Method for associating annotations with document families

A method of displaying annotations created for different versions of a data source, comprising:

• determining a family identifier associated with the data source;
• determining a version identifier associated with the data source;
• retrieving, from an annotation store, a set of one or more annotation records wherein each annotation record indicates the family identifier and the version identifier of the data source associated with the annotation record;
• and
• displaying, for each annotation record with a version identifier matching the version identifier associated with the data source, an indication that annotation content is available for data content in the data source.

A computer-readable medium containing a plurality of instructions which, when executed on a computer system is configured to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a request to create a first annotation for data content in an initial version of a data source;
• generating a family identifier, wherein the family identifier is associated with the initial version of the data source and with all subsequent versions of the data source;
• obtaining annotation content for a first annotation associated with the data content in the initial version of the data source;
• associating the first annotation with the family identifier and the initial version of the data source;
• and
• storing the family identifier in the initial version of the data source.

A computer-readable medium containing a plurality of instructions which, when executed on a computer system is configured to perform operations comprising of displaying annotations created for different versions of a data source, comprising:

• determining a family identifier associated with the data source;
• determining a version identifier associated with the data source;
• retrieving, from an annotation store, a set of one or more annotation records wherein each annotation record indicates the family identifier and the version identifier of the data source associated with the annotation record;
• and
• displaying, for each annotation record with a version identifier matching the version identifier associated with the data source of the data source, an indication that annotation content is available for data content in the data source.

A system for managing annotations created for multiple versions of a data source;

• comprising;
• an annotation management application configured to associate different versions of the data source with a common family identifier and to associate annotations created for the data source with both a family identifier and a version identifier, wherein a version identifier corresponds to a particular one of the multiple versions of the data source;
• a database used to store annotations created for the multiple versions of a data source;
• and
• an interface configured to display an indication of annotations created for a current version of a data source and an indication of annotations created for other versions of the data source.