Method and computer system for separating and processing layout information and data of a document

• US 20050034066A1
• Filed: 04/16/2002
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ahlert, Dirk, Koch, Wolfgang, Liebich, Gunther
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods, computer systems and computer program products are provided for separating and processing layout information and data of a document. The computer system provides a predefined document description. The document description is decomposed into a layout template and a data description. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, decomposition is achieved by using style sheet language transformations. Optionally, the computer system may instantiate a data instance from the data description and merge the data instance with the layout template into an individual document description. The individual document description can be rendered by a conventional browser.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for separating and processing layout information and data of a document, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a predefined document description;

an

decomposing the document description into a layout template and a data description.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the decomposing step comprises the following steps:

extracting the layout template from the document description; and

extracting the data description from the document description.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the extracting steps use a transformation program in a programming language.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transformation program is a style sheet language transformation.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising

instantiating a data instance from the data description;

and

merging the data instance with the layout template into an individual document description.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the merging step uses a transformation program in a programming language.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transformation program is a style sheet language transformation.

12. A data carrier readable by a computer, the data carrier storing a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of the computer to separate and process layout information and data of a document, the plurality of instructions causing the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 and 2.

8. A computer system for separating and processing layout information and data of a document, the computer system comprising:

means for providing a predefined document description; and

means for decomposing the document description into a layout template and a data description.

9. The computer system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for instantiating a data instance from the data description; and

means for merging the data instance with the layout template into an individual document description.

10. A computer program product having a plurality of instructions for causing a processor of a computer to separate and process layout information and data of a document, the computer program product causing the computer to execute the following steps:

providing a predefined document description; and

decomposing the document description into a layout template and a data description.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, causing the computer to further execute the steps of:

instantiating a data instance from the data description; and

merging the data instance with the layout template into an individual document description.