Automated document formatting tool

• US 20050132280A1
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Broman, Paul, Frankel, Glenn, Taboada, Roberto C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A formatting tool enables “smart” copy and paste functions. The “smart” copy and paste functions can be invoked in a context-sensitive manner, depending on the conditions under which the copy and paste functions are implemented. The present invention will automatically include in a selection a paragraph marker at the end of a selected paragraph, if every other textual character in the paragraph has been selected. The present invention will discard a paragraph mark that is included in pasted text if the pasted text is pasted into the middle of another paragraph, indicating that the user prefers the formatting of the pasted-into paragraph. The present invention also reduces inconsistencies in formatting styles that may exist between source and target documents automatically redefining a style in the target document to conform to a corresponding style in the source document. The present invention also automatically adjusts paragraph spacing, in response to text being pasted into a target document. In response to various scenarios, the present invention will determine the most likely paragraph spacing intended by the user and will apply the most probable paragraph spacing to the pasted paragraph. The present invention also automatically adjusts list, table, and spreadsheet formatting, in response to such document elements being pasted into a differently-formatted target document. Finally, the present invention provides a convenient recovery dialog that may be invoked to alter any automatically-implemented formatting decisions.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. A system for formatting a document, comprising:

a source document having at least one document element;

a target document;

a formatting component operative to cut or copy the document element from the source document and to paste the document element into the target document;

a formatting rules component containing at least one cutting or copying formatting rule that is not associated with a section break or final paragraph mark in the source document and an associated formatting action; and

wherein the formatting component formats the document element in accordance with the formatting action, in response to a determination that the formatting rule has been triggered.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the formatting component comprises computer-executable instructions for applying and modifying formatting to document elements.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the formatting component is implemented as an integral part of a word processing application.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein determining whether a formatting rule has been triggered comprises searching a list for a formatting action associated with a selection action in response to detecting that the selection action has occurred, and if a formatting action associated with the selection action is found, determining that a formatting rule has been triggered.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the selection action comprises selecting the document element in the source document and indicating a desire to copy or cut the document element.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein determining whether a formatting rule has been triggered comprises searching a list for a formatting action associated with a paste action in response to detecting that the paste action has occurred, and if a formatting action associated with the paste action is found, determining that a formatting rule has been triggered.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the paste action comprises placing a cursor at a paste point in the target document and indicating a desire to paste the document element in the target document.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the formatting component provides an on-object user interface comprising recovery options for selection in response to formatting the document element and performs a recovery action, in response to receiving a recovery option selection.

30. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

determine a selection of a document element in a source document;

determine whether a first formatting rule applies to the selection of the document element;

format the document element in response to a determination that the first formatting rule applies to the selection of the document element;

determine a selection of a paste point;

determine whether a second formatting rule applies to the selection of the paste point;

format the document element in response to a determination that the second formatting rule applies to the selection of the paste point; and

paste the document element into a target document.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein causing the computer to determine whether a first formatting rule applies to the selection of the document element comprises causing the computer to determine whether every textual character in a paragraph has been selected and an associated paragraph marker has not been selected.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to extend the selection to include the paragraph mark in response to a determination that every textual character in the paragraph has been selected and the associated paragraph marker has not been selected.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 32, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to determine if a selection cursor moved left in response to extending the selection to include the paragraph mark, and if so, retract the selection to exclude the paragraph mark.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

display an available recovery action;

determine whether the available recovery action has been selected; and

re-format the document element in accordance with the recovery action, in response to the determination that the recovery action has been selected.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein causing the computer to display an available recovery action comprises causing the computer to display an on-object user interface comprising recovery options for selection.

36. A method for defining a formatting style in a target document, the method comprising:

determining the selection of the document element in the source document, the document element having a formatting style;

determining a paste point in a target document;

receiving an instruction to paste the document element in the target document at the paste point;

determining whether the formatting style exists in the target document; and

pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising:

if the formatting style exists in the target document, determining whether the formatting style in the target document belongs to a style group;

if the formatting style in the target document belongs to a style group, determining whether any style in the style group has been used or redefined in the target document; and

if a style in the style group has not been used or redefined in the target document, defining the formatting style in the target document as the formatting style of the document element.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document comprises applying the formatting style of the source document to the document element and pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document if the formatting style in the target document belongs to a style group and a style in the style group nas been used or redefined in the target document.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

if the formatting style in the target document does not belong to a style group, determining whether the formatting style in the target document has been used or redefined; and

wherein pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document comprises applying the formatting style to the document element and pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document if the formatting style in the target document has been used or redefined.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

if the formatting style in the target document does not belong to a style group and the formatting style in the target document has not been used or redefined, defining the formatting style in the target document as the formatting style of the document element; and

wherein pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document comprises applying the formatting style to the document element and pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document comprises applying the formatting style of the source document to the document element and pasting the document element at the paste point in the target document.