Aggregate file containing content-description files having native file formats

• US 20070100865A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: King, James, Brown, Donald, Switzer, Stanley
• Application Number:
  US11/262,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20070100865A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/345 Summarisation for human users

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products for including a content-description file in a viewable aggregate file. A content-description file that has a first native file format and a second file that has a second native file format are identified and are inserted into an aggregate file in a form that preserves the first and second native file formats. The content-description file and the second file are extractable from the aggregate file in their respective native file formats. The content-description file is extractable without processing any part of the second file, and the second file is extractable without processing any part of the content-description file. An indication is provided for the aggregate file that indicates a default behavior for when the aggregate file is opened for viewing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a first content-description file having a first native file format;

identifying a second content-description file having a second native file format;

inserting the first and second content-description files into an aggregate file in a form that preserves the first and second native file formats so that the first and second content-description files are extractable from the aggregate file in their respective native file formats, the first content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the second content-description file, the second content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the first content-description file; and

providing for the aggregate file a display indication, the display indication specifying a default content-description file whose contents should be displayed first by default when the aggregate file is opened for viewing, the default content-description file being either the first content-description file or the second content-description file.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing for the aggregate file metadata that specifies where in the aggregate file the first content-description file is located and where in the aggregate file the second content-description file is located, wherein the metadata is located at a pre-defined location in the aggregate file and is accessible without processing any part of the first or second content-description files.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a third content-description file into the aggregate file; and

providing for the aggregate file metadata that specifies an order in which the second content-description file and the third content-description file are to be displayed, wherein the first content-description file is the default content-description file.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a resource file into the aggregate file, the resource file including resources necessary to render the first content-description file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein:

the first content-description file includes a URL reference to the resource file.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein:

the resource file is an image file, a font file, or a color-space description file.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting into the aggregate file a link to an external resource file that is not included in the aggregate file and is necessary to render the first content-description file.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second native file formats are a PDF format; and

the aggregate file has a ZIP file format.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

inserting the first and second content-description files into the aggregate file includes detecting in the first content-description file an absolute URL reference to the second content-description file and changing the absolute URL reference into a relative URL reference.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting in the first content-description file an absolute URL reference to an external content-description file that is external to the aggregate file;

inserting the external content-description file into the aggregate file; and

changing the absolute URL reference into a relative URL reference.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an aggregate file containing a first content-description file having a first native file format and a second content-description file having a second native file format, the first and second content-description files being stored in a form that preserves the first and second native file formats so that the first and second content-description files can be extracted from the aggregate file in their respective native file formats, the first content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the second content-description file, the second content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the first content-description file, the aggregate file including a display indication, the display indication specifying a default content-description file whose contents should be displayed first by default when the aggregate file is opened for viewing, the default content-description file being either the first content-description file or the second content-description file;

opening the aggregate file for viewing;

reading the default content-description file; and

displaying the default content-description file before any other content-description file responsive to the display indication.

12. A computer program product, encoded on an information carrier, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a first content-description file having a first native file format;

identifying a second content-description file having a second native file format;

inserting the first and second content-description files into an aggregate file in a form that preserves the first and second native file formats so that the first and second content-description files are extractable from the aggregate file in their respective native file formats, the first content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the second content-description file, the second content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the first content-description file; and

providing for the aggregate file a display indication, the display indication specifying a default content-description file whose contents should be displayed first by default when the aggregate file is opened for viewing, the default content-description file being either the first content-description file or the second content-description file.

13. The product of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

providing for the aggregate file metadata that specifies where in the aggregate file the first content-description file is located and where in the aggregate file the second content-description file is located, wherein the metadata is located at a pre-defined location in the aggregate file and is accessible without processing any part of the first or second content-description files.

14. The product of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

inserting a third content-description file into the aggregate file; and

providing for the aggregate file metadata that specifies an order in which the second content-description file and the third content-description file are to be displayed, wherein the first content-description file is the default content-description file.

15. The product of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

inserting a resource file into the aggregate file, the resource file including resources necessary to render the first content-description file.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein:

the first content-description file includes a URL reference to the resource file.

17. The product of claim 15, wherein:

the resource file is an image file, a font file, or a color-space description file.

18. The product of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

inserting into the aggregate file a link to an external resource file that is not included in the aggregate file and is necessary to render the content-description file.

19. The product of claim 12, wherein:

the first and second native file formats are a PDF format; and

the aggregate file has a ZIP file format.

20. The product of claim 12, wherein:

inserting the first and second content-description files into the aggregate file includes detecting in the first content-description file an absolute URL reference to the second content-description file and changing the absolute URL reference into a relative URL reference.

21. The product of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

detecting in the first content-description file an absolute URL reference to an external content-description file that is external to the aggregate file;

inserting the external content-description file into the aggregate file; and

changing the absolute URL reference into a relative URL reference.

22. A computer program product, encoded on an information carrier, operable to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving an aggregate file containing a first content-description file having a first native file format and a second content-description file having a second native file format, the first and second content-description files being stored in a form that preserves the first and second native file formats so that the first and second content-description files can be extracted from the aggregate file in their respective native file formats, the first content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the second content-description file, the second content-description file being extractable without processing any part of the first content-description file, the aggregate file including a display indication, the display indication specifying a default content-description file whose contents should be displayed first by default when the aggregate file is opened for viewing, the default content-description file being either the first content-description file or the second content-description file;

opening the aggregate file for viewing;

reading the default content-description file; and

displaying the default content-description file before any other content-description file responsive to the display indication.