Document generation using information engineering

• US 5,228,121 A
• Filed: 09/08/1992
• Issued: 07/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digital Equipment Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Staines, Barbara M., Wojtas, Alphonse J., Fontaine, Robert N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Application Number:
  US07/942,128
• Time in Patent Office: 308 Days
• Field of Search: 395/145-151, 395/117
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging

Abstract

An information engineering writer'"'"'s tool uses stored common, semi-common and unique information objects to build audience specific documentation, including specific instruction manuals. A recursive processing program retrieves and sorts called information objects a first time and then sorts the contents for nested calls to other information objects. Each information object is stored a single time. Recall of nested information objects is desirably limited to a single time for each printing or previewing of constructed documents.

Claims

1. A method for compiling a document from one or more document master files and from a plurality of source files, each one of said plurality of source files containing at least one definition for an information object and at least some of said plurality of source files containing a different definition for the same information object comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one document master file containing at least one definition for an information object, text, a plurality of calls to information objects and at least one redefinition for an information object;

selecting a plurality of source files, each containing at least one definition for an information object referenced as one of said calls to an information object in said master file whereby a portion of the content of the document is determined by the selection of said source files;

storing in memory only once said definitions for information objects from said selected source files and from said selected document master file, regardless of the number of calls to the same information object, at least one of said definitions for an information object containing another call to an information object;

sorting said stored definitions for information objects into a predetermined order;

reading from memory each of said definitions for an information object referenced as a call to an information object in said selected document master file in order in which said calls to information objects are referenced in said selected document master file;

reading from memory each additional definition for an information object referenced as a call to an information object within said read definitions for information objects;

retrieving said text from said selected document master file;

retrieving said redefinition for an information object from said selected document master file and substituting said redefinition for said stored definition for said information object;

outputting a document corresponding to read definitions for information objects, including said redefinition for information objects and said retrieved text from said selected document master file.

2. A method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 1 wherein one of said selected plurality of source files contains text formatting macros as said definitions for information objects as referenced by said calls to information objects in said selected document master file and said method further comprises the step of:

formatting, according to said text formatting macros, said retrieved text from said document master file and said read definitions for information objects including said redefinition for information objects before the step of outputting.

3. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 1 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises call to an information object.

4. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 1 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises text.

5. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 1 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises text and a call to an information object.

6. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 1 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises a null object.

7. The method of compiling a document as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of said definitions for an information object is a template object containing calls to other information objects arranged in a predetermined order.

8. A method for compiling a document from at least one master file and from a plurality of source files, each one of said plurality of source files containing at least one definition for an information object and at least some of said plurality of source files containing a different definition for the same information object comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one document master file containing a plurality of calls to information objects and at least one redefinition for an information object;

selecting a plurality of source files, each containing at least one definition for an information object referenced as one of said calls to an information object in said master file whereby a portion of the content of the document is determined by the selection of said source files;

storing in memory only once said definitions for information objects from said selected source files and from said selected document master file regardless of the number of calls to the same information object, at least one of said definitions for an information object containing another call to an information object;

sorting said stored definitions for information objects into a predetermined order;

reading from memory each of said definitions for an information object referenced as a call to an information object in said selected document master file in the order in which said calls to information objects are referenced in said selected document master file;

reading from memory each additional definition for an information object referenced as a call to an information object within said read definitions for information objects;

retrieving said text from said selected document master file;

retrieving said redefinition for an information object from said selected document master file and substituting said redefinition for said stored definition for said information object;

outputting a document corresponding to said read definitions for information objects, including said redefinition for information objects and said retrieved text from said selected document master file.

9. A method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 8 wherein one of said selected plurality of source files contains text formatting macros as said definitions for information objects as referenced by said calls to information objects in said selected document master file and said method further comprises the step of:

formatting, according to said text formatting macros, said read definitions for information objects including said redefinition for information objects before the step of outputting.

10. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 8 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises a call to an information object.

11. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 8 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises text.

12. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 8 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises text and a call to an information object.

13. The method for compiling a document as set forth in claim 8 wherein said redefinition for an information object comprises a null object.

14. The method of compiling a document as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one of said definitions for an information object is a template object containing calls to other information objects arranged in a predetermined order.

15. A system for compiling a document for outputting comprising:

one or more document master files, each of said document master files containing at least one definition for an information object, text, a plurality of calls to information objects and at least one redefinition for an information object;

a plurality of source files containing at least one definition for an information object and at least some of said plurality of source files containing a different definition for the same information object;

means for selecting at least one of said document master files and at least two of said plurality of source files, each of said selected source files containing a definition for an information object referenced as one of said calls to an information object in said selected document master file whereby a portion of the content of the document is determined by the selection of said source files;

memory means for storing said definitions for information objects from said selected source files and from said document master file, at least one of said definitions for information objects containing another cell to an information objects;

means for sorting said stored definitions for information objects into a predetermined order;

data processing means for reading from said memory means said definitions for information objects referenced as calls to information objects in said selected document master file in the order in which said calls to information objects are referenced in said selected document master file and for reading from said memory means each additional definition for an information object referenced as a call to an information object within said read definitions for information objects and for retrieving said text from said selected document master file and for retrieving said redefinitions for an information object from said selected document master file and substituting said redefinition for said stored definition for said information object; and

means for outputting a document corresponding to said read definitions for information objects including said redefinition for information objects and said retrieved text from said selected document master file.

16. A system for compiling a document for outputting as set forth in claim 15 wherein at least one of said selected plurality of source files contains text formatting macros as said definitions for information objects referenced as said calls to information objects in said selected master file and further comprising means for formatting, according to said text formatting macros, said read definitions for information objects including said redefinition for information objects and said retrieved text from said selected document master file before printing.