Automated document formatting tool
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Accused Products
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.
39 Citations
41 Claims
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1-21. -21. (canceled)
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22. A system for formatting a document, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for defining a formatting style in a target document, the method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification