Comprehensive method of resolving nested forward references in electronic data streams within defined resolution scopes
First Claim
1. A document construction system including files containing data and instructions, wherein data forms at least a logical stream of data and wherein logical streams of data ate provided to output means comprising:
- means for providing a plurality of referents wherein at least a referent refers to a logical stream of data;
means for providing a plurality of different referent scopes with which referents are associated and used and outside of which referents within a scope are inaccessible;
means for inserting at least a referent into the logical stream of data and within a referent scope from the plurality of referent scopes;
means for resolving logical streams of data referred to by referents within a referent scope, wherein resolving of a referent scope from the plurality of referent scopes results in an unresolved logical stream of data absent an error condition; and
means for providing to an output means a resolved logical stream of data, the resolved logical stream of data forming a constructed document.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for constructing documents has files containing data and instructions. The data forms logical streams for provision to output means. According to the method, a plurality of referents referring to logical streams of data are provided. A plurality of different referent scopes with which referents are associated and used and outside of which referents within a scope are inaccessible are also provided. Referents are then inserted into the logical stream of data and within a referent scope from the plurality of referent scopes. The logical streams of data referred to by referents within a referent scope are then resolved but resolving of a referent scope does not necessarily result in a resolved logical stream of data absent referents. Once the referent scopes are resolved, the resulting logical data stream is provided to the output device as a constructed document. A system having parts for performing the steps of the method is also disclosed.
54 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A document construction system including files containing data and instructions, wherein data forms at least a logical stream of data and wherein logical streams of data ate provided to output means comprising:
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means for providing a plurality of referents wherein at least a referent refers to a logical stream of data; means for providing a plurality of different referent scopes with which referents are associated and used and outside of which referents within a scope are inaccessible; means for inserting at least a referent into the logical stream of data and within a referent scope from the plurality of referent scopes; means for resolving logical streams of data referred to by referents within a referent scope, wherein resolving of a referent scope from the plurality of referent scopes results in an unresolved logical stream of data absent an error condition; and means for providing to an output means a resolved logical stream of data, the resolved logical stream of data forming a constructed document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method of document construction comprising:
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providing a plurality of logical streams of data; providing a plurality of referents wherein a referent refers to a logical stream of data from the plurality of logical streams of data; providing a plurality of different referent scopes with which referents are associated, within which referents within said scope are used and outside of which referents within said scope are inaccessible; inserting at least a referent into a logical stream of data from the plurality of logical streams of data and within a referent scope from the plurality of different referent scopes; and resolving logical streams of data referred to by referents within a referent scope, wherein resolving of at least a logical stream or data results in an unresolved logical stream of data absent an error condition. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A document construction system including files containing data and instructions, wherein data forms at least a logical stream of data and wherein logical streams of data are provided to output means comprising:
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means for providing a plurality of referents wherein at least a referent refers to a logical stream of data; means for providing a plurality of different temporal referent scopes with which referents are associated and used and outside of which referents within a temporal referent scope are inaccessible, the temporal referent scopes defining a relative temporal order between resolution of two different temporal scopes; means for inserting at least a referent into the logical stream of data and within a temporal referent scope from the plurality of temporal referent scopes; means for resolving logical streams of data referred to by referents within a temporal referent scope in the defined temporal order; and
,means for providing to an output means a resolved logical stream of data, the resolved logical stream of data forming a constructed document.
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Specification