Groupware save operation

A computer system, said computer system comprising:

• a bus;
• a central-processing unit;
• memory, wherein the memory is connected to the central-processing unit via the bus;
• a change list, stored in the memory, that contains pre-commit changes to a shared object for a plurality of users, wherein the pre-commit changes arc changes that have been requested by the plurality of users, but wherein the pre-commit changes have not yet been committed to the shared object;
• and
• a groupware program, stored in the memory, for execution on the central-processing unit, wherein the groupware program creates the pre-commit changes from operations entered by the plurality of users, wherein the groupware program displays a simultaneous view to the plurality of users, wherein the simultaneous view is of the shared object and is of the pre-commit changes as they would appear if they were to be applied to the shared object, and where the groupware program further comprises a save capability that, in response to a save request from one user, commits to the shared object just pre-commit changes made by the one user while leaving other users' pre-commit changes remaining in the change list.

A groupware data structure used by a groupware program to manage change operations by a plurality of users to a shared object, comprising:

• a pre-commit record stack field comprising a plurality of pre-commit record fields for storing a pre-commit change, wherein the pre-commit change is a change to the shared object that has been requested by one of the plurality of users, but wherein the groupware program has not yet committed the pre-commit change to the shared object;
• a region boundary field, wherein the groupware program stores, in the region boundary field, boundary data of an amalgamation of the plurality of pre-commit record fields, wherein the boundary data of the amalgamation describes a boundary of the amalgamation on a display screen;
• and
• a recordable media containing the pre-commit record stack field and the region boundary field.

A method for editing a shared object by a plurality of users, comprising the steps of:

• creating a record of pre-commit changes from operations entered by the plurality of users, wherein the pre-commit changes have not yet been committed to the shared object;
• displaying a simultaneous view to the plurality of users, wherein the simultaneous view is of the shared object and is of the pre-commit changes as they would appear if they were to be applied to the shared object;
• and
• in response to a request from one user, selectively committing to the shared object just certain changes while leaving other pre-commit changes uncommitted.