Patent ID: 8195694

Claim:
A machine-implemented method, comprising: determining a set of applicable actions that are applicable to an element of a target hierarchical data structure, wherein determining the set of applicable actions comprises automatically selecting, from among a plurality of actions, only actions that are associated with criteria that are satisfied by the element of the target hierarchical data structure; selecting a particular action from the set of applicable actions; determining a set of conflicting actions that comprises the particular action and one or more actions in the set of applicable actions that conflict with the particular action; determining whether the particular action is associated with a highest priority among actions in the set of conflicting actions; in response to a determination that the particular action is associated with the highest priority: performing the particular action relative to the element; and canceling actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action such that the actions in the set of conflicting actions other than the particular action are not performed relative to the element.