Technique for selectively accessing events within merged histories

A method for providing access to events associated with an object that are the result of merging a first history of sequential linked events with a second history of sequential linked events to form a merged history, wherein the merged history includes a segregation of the first and second histories up to a merge juncture and a unified history of sequential linked events thereafter, the merge juncture representing a point at which the first and second histories are merged, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a graphical user interface to display the events within the merged history;
• selectively providing access to a last event immediately preceding the merge juncture within the sequential history associated with the first or the second history via ii the graphical user interface when the merge juncture is accessed;
• and
• selectively providing access to the merge juncture via the graphical interface when the last event associated with the first or second history is accessed.

An apparatus to provide access to events associated with an object, the apparatus comprising:

• a merge unit to merge a first history of sequential linked events with a second history of sequential linked-events to form a merged history, wherein the merged history includes a segregation of the first and second histories up to a merge juncture and a unified history of sequential linked events thereafter, the merge juncture representing a point at which the first and second histories are merged;
• an interface unit to provide a graphical user interface to display the events within the merged history;
• and
• an access unit to selectively provide access to a last event immediately preceding ii the merge juncture within the sequential history associated with the first or the second history via the graphical user interface when the merge juncture is accessed, and/or to selectively provide access to the merge juncture via the graphical interface when the last event associated with the first or second history is accessed.

A computer program product for providing access to events associated with an object, embodied on computer readable-material, that includes executable instructions for causing a computer system to:

• merge a first history of sequential linked events with a second history of sequential linked events to form a merged history, wherein the merged history includes a segregation of the first and second histories up to a merge juncture and a unified history of sequential linked events thereafter, the merge juncture representing a point at which the first and second histories are merged;
• provide a graphical user interface to display the events within the merged history;
• selectively provide access to a last event immediately preceding the merge juncture within the sequential history associated with the first or the second history via the graphical user interface when the merge juncture is accessed;
• and
• selectively provide access to the merge juncture via the graphical interface when the last event associated with the first or second history is accessed.

A computer program product for providing access to events associated with an object that are the result of merging a first history of sequential linked events with a second history of sequential linked events to form a merged history, wherein the merged history includes a segregation of the first and second histories up to a merge juncture and a unified history of sequential linked events thereafter, the merge juncture representing a point at which the first and second histories are merged, the computer program product being embodied on computer readable-material and including executable instructions for causing a computer system to:

• provide a graphical user interface to display the events within the merged history;
• selectively provide access to a last event immediately preceding the merge juncture within the sequential history associated with the first or the second history via the graphical user interface when the merge juncture is accessed;
• and
• selectively provide access to the merge juncture via the graphical interface when the last event associated with the first or second history is accessed.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory encoding one or more programs, the one or more programs causing the processor to perform a method for providing access to events associated with an object according to the steps of:
• merging a first history of sequential linked events with a second history of sequential linked events to form a merged history, wherein the merged history includes a segregation of the first and second histories up to a merge juncture and a unified history of sequential linked events thereafter, the merge juncture representing a point at which the first and second histories are merged,
• providing a graphical user interface to display the events within the merged history;
• selectively providing access to a last event immediately preceding the merge juncture within the sequential history associated with the first or the second history via the graphical user interface when the merge juncture is accessed;
• and
• selectively providing access to the merge juncture via the graphical interface when the last event associated with the first or second history is accessed.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory encoding one or more programs, the one or more programs causing the processor to perform a method for providing access to events associated with an object that are the result of merging a first history of sequential linked events with a second history of sequential linked events to form a merged history, wherein the merged history includes a segregation of the first and second histories up to a merge juncture and a unified history of sequential linked events thereafter, the merge juncture representing a point at which the first and second histories are merged, the method performed according to the steps of:
• providing a graphical user interface to display the events within the merged history;
• selectively providing access to a last event immediately preceding the merge juncture within the sequential history associated with the first or the second history via the graphical user interface when the merge juncture is accessed;
• and
• selectively providing access to the merge juncture via the graphical interface when the last event associated with the first or second history is accessed.

A computer system for providing access to data files via a data file viewer, the computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory encoding one or more programs, the one or more programs causing the processor to perform a method for providing access to data files via a data file viewer according to the following steps:
• updating, each time a data file is accessed via the viewer, a history list identifying each data file viewed immediately prior to the accessed data file;
• and
• providing a graphical user interface within the viewer to identify and selectively provide access to any of the data files within the history list from the accessed data file.