Mechanism for partial document restore

Abstract

Method and apparatus for managing versions of a portion of a document on a computing system are described. Multiple versions of an object in the document are maintained on the computing system. A graphical representation of at least two versions of the object is displayed on a display to a user of the computing system. A previous version of the object is selected from the at least two versions of the object through an input device, and the object in the document is restored to the selected previous version. The object is a portion of the document less than the entirety of the document.

1 . A method for managing different versions of a document, the method comprising, at a computing device:
 accessing a prior version of the document and a current version of the document, wherein each of the prior and current versions of the document include one or more document objects that represent portions of at least one of the prior or current versions of the document;   receiving a first selection of a first document object among the one or more document objects included in the prior version of the document;   receiving a second selection of a second document object among the one or more document objects included in the current version of the document; and   forming a revised version of the document that includes the first and second document objects.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 saving the revised version of the document; and   displaying the revised version of the document.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more document objects is an image, a chart, a text box, formatting of the document, a page of the document, or a slide of the document. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the revised version of the document includes at least one additional document object that is different from the first and second document objects. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the current version of the document includes an updated version of the first document object that is included in the prior version of the document. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first document object included in the prior version of the document is an earlier version of the first document object, and the method further comprises:
 reverting the updated version of the first document object to the earlier version of the first document object in conjunction with forming the revised version of the document.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the prior version of the document includes an earlier version of the second document object that is included in the current version of the document. 
     
     
         8 . A system for managing different versions of a document, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 access a prior version of the document and a current version of the document, wherein each of the prior and current versions of the document include one or more document objects that represent portions of at least one of the prior or current versions of the document; 
 receive a first selection of a first document object among the one or more document objects included in the prior version of the document; 
 receive a second selection of a second document object among the one or more document objects included in the current version of the document; and 
 form a revised version of the document that includes the first and second document objects. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor further causes the system to:
 save the revised version of the document; and   display the revised version of the document.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more document objects is an image, a chart, a text box, formatting of the document, a page of the document, or a slide of the document. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the revised version of the document includes at least one additional document object that is different from the first and second document objects. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the current version of the document includes an updated version of the first document object that is included in the prior version of the document. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first document object included in the prior version of the document is an earlier version of the first document object, and the at least one processor further causes the system to:
 revert the updated version of the first document object to the earlier version of the first document object in conjunction with forming the revised version of the document.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the prior version of the document includes an earlier version of the second document object that is included in the current version of the document. 
     
     
         15 . At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to:
 access a prior version of a document and a current version of the document, wherein each of the prior and current versions of the document include one or more document objects that represent portions of at least one of the prior or current versions of the document;   receive a first selection of a first document object among the one or more document objects included in the prior version of the document;   receive a second selection of a second document object among the one or more document objects included in the current version of the document; and   form a revised version of the document that includes the first and second document objects.   
     
     
         16 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor further causes the computing device to:
 save the revised version of the document; and   display the revised version of the document.   
     
     
         17 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more document objects is an image, a chart, a text box, formatting of the document, a page of the document, or a slide of the document. 
     
     
         18 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the revised version of the document includes at least one additional document object that is different from the first and second document objects. 
     
     
         19 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the current version of the document includes an updated version of the first document object that is included in the prior version of the document. 
     
     
         20 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the first document object included in the prior version of the document is an earlier version of the first document object, and the at least one processor further causes the computing device to:
 revert the updated version of the first document object to the earlier version of the first document object in conjunction with forming the revised version of the document.