Method and apparatus for determining editing conflicts in a

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for resolving multi-authoring conflicts that result when multiple users at client computers on a network computer system read and write to the same network file comprised of a plurality of objects. A first client computer downloads a network file from a network drive and creates and edits a client version of the network file on the first client computer. A second client computer downloads the same network file from the network drive. To determine whether there is a conflict between modifications made by the second client computer to the network file and editing to objects in the client version by the first client computer, a determination is made as to whether the network file was modified by the second client computer while the first client computer was editing the client version. If so, then a determination is made as to whether there is a conflict between the editing by the first client computer to the object in the client version and the modification to the network file by the second client computer. A user at the first client computer may have the option of overwriting the conflicting object in the network file with the object edited by the first user or saving the edited object under a different name.