes modifying an entry of the field table so that a particular field of the data item can be individually configured to be prevented from being synchronized.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:
operating an application that accesses a data item associated with the application;
using a lock table, modifying, in an attributes table, an entry from a first value to a second value to prevent the data item from being syncable, the entry corresponding to the data item in order;
determining that the application has finished accessing the data item; and
in response to determining that the application has finished accessing the data item, modifying the entry back from the second value to the first value to enable the data item to be syncable;
wherein the lock table defines data to be locked from synchronization while the data item is being accessed by the application.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the data item corresponds to at least one of a calendar entry, a contact information, a message, or an image.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the attributes table includes a category table, and wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to modify the entry by modifying an entry of the category table so that a category of data items having a same category as the data item is prevented from being synchronized.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the attributes table includes a local-only table, and wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to modify the entry by modifying an entry of the local-only table so that the data item is individually configured to be prevented from being synchronized.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the attributes table includes a field table, and wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to modify the entry by modifying an entry of the field table so that a particular field of the data item can be individually configured to be prevented from being synchronized.
11. A mobile computing device comprising:
one or more memory resources for storing a plurality of data items, a lock table and an attributes table for the plurality of data items; and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more memory resources, the one or more processors to:
operate an application that accesses a data item from the plurality of data items, the data item being associated with the application;
using the lock table, modify, in the attributes table, an entry from a first value to a second value to prevent the data item from being syncable, the entry corresponding to the data item in order;
determine that the application has finished accessing the data item; and
in response to determining that the application has finished accessing the data item, modify the entry back from the second value to the first value to enable the data item to be syncable;
wherein the lock table defines data to be locked from synchronization while the data item is being accessed by the application.
12. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the data item corresponds to at least one of a calendar entry, a contact information, a message, or an image.
13. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the attributes table includes a category table, and wherein the one or more processors modify the entry by modifying an entry of the category table so that a category of data items having a same category as the data item is prevented from being synchronized.
14. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the attributes table includes a local-only table, and wherein the one or more processors modify the entry by modifying an entry of the local-only table so that the data item is individually configured to be prevented from being synchronized.
15. The mobile computing device of claim 11 , wherein the attributes table includes a field table, and wherein the one or more processors modify the entry by modifying an entry of the field table so that a particular field of the data item can be individually configured to be prevented from being synchronized.