Automated document formatting tool
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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.
28 Citations
41 Claims
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1-21. -21. (canceled)
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22. 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 the selection of a document element in a source document;
determine a paste point in a target document;
determine whether the document element is a list item in a source list;
determine whether the paste point is adjacent to a list item in an existing target list in the target document; and
paste the document element as a list item in the existing target list, in response to a determination that the document element is a list item in the source list and that the paste point is adjacent to a list item in the existing target list in the target document. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for formatting a table in a target document, the method comprising:
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determining the selection of a document element from a source table in a source document;
determining a paste point in a target document;
determining whether the paste point is adjacent to a target table in the target document;
if the paste point is adjacent to the target table in the target document, determining if the document element and the target table have the same number of columns; and
if the document element and the target table have the same number of columns, merging the document element with the target table. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for pasting spreadsheet elements, the method comprising:
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determining the selection of a spreadsheet element having a first set of formatting properties in a source document;
determining a paste point in a target document;
determining if the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell; and
if the selected spreadsheet element is not a single cell, pasting the spreadsheet element as a table at the paste point in the target document with the first set of formatting properties applied thereto. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification