Importance

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Abstract

This invention relates to a method of maintaining the integrity of changes made to a revisable form document in a shared library. This invention provides a COPY command with options for checking out and checking in a revisable form document to a shared library. The check-out option allows a single user to check out the revisable form document from the shared library and make a copy thereof in a user's private storage space. A lock is placed on the revisable form document in the shared library to prevent changes while it is checked out. Information relating the revisable form document to the copy is placed in both documents. This information is used when the copy, with the user's changes, is returned to the shared library. Updates are permitted only to the copy in the private storage space. Once updates are completed, the check-in option is used to return the copy to the shared library. Information relating the revisable form document to the copy is removed from both documents and the lock is removed from the revisable form document. The revisable form document will again be made available for check out by a single user. The check-in option also permits the copy placed in the user's private storage space to be optionally deleted after the check-in operation is completed.

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First Claim