Methods and apparatus for producing a chart

• US 20080055313A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Noppens, Kai
• Granted Patent: US 8,484,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

Methods and devices are provided for a computer implemented method of producing a chart, such as, for example, a Gantt chart. The method can include providing a template containing a definition of at least one column of the chart and inserting the template into a basic layout to form a document. An instruction to add a row to the chart is received. The instruction can include at least one type of information pertaining to the first task to be included on the chart contained in the document. The method further includes adding the row pertaining to the first task contained in the document. In one example, the template is an XML template, the basic layout is an XML basic layout and the document is an XML document.

Claims

1. A method of producing a chart, comprising:

providing a template containing a definition of at least one column of the chart;

inserting the template into a basic layout to form a document;

receiving an instruction to add a row to the chart, the instruction including at least one type of information pertaining to a first task to be included on the chart contained in the document; and

adding the row pertaining to the first task to the chart contained in the document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the chart is a Gantt chart.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the template is an XML template, the basic layout is an XML basic layout and the document is an XML document.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising removing control data from the XML document to produce an XML output document.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the act of adding comprises modifying existing lines in the XML document.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the instruction comprises adding a row including date information pertaining to the first task.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the instruction comprises adding a row including date and time information pertaining to the first task.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the instruction comprises adding a row including task name information pertaining to the first task.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the instruction comprises adding a row including information pertaining to the first task to be displayed in a first column and information pertaining to the first task to be displayed in a second column.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising replacing at least one variable in the XML basic layout with a customized value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one variable is a color.

12. The method of claim 3, further comprising including in the XML template, instructions to execute an action upon receiving a user input during interaction with the XML document.

13. A computer-implemented method of producing a Gantt chart, comprising:

providing an XML template containing a definition of at least one column of the Gantt chart;

inserting the XML template into an XML basic layout to form an XML document;

receiving instructions to add a plurality of rows to the Gantt chart, each of the plurality of instructions including at least one type of information pertaining to a task corresponding to a row of the plurality of rows to be included on the Gantt chart contained in the XML document; and

adding the plurality of rows pertaining to the plurality of tasks to the Gantt chart contained in the XML document.

14. A computer-readable medium for use with an electronic device, the medium having instructions executable using the electronic device for performing a method of producing a Gantt chart, the method comprising:

providing an XML template containing a definition of at least one column of the Gantt chart;

inserting the XML template into an XML basic layout to form an XML document;

receiving instructions to add a plurality of rows to the Gantt chart, each of the plurality of instructions including at least one type of information pertaining to a task corresponding to a row of the plurality of rows to be included on the Gantt chart contained in the XML document; and

adding the plurality of rows pertaining to the plurality of tasks to the Gantt chart contained in the XML document.

15. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, the method further comprising removing control data from the XML document to produce an XML output document.

16. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, wherein in the method, the act of adding comprises modifying existing lines in the XML document.

17. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, wherein in the method, the instruction comprises adding a row including date information pertaining to the first task.

18. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, wherein in the method, the instruction comprises adding a row including date and time information pertaining to the first task.

19. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, wherein in the method, the instruction comprises adding a row including task name information pertaining to the first task.

20. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, wherein in the method, the instruction comprises adding a row including information pertaining to the first task to be displayed in a first column and information pertaining to the first task to be displayed in a second column.

21. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, the method further comprising replacing at least one variable in the XML basic layout with a customized value.

22. The computer-implemented medium of claim 14, the method further comprising including in the XML template, instructions to execute an action upon receiving a user input during interaction with the XML document.