Method and system for managing versioned structured documents in a database

A system for processing a query for a versioned structured document, the system comprising:

• a processor-based versioned node (“vNode”) manager executed on a computer and configured to provide a plurality of versioned nodes (vNodes) representing a plurality of objects of at least one version of a structured document, wherein each vNode includes versioning information associated with the at least one version of the structured document and wherein, collectively, the plurality of vNodes graphically represent the at least one version of the structured document in a versioned document object model (“vDOM”) node tree;
• a processor-based indexing engine executed on the computer and configured to generate a versioned index (“vIndex”) including a plurality of vIndex keys, wherein each vIndex key is associated with a vNode and includes index information based on at least a portion of the versioning information of the associated vNode, wherein the index information of each vIndex key includes content of the associated vNode;
• a processor-based query handler executed on the computer and configured to receive a query for at least one version of the structured document, wherein the query includes search criteria relating to content of the structured document and a versioned function (“vFunction”) having at least one argument relating to versioning information associated with at least one version of the structured document, to scan the vIndex to identify a first vIndex key that includes index information satisfying the query, to determine a first vNode associated with the first vIndex key based on the index information of the first vIndex key, wherein the first vNode includes content and versioning information satisfying the query and represents a first object in at least one version of the structured document, and to identify a version of the structured document that includes the first object represented by the first vNode, and that satisfies the query.

A non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for processing a query for a versioned structured document, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

• providing a plurality of versioned nodes (“vNodes”) representing a plurality of objects of at least one version of a structured document, wherein each vNode includes versioning information associated with at least one version of the structured document and wherein, collectively, the plurality of vNodes graphically represent the at least one version of the structured document in a versioned document object model (“vDOM”) node tree;
• generating a versioned index (“vIndex”) including a plurality of vIndex keys, wherein each vIndex key is associated with a vNode and includes index information based on at least a portion of the versioning information of the associated vNode, wherein the index information of each vIndex key includes content of the associated vNode;
• receiving a query for at least one version of the structured document, wherein the query includes search criteria relating to content of the structured document and a versioned function (“vFunction”) having at least one argument relating to versioning information associated with at least one version of the structured document;
• in response to receiving the query, scanning the vIndex to identify a first vIndex key that includes index information satisfying the query;
• determining a first vNode associated with the first vIndex key based on the index information of the first vIndex key, wherein the first vNode includes content and versioning information satisfying the query and represents a first object in at least one version of the structured document;
• and
• identifying a version of the structured document that includes the first object represented by the first vNode, and that satisfies the query.