Delta-saving XML Documents via Node Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current document editing systems face significant performance issues due to the need to save entire documents, even for minor changes, which leads to excessive network bandwidth usage and response time delays, especially when documents are stored on remote servers.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a delta-saving approach where only the changed nodes of an XML document are saved, using a document processor and delta-plugin to identify and update the specific changes within the document tree, reducing the data transferred and processed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire document is saved each time a change is made, then the document integrity is maintained, but the network bandwidth usage increases significantly and response time becomes unacceptably long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document into a tree structure of nodes, where only the specific nodes that have changed are identified and saved. This allows the system to save only the modified portions (e.g., individual paragraphs, images, or formatting elements) rather than the entire document, thereby reducing save time and network bandwidth usage while maintaining document integrity through structured node tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the changed nodes from the document tree and saves them separately. By identifying and extracting specifically the modified portions (such as changed text, added images, or modified formatting) and saving only these extracted elements along with their node identifiers, the system achieves faster save operations and reduced network traffic while preserving complete document integrity.
2Reliability
If the entire document is saved each time a change is made, then the document completeness is ensured, but the network bandwidth consumption becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document into a hierarchical tree of nodes, enabling the system to identify and save only the specific nodes that have changed. This segmentation approach reduces network bandwidth consumption by transmitting only the necessary modified portions (such as individual paragraphs, images, or formatting elements) rather than the entire document, while document completeness is maintained through structured node reconstruction on the server side.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts specifically the changed nodes from the document tree and transmits only these extracted elements to the server. By using node identifiers to pinpoint and extract only the modified portions (such as changed text, added images, or modified formatting) and sending only these extracted elements, the system significantly reduces network bandwidth usage while ensuring document completeness through proper node integration.
3Productivity
If only the changed nodes are saved, then the save operation becomes faster and network bandwidth is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to node tracking requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document into a hierarchical tree structure of nodes, where each node represents a discrete element (paragraph, image, formatting, etc.). This segmentation enables faster save operations by allowing the system to identify and save only the specific nodes that have changed, rather than processing the entire document. The node-based structure simplifies change tracking compared to traditional full-document approaches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a universal node structure that can represent various document elements (text, images, formatting, tables, etc.) through a common node interface. This multi-functional node design simplifies the system by providing a unified way to track and save changes across different document element types, reducing overall system complexity despite the granular node-based approach.
4Loss of energy
If only the changed nodes are saved, then the network bandwidth usage is reduced, but the data structure complexity increases for tracking node changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the document into a hierarchical tree of nodes, enabling the system to save only the specific nodes that have changed. This segmentation reduces network bandwidth usage by transmitting only the necessary modified portions (such as individual paragraphs, images, or formatting elements) rather than the entire document. The node-based structure provides a clear framework for tracking changes with manageable data structure complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning specific properties and identifiers to individual nodes based on their type and position in the document tree. This allows the system to track changes efficiently with simplified data structures, as each node contains only the relevant information needed for its specific function rather than a uniform complex structure for all elements, thereby reducing overall data structure complexity while maintaining network efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for incrementally saving documents are provided. A document processor reads a document that is represented by a tree of nodes. The document processor, in response to an instruction to make a change to the tree, determines a set of nodes from the tree that are affected by the change. The document processor sends an instruction to transfer and store only the set of nodes without causing nodes outside of the set to be stored.