Method and apparatus for utilizing an object model for managing content regions in an electronic document

• US 20060069989A1
• Filed: 02/25/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Little, Robert A., Jones, Brian M., Davis, Tristan A., Sawicki, Marcin, Sunderland, E. Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,712,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for utilizing a document object model to manage content regions for use in an electronic document. A content region is a predefined area which may be inserted in an electronic document and which serves as a placeholder for receiving and displaying specific types of content such as text, graphics data, calendar data, or tabular data. The document object model enables a user to create, modify, and delete content regions from an electronic document using an application programming interface from within a computer application program.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing an object model in an application program for managing content regions for displaying specific types of content in an electronic document, comprising:

providing a plurality of objects in the object model, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of properties, methods, and events;

exposing an application programming interface in the object model for accessing the plurality of objects; and

utilizing the plurality of properties, methods, and events in the object model to manage the content regions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the plurality of properties comprises:

utilizing a first property to set a string representing a date format for a content region for displaying a date;

utilizing a second property to set a document part category associated with a content region for displaying document parts;

utilizing a third property to set a locking behavior for restricting the deletion of a content region;

utilizing a fourth property to set a locking behavior for restricting the deletion of the contents of a content region;

utilizing a fifth property to set a picture format for a content region for displaying pictures;

utilizing a sixth property to set a title for a content region;

utilizing a seventh property to set a content region type.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the plurality of methods comprises:

calling a first method to add a content region around a specified range in the electronic document;

calling a second method to copy a content region from a first location in the electronic document for insertion in a second location in the electronic document;

calling a third method to delete a content region from the electronic document;

calling a fourth method to set placeholder text for a content region;

calling a fifth method to set a custom validation error for a content region;

calling a sixth method to add a new item to a dropdown list for a predetermined content region;

calling a seventh method for removing all of the dropdown entries from a dropdown list;

calling an eighth method to reorder the dropdown list; and

calling a ninth method to cut a content region from the electronic document.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the plurality of events comprises:

firing a first event in response to a user-selection inside of a content region in the electronic document;

firing a second event in response to a user-selection outside of a content region in the electronic document;

firing a third event in response to the insertion of a content region in the electronic document; and

firing a fourth event in response to the deletion of a content region in the electronic document.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising validating the plurality of properties against one or more predetermined types of content regions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the utilizing the properties further comprises utilizing an eighth property to return a current validation status of a content region.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising validating the plurality of methods against one or more of the plurality of properties set for a content region.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of enumeration objects, the enumeration objects representing possible values for the plurality of properties in the object model.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the plurality of methods further comprises setting one or more parameters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing the plurality of events comprises setting one or more parameters.

11. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for utilizing an object model in a word processing application program for managing content regions for displaying specific types of content in an electronic document, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of objects in the object model, wherein the plurality of objects comprises a plurality of properties, methods, and events;

exposing an application programming interface in the object model for accessing the plurality of objects; and

utilizing the plurality of properties, methods, and events in the object model to manage the content regions.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the plurality of properties comprises:

utilizing a first property to set a string representing a date format for a content region for displaying a date;

utilizing a second property to set a document part category associated with a content region for displaying document parts;

utilizing a third property to set a locking behavior for restricting the deletion of a content region;

utilizing a fourth property to set a locking behavior for restricting the deletion of the contents of a content region;

utilizing a fifth property to set a picture format for a content region for displaying pictures;

utilizing a sixth property to set a title for a content region;

utilizing a seventh property to set a content region type.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the plurality of methods comprises:

calling a first method to add content region around a specified range in the electronic document;

calling a second method to copy a content region from a first location in the electronic document for insertion in a second location in the electronic document;

calling a third method to delete a content region from the electronic document;

calling a fourth method to set placeholder text for a content region;

calling a fifth method to set a custom validation error for a content region;

calling a sixth method to add a new item to a dropdown list for a predetermined content region;

calling a seventh method for removing all of the dropdown entries from a dropdown list;

calling an eighth method to reorder the dropdown list; and

calling a ninth method to cut a content region from the electronic document.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the plurality of events comprises:

firing a first event in response to a user-selection inside of a content region in the electronic document;

firing a second event in response to a user-selection outside of a content region in the electronic document;

firing a third event in response to the insertion of a content region in the electronic document; and

firing a fourth event in response to the deletion of a content region in the electronic document.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising validating the plurality of properties against one or more predetermined types of content regions.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the utilizing the properties further comprises utilizing an eighth property to return a current validation status of a content region.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising validating the plurality of methods against one or more of the plurality of properties set for a content region.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising providing a plurality of enumeration objects, the enumeration objects representing possible values for the plurality of properties in the object model.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the plurality of methods comprises setting one or more parameters.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein utilizing the plurality of events comprises setting one or more parameters.