Ranges in the Version Graph

To save space in the database, Microsoft® Repository can associate a property value or relationship with an entire range of object versions. A range of object versions is a set of consecutive elements of a branch. (See Branches in the Version Graph.)

To refer to a range, a row of a Repository table must include the following four values:

• The Version Graph. That is, the row must refer to the Repository object. Use the internal identifier of the object.
  
  
• The Branch. The portion of the version graph containing the range. Use the branch identifier of the branch.
  
  
• The Range Start. The element within the branch where the range starts. Use the version-within-branch identifier of the object version.
  
  
• The Range End. The element within the branch where the range ends. Use the version-within-branch identifier of the object version, or use the special constant VERINFINITY (hex 7fffffff), to indicate an unbounded range.

Repository uses unbounded ranges to indicate that properties apply to a set of object versions that can grow as you make new object versions with CreateVersion.

For an example of how Microsoft Repository uses unbounded ranges, see the sample data in Interface-Specific Tables.