Abstract: A file management system allows the linking of objects. In each link one object serves as a parent and the other as a child. When a parent object is copied the parent object is copied to produce a copy of the parent object. Additionally, the child objects of the parent object are copied s well, except in the case when the child object is designated as a special public object, each child of the parent object is copied to produce a copy of the child object. Each copy of a child object is then linked to the copy of the parent object. When a child object is designated as a special public object, the child object is linked to the copy of the parent object.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 22, 1992
Date of Patent:
May 4, 1999
Assignee:
Hewlett-Packard Company
Inventors:
John Andrew Dysart, Peter Stuart Showman, William M. Crow, Peter Michael Williams, Brian Wright McBride, John Rodney Francis Senior, Charles H. Whelan, Brian Murdoch