CONFERENCE PAPER

Russian Dolls and XML: Handling Multiple Versions of XML in XML

Although providing a high level of flexibility, XML is an ephemeral format. Unlike something like CVS which can store a history of versioned data, XML documents hold a snapshot of data. But could there be a solution?

Overcoming the Challenge of Storing History

There are a number of challenges associated with storing multi-version history data within a single XML file. Ideally, when dealing with documents, changes should be recorded at the word level. It must be easy to extract a version, add a new version into the archive, delete a version from the archive or clone a version within the archive.

This paper proposes a generic XML format to handle multiple versions of an XML document, using the same basic structure as the files which are being archived.

Download this Conference Paper to:

  • Understand how to handle multiple versions of an XML document, using the same basic structure as the files which are being archived.
  • Review the proposal of a generic XML format to handle multiple versions of an XML document.
  • Understand the technical issues and challenges associated with storing history and how they can be overcome.

The challenges are greater, but so are the rewards. A multi-version XML file will contain the data in a structured and processable form, opening up the opportunities for more intelligent applications.

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