System and apparatus for software versioning

Abstract

An extensible markup language (XML) versioning system allows versioning an XML based application software so that customizations made to an early version of the application software can be easily incorporated into the later version of the application software. The XML versioning system identifies XML semantic blocks in a customized early version of an application software to determine areas including customization metadata, defines the differences between the customized early version of an application software and a later revision of the application software in the determined areas, and provides a procedure to integrate the customization metadata into the later version of the application software.

1 . A method of versioning an XML document, comprising: 
 (a) generating a customization difference file specifying customization operations to be performed on an XML document;    (b) generating a versioning difference file specifying versioning operations to be performed on the XML document; and    (c) merging the customization difference file and the versioning difference file to generate a merged difference file.    
   
   
       2 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising operating a number of difference operations specified in the merged difference file on the XML document.  
   
   
       3 . A method of  claim 2 , wherein the XML document is an XML source file for at least one of: (1) a business process; (2) a business application; and (3) a business form.  
   
   
       4 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the customization difference file, the versioning difference file and the merged difference file include a number of difference operations including at least one of: (1) a node operation; (2) an add operation; (3) a change operation and ( 4 ) a remove operation.  
   
   
       5 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein merging the customization difference file and the versioning difference file further comprises reconciling a first difference operation in the customization difference file with a second difference operation in the versioning difference file.  
   
   
       6 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the XML document is an XML application for displaying a form.  
   
   
       7 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the XML document is stored in a single text line.  
   
   
       8 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the customization difference file and the versioning difference file are generated by an XML diff utility program.  
   
   
       9 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the customization difference file includes the steps of: 
 (a) identifying a semantic block in the XML document;    (b) determining a first section in the XML document using the semantic block, the first section having customization metadata;    (c) determining a second section in a customized XML document corresponding to the first section; and    (d) determining differences between the first section and the second section.    
   
   
       10 . A method of  claim 9 , wherein the semantic block in the XML document is at least one of: (1) an element; (2) a processing instruction; (3) a CDATA section; (4) a comment and (5) a document type definition (DTD).  
   
   
       11 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising applying the merged difference file on the XML document using an XML patch program.  
   
   
       12 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising: 
 (a) generating a customization difference file specifying customization operations to be performed on an XML document;    (b) generating a versioning difference file specifying versioning operations to be performed on the XML document; and    (c) merging the customization difference file and the versioning difference file to generate a merged difference file.    
   
   
       13 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for operating a number of difference operations specified in the merged difference file on the XML document.  
   
   
       14 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein each of the customization difference file, the versioning difference file and the merged difference file include a number of difference operations including at least one of: (1) a node operation; (2) an add operation; (3) a change operation and (4) a remove operation.  
   
   
       15 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein merging the customization difference file and the versioning difference file further comprises reconciling a first difference operation in the customization difference file with a second difference operation in the versioning difference file.  
   
   
       16 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the XML document is an XML application for displaying a form.  
   
   
       17 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the XML document is stored in a single text line.  
   
   
       18 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the customization difference file and the versioning difference file are generated by an XML diff utility program.  
   
   
       19 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein generating the customization difference file includes the steps of: 
 (a) identifying a semantic block in the XML document;    (b) determining a first section in the XML document using the semantic block, the first section having customization metadata;    (c) determining a second section in a customized XML document corresponding to the first section; and    (d) determining differences between the first section and the second section.    
   
   
       20 . A computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the semantic block in the XML document is at least one of: (1) an element; (2) a processing instruction; (3) a CDATA section; (4) a comment and (5) a document type definition (DTD).  
   
   
       21 . A computer readable medium of  claim 12 , further comprising computer-executable instructions for applying the merged difference file on the XML document using an XML patch program.  
   
   
       22 . A system for versioning an XML document, comprising: 
 a first apparatus adapted to generate a customization difference file specifying customization operations to be performed on an XML document;    a second apparatus adapted to generate a versioning difference file specifying versioning operations to be performed on the XML document; and    a third apparatus adapted to merge the customization difference file and the versioning difference file to generate a merged difference file.    
   
   
       23 . A system of  claim 22 , further comprising a fourth apparatus adapted to apply the merged difference file on the XML document using an XML patch program.