| 主权项 |
1. A method comprising compressing stored data, wherein information is defined by data streams stored in a non-structured arrangement, and said data streams comprise:
data elements containing data, and references identifying data elements in related data streams; said method comprising the steps of: identifying a first one of said data streams, which comprises a first plurality of data elements each containing data, which together define first information, said first information being the meaning ascribed to the data contained in each of the first plurality of data elements when interpreted; placing said first one of said data streams in a first state, wherein said first state identifies said first information as being not modifiable, whilst permitting any one of said first plurality of data elements to be replaced by a reference to any one of a second plurality of data elements in a second one of said data streams that contains the same data; identifying that the first one of said data streams is older than the second one of said data streams; identifying a first one of said first plurality of data elements that contains the same data as a first one of said second plurality of data elements; and compressing the first one of said data streams by removing said first one of said first plurality of data elements from said first one of said data streams, and inserting a reference to said first one of said second plurality of data elements, said compressed said first one of said data streams continues to define said first information. |
