Method and apparatus for creating and organizing a document from a plurality of local or external documents represented as objects in a hierarchical tree

• US 6,023,715 A
• Filed: 04/24/1996
• Issued: 02/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Moody, Paul B., Royal, Eliza H., Burkes, Daniel F., Kish, John W., Jones, William H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US08/638,908
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 707/514, 707/511, 707/515, 707/513, 345/341, 345/350
• US Class Current: 715/207
• 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 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

An authoring tool allows users to create complex documents from a base division model, the model includes a plurality of pointers allowing the divisions to be interconnected to one another dynamically to create a complex hierarchy of divisions, including nested divisions. The content of a division may be located externally to the actual document and authoring tool system. A display mechanism is further disclosed for instantaneously determining the division name and page number within a document from a graphic user display.

Claims

1. A computer program product for use with a computer system, the computer system having local storage and a visual display and being connected, via a computer network, to other computer systems, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having program code embodied in the medium for allowing users to create a single virtual document from a plurality of independently-created and edited documents, the program code including:

program code for creating a plurality of division containers, at least one of the division containers including a content pointer which references document content information in one of the plurality of documents;

program code which responds to user commands by forming the plurality of division containers into an arbitrary hierarchy by inserting at least one pointer into each of the division containers which pointer references another of the plurality of division containers; and

program code for traversing the hierarchy and loading into the local storage a copy of document content information referenced by each division container encountered in the traversed hierarchy portion so that the document content information from all referenced documents can be manipulated as if it were the document content information of a single document.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising program code for displaying on the display the document content information from all referenced documents.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein each division container has associated therewith a graphic element which uniquely identifies the division container in an iconic manner and wherein program code for displaying further comprises program code for displaying such graphic elements in a manner which represents relationships among the division containers.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising program code for continuously scrolling on the display the document content information from all referenced documents.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 further comprising program code for dynamically displaying during the scrolling, identification information for a division object which has document content information displayed on the display.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 wherein the identification in formation comprises information identifying the division object which has document content information displayed on the display and information identifying a location within the document content information.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 where in the program code for loading into the local storage a copy of document content information comprises linker/loader program code which retrieves a copy of document content information from the local storage when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in the computer system and which retrieves a copy of document content information over the network into the computer system when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in a computer system other than the computer system.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising program code which responds to user commands for reconfiguring the arbitrary hierarchy by changing the pointer in at least one of the division containers to reference another of the plurality of division containers.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein each division object includes formatting information and the program code further includes program code which is responsive to the formatting information in a division object for formatting for display the document content information referenced by the division object.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising program code which combines a plurality of division containers by merging the content information in each of the plurality of documents referenced by the plurality of division containers.

11. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising program code for deleting a division object by manipulating the pointers in the hierarchy.

12. Apparatus for use with a computer system, the computer system having local storage and a visual display and being connected, via a computer network, to other computer systems, the apparatus allowing users to create a single virtual document from a plurality of independently-created and edited documents and comprising:

a container mechanism which creates a plurality of division containers, at least one of the division containers including a content pointer which references document content information in one of the plurality of documents;

a configuration mechanism which responds to user commands by forming the plurality of division containers into an arbitrary hierarchy by inserting at least one pointer into each of the division containers which pointer references another of the plurality of division containers; and

a linker/loader which traverses the hierarchy and loads into the local storage a copy of document content information referenced by each division container encountered in the traversed hierarchy portion so that the document content information from all referenced documents can be manipulated as if it were the document content information of a single document.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising renderer for displaying on the display the document content information from all referenced documents.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each division container has associated therewith a graphic element which uniquely identifies the division container in an iconic manner and wherein the renderer further comprises a mechanism for displaying such graphic elements in a manner which represents relationships among the division containers.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a scroller for continuously scrolling on the display the document content information from all referenced documents.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a mechanism for dynamically displaying during the scrolling, identification information for a division object which has document content information displayed on the display.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the identification information comprises information identifying the division object which has document content information displayed on the display and information identifying a location within the document content information.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the linker/loader comprises a loader which retrieves a copy of document content information from the local storage when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in the computer system and which retrieves a copy of document content information over the network into the computer system when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in a computer system other than the computer system.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a reconfiguration mechanism which responds to user commands for reconfiguring the arbitrary hierarchy by changing the pointer in at least one of the division containers to reference another of the plurality of division containers.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each division object includes formatting information and the apparatus further includes a formatter which is responsive to the formatting information in a division object for formatting for display the document content information referenced by the division object.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a document manipulation mechanism which combines a plurality of division containers by merging the content information in each of the plurality of documents referenced by the plurality of division containers.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a document deletion mechanism for deleting a division object by manipulating the pointers in the hierarchy.

23. A method for use with a computer system, the computer system having local storage and a visual display and being connected, via a computer network, to other computer systems, the method allowing users to create a single virtual document from a plurality of independently-created and edited documents and comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a plurality of division containers, at least one of the division containers including a content pointer which references document content information in one of the plurality of documents;

(b) forming, in response to user commands, the plurality of division containers into an arbitrary hierarchy by inserting at least one pointer into each of the division containers which pointer references another of the plurality of division containers; and

(c) traversing the hierarchy and loading into the local storage a copy of document content information referenced by each division container encountered in the traversed hierarchy portion so that the document content information from all referenced documents can be manipulated as if it were the document content information of a single document.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

(d) displaying on the display the document content information from all referenced documents.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein each division container has associated therewith a graphic element which uniquely identifies the division container in an iconic manner and wherein step (d) comprises the step of:

(d1) program code for visually displaying further comprises program code for displaying such graphic elements in a manner which represents relationships among the division containers.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

(e) continuously scrolling on the display the document content information from all referenced documents.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising the step of:

(f) dynamically displaying during the scrolling, identification information for a division object which has document content information displayed on the display.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the identification information comprises information identifying the division object which has document content information displayed on the display and information identifying a location within the document content information.

29. The method of claim 23 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

(c1) retrieving a copy of document content information from the local storage when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in the computer system; and

(c2) retrieving a copy of document content information over the network into the computer system when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in a computer system other than the computer system.

30. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

(g) reconfiguring the arbitrary hierarchy in response to user commands by changing the pointer in at least one of the division containers to reference another of the plurality of division containers.

31. The method of claim 23 wherein each division object includes formatting information and the method further includes the step of:

(h) formatting for display the document content information referenced by the division object using the formatting information in a division object.

32. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

(i) combining a plurality of division containers by merging the content information in each of the plurality of documents referenced by the plurality of division containers.

33. The method of claim 23 further comprising the step of:

(j) deleting a division object by manipulating the pointers in the hierarchy.

34. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for allowing users to create a single virtual document from a plurality of independently-created and edited documents comprising:

program code for creating a plurality of division containers in the memory of a computer system, at least one of the division containers including a content pointer which references document content information in one of the plurality of documents;

program code which responds to user commands entered into the computer system by forming the plurality of division containers into an arbitrary hierarchy by inserting at least one pointer into each of the division containers which pointer references another of the plurality of division containers; and

program code for traversing the hierarchy and loading into local storage of the computer system a copy of document content information referenced by each division container encountered in the traversed hierarchy portion so that the document content information from all referenced documents can be manipulated as if it were the document content information of a single document.

35. The computer data signal of claim 34 further comprising program code for displaying on a display associated with the computer system the document content information from all referenced documents.

36. The computer data signal of claim 35 wherein each division container has associated therewith a graphic element which uniquely identifies the division container in an iconic manner and wherein program code for visually displaying further comprises program code for displaying such graphic elements in a manner which represents relationships among the division containers.

37. The computer data signal of claim 34 further comprising program code for continuously scrolling on a display associated with the computer system the document content information from all referenced documents.

38. The computer data signal of claim 37 further comprising program code for dynamically displaying during the scrolling, identification information for a division object which has document content information displayed on a display associated with the computer system.

39. The computer data signal of claim 38 wherein the identification information comprises information identifying the division object which has document content information displayed on the display and information identifying a location within the document content information.

40. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein the program code for loading into the local storage a copy of document content information comprises linker/loader program code which retrieves a copy of document content information from the local storage when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in the computer system and which retrieves a copy of document content information over the network into the computer system when a content pointer in a division object traversed in the hierarchy references content information in a computer system other than the computer system.

41. The computer data signal of claim 34 further comprising program code which responds to user commands for reconfiguring the arbitrary hierarchy by changing the pointer in at least one of the division containers to reference another of the plurality of division containers.

42. The computer data signal of claim 34 wherein each division object includes formatting information and the program code further includes program code which is responsive to the formatting information in a division object for formatting for display the document content information referenced by the division object.

43. The computer data signal of claim 34 further comprising program code which combines a plurality of division containers by merging the content information in each of the plurality of documents referenced by the plurality of division containers.

44. The computer data signal of claim 34 further comprising program code for deleting a division object by manipulating the pointers in the hierarchy.