METHOD, SYSTEM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM FOR CREATING AND LAYING OUT A GRAPHIC WITHIN AN APPLICATION PROGRAM

• US 20080136822A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schorr, Janet L., Sherman, Scott A., Underhill, Thomas C., Berker, Ilan, Kotler, Matthew, Wells, Stephen T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,791,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/10 Text processing natural language analysis G06F40/20; semantic analysis G06F40/30; processing or translation of natural language G06F40/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are provided for creating and laying out a graphic within a drawing application program. The method includes receiving a data model defining a set of data and data relationships to be represented in the graphic, receiving a graphic definition describing the mapping of the data from the data model to a set of algorithms, algorithm parameters, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties, determining a shape size and position for the layout nodes utilizing the set of algorithms, constraints, and constraint rules from the graphic definition, and creating a list of shapes and shape properties for the graphic, including size and position. The method further includes determining if the graphic fits a given layout into a specific area based on the set of constraint values and if the graphic does not fit the specific area, then modifying the set of constraint values using the constraint rules.

Claims

1. A method for creating and laying out a graphic within an application program, comprising:

receiving a data model, the data model defining a set of data and data relationships to be represented in the graphic;

receiving a graphic definition, the graphic definition describing the mapping of the data from the data model to layout nodes, which specify an algorithm, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties;

determining a shape size and position for the at least one layout node generated by the layout tree utilizing the algorithm, constraints, from the graphic definition, wherein algorithm, and constraints are associated with the at least one layout node; and

specifying parameters for the algorithm, wherein the parameters are modified to modify a behavior of the algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding at least one additional algorithm, wherein the at least one additional algorithm is referenced by the graphic definition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of data and data relationships comprise iterators for mapping elements in the data model to the set of algorithms, specified parameters, constraints, and constraint rules.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising specifying a plurality of external graphic definitions, wherein each of a plurality of external graphic definitions specify information required to generate a specific graphic, the information including additional mapping conditions, algorithms, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a shape size and position for the at least one layout node generated by the layout tree comprises utilizing the algorithm in the set of algorithms to determine the size and position of shapes for generating a specific layout according to the constraints and constraint rules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the constraints comprise numeric constraints for specifying values and ranges of values for use by the algorithm.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the constraints comprise Boolean constraints for specifying the equality and inequality of values across shapes.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising propagating the values of a Boolean constraint to shapes sharing the Boolean constraint.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphic definition is formatted according to an extensible markup language (XML) schema.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the graphic definition is formatted according to an extensible markup language (XML) schema.

10. A system for creating and laying out a graphic within a drawing application program, comprising:

a client computer operative to execute program code for receiving a data model, the data model defining a set of data and data relationships to be represented in the graphic, receiving a graphic definition, the graphic definition describing the mapping of the data from the data model to layout nodes which specify an algorithm, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties, determining a shape size and position for the at least one layout node generated by the layout tree utilizing the algorithm, constraints, from the graphic definition, wherein the algorithm, and constraints are associated with the at least one layout node, and specifying parameters for the algorithm, wherein the parameters are modified to modify a behavior of the algorithm.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the program code is further operable to add at least one additional algorithm, wherein the at least one additional algorithm is referenced by the graphic definition.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the set of data and data relationships comprise iterators for mapping elements in the data model to the set of algorithms, specified parameters, constraints, and constraint rules.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the program code is further operable to specify a plurality of external graphic definitions, wherein each of a plurality of external graphic definitions specify information required to generate a specific graphic, the information including additional mapping conditions, algorithms, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein determining a shape size and position for the at least one layout node generated by the layout tree comprises utilizing the algorithm in the set of algorithms to determine the size and position of shapes for generating a specific layout according to the constraints and constraint rules.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the constraints comprise numeric constraints for specifying values for use by the algorithm.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the constraints comprise Boolean constraints for specifying the equality and inequality of values across shapes.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the program code is operable to propagate the values of a Boolean constraint to shapes sharing the Boolean constraint.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the graphic definition is formatted according to an extensible markup language (XML) schema.

19. 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 creating and laying out a graphic within an application program, comprising:

receiving a data model, the data model defining a set of data and data relationships to be represented in the graphic;

receiving a graphic definition, the graphic definition describing the mapping of the data from the data model to layout nodes, which specify an algorithm, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties;

determining a shape size and position for the at least one layout node generated by the layout tree utilizing the algorithm, constraints, from the graphic definition, wherein algorithm, and constraints are associated with the at least one layout node; and

specifying parameters for the algorithm, wherein the parameters are modified to modify a behavior of the algorithm.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising adding at least one additional algorithm, wherein the at least one additional algorithm is referenced by the graphic definition.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the set of data and data relationships comprise iterators for mapping elements in the data model to the set of algorithms, specified parameters, constraints, and constraint rules.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising specifying a plurality of external graphic definitions, wherein each of a plurality of external graphic definitions specify information required to generate a specific graphic, the information including additional mapping conditions, algorithms, constraints, constraint rules, and shape properties.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining a shape size and position for the at least one layout node generated by the layout tree comprises utilizing the algorithm in the set of algorithms to determine the size and position of shapes for generating a specific layout according to the constraints and constraint rules.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the constraints comprise numeric constraints for specifying values for use by the algorithm.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the constraints comprise Boolean constraints for specifying the equality and inequality of values across shapes.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25 further comprising propagating the values of a Boolean constraint to shapes sharing the Boolean constraint.