Translating data into HTML while retaining formatting and functionality for returning the translated data to a parent application

• US 6,565,609 B1
• Filed: 06/15/1999
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zhigu Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Timasheva, Anna V., Misra, Rajeev S., Fischer, Kevin J., Sorge, Terri L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUAN, ALMARI ROMERO
• Application Number:
  US09/333,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 707/503, 707/513, 715/523
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

A method for enabling data generated in a parent application to be translated into another format, such as hypertext markup language (HTML), so that formatting functionality unique to the parent application is retained, and so that the data reintroduced into the parent application from an HTML document has all its original formatting and functionality restored. As the data are translated into the other format, formatting information specific to the parent application is included with the data, but in such a manner that the formatting information is ignored by applications such as web browsers that are compatible with the other format. While translating the data into the other format, any formatting commands in the data that are not fully supported in the other format are identified, and if found, are translated so as to emulate the form of the data in the parent application. Included in the translated data is a marker identifying changes in the formatting commands. When the translated data are reintroduced to the parent application, the parent application ignores the non-identical formatting indicated by the marker and instead uses the original formatting information that was included in the translated data. The method can be used to reduce the size of an HTML file that includes translated spreadsheet data by abbreviating the HTML code for empty cells, while ensuring that when translated spreadsheet data are reintroduced into a parent spreadsheet application, the original formatting and functionality of the spreadsheet data are maintained.

Claims

1. A method for translating data having a format and functionality specific to a parent application into a different application format, such that any formatting changes required to translate the data into the different application format are reversible, enabling the data to be reintroduced into the parent application without loss of the format and functionality that the data previously exhibited in the parent application, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a user to select the data to be translated, from within the parent application;

(b) translating the data from the parent application format into the different application format, and including within the translated data a marker associated with each formatting change required to resolve any conflicts between a first format and first functionality available in the parent application and a second format and second functionality available in the different application;

(c) incorporating the data translated into the different application format within a file of the different application; and

(d) enabling a user to reintroduce the data that were translated into the parent application, such that wherever a marker denoting a formatting change is found in said data, that formatting change is ignored by the parent application, and the first format and first functionality is reapplied to the data reintroduced into the parent application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of incorporating the data that were translated into the file of the different application comprises the step of including within that file the first format and first functionality information, such that said first format and first functionality information is ignored by the different application, and the step of enabling a user to reintroduce the data into the parent application comprises the step of using said first format and first functionality information to recreate the original formatting of the data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parent application comprises a spreadsheet program and the data that are translated are selected from a spreadsheet and include one of a data table and a chart.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the different application format includes components of HTML, and wherein the step of translating the data further includes the steps of:

(a) identifying any contiguous empty cells in the data selected from the spreadsheet; and

(b) abbreviating the HTML required to define the empty cells by using a colspan attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of abbreviating the HTML required to define the empty cells further comprises using a colspan-rowspan attribute.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the different application format includes components of hypertext markup language (HTML).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein any formatting changes are made using at least one of the group including HTML tags, attributes, and cascading style sheet properties.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the formatting change comprises adding padding so that the data are more aesthetically displayed in a browser.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the conflict between the format and functionality originally associated with the data in the parent application and the format and functionality available in the different application arises due to spilled text, and the formatting change comprises using a colspan attribute.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the conflict between the format and functionality originally associated with the data in the parent application and the format and functionality available in the different application arises due to a formatting command in the parent application that is specific to a function of the data, further comprising the steps of:

(a) including said formatting command within the data being translated into the different application format in the step of translating the data, but in a form such that the formatting command is ignored by the different application; and

(b) using the formatting command in the data translated, to recreate the original formatting of the data, if the data are reintroduced into the parent application.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the formatting command is defined by a user of the parent application.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the formatting command changes the appearance of the data in the parent application when the data change between negative and positive values.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the conflict between the format and functionality originally associated with the data in the parent application and the format and functionality available in the different application arises due to data that include one of a shape and an image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the marker associated with any formatting change comprises a cascading style sheet property.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cascading style sheet property comprising the marker is an MSO-Ignore property.

16. A method of persisting formatting information so that data having a first format and a functionality in a parent application specific to the first format are translatable into a second format, different from the first format, and of enabling the data to be returned from the second format to the parent application without loss of the functionality specific to the first format, comprising the steps of:

(a) enabling a user of the parent application to select the data in the first format to be translated into the second format;

(b) translating the data from the first format into the second format, producing translated data that are usable in another application;

(c) including within the translated data a marker associated with each formatting change arising from the translation of the data from the first format to the second format;

(d) incorporating the translated data into a file and including within that file format and functionality information associated with the data in the first format, but in a form such that the format and functionality information is ignored by any application that uses the file with the translated data in the second format; and

(e) enabling the translated data in the file to be returned into the first format, such that wherever a marker denoting an associated formatting change is found in the translated data, the associated formatting change is discarded, the format and functionality information included with the translated data in the file being used to recreate the first format and restore the functionality that the data originally exhibited in the first format.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first format is associated with a spreadsheet program and the data that are translated include one of a data table and a chart selected from a spreadsheet.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second format is compatible with hypertext markup language (HTML).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the marker comprises a cascading style sheet property.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the format and functionality information associated with the data in the first format is included within a <

HEAD>

section of an HTML document including the translated data.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the format and functionality information associated with the data in the first format is included within a <

BODY>

section of an HTML document including the translated data.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the format and functionality information associated with the data in the first format is at least in part written as a cascading style sheet.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the formatting changes are necessary because the data in the first format includes one of spilled text, formatting that is a function of the data in the first format, a shape, and an image.

24. A method for minimizing the size of a hypertext markup language (HTML) file that is generated at least in part by translating data from a file format used by a parent application into an HTML file format, while ensuring that the data translated and included in the HTML file can be reintroduced into the parent application with the same format and functionality that the data originally exhibited in the parent application, comprising the steps of:

(a) using the parent application, enabling a user to select the data to be translated into the HTML file format;

(b) parsing the data selected to find any contiguous empty cells;

(c) translating the data from the file format used in the parent application into the HTML file format, using a colspan attribute to abbreviate the HTML required to define any contiguous empty cells;

(d) including a marker that is associated with each colspan attribute thus used;

(e) incorporating the data translated into the HTML file format within an HTML file; and

(f) ignoring the colspan attributes associated with the marker if reintroducing the data into the parent application from the HTML file.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the HTML file is created by the step of translating the data from the file format of the parent application into the HTML file format.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the HTML file is an existing HTML file to which the data are added after the step of translating.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of translating the data further comprises the steps of:

(a) using a rowspan attribute to abbreviate the HTML required to define any contiguous empty cells;

(b) including a marker associated with each rowspan attribute thus used; and

(c) ignoring the rowspan attributes associated with the marker if reintroducing the data into the parent application from the HTML file.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the marker comprises a cascading style sheet property.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the cascading style sheet property is an MSO-Ignore property.

30. A method for translating data in a file format used by a parent application into a hypertext markup language (HTML) format such that an aesthetic appearance of translated data as viewed with a browser is improved, while ensuring that the translated data in the HTML format can be reintroduced into the parent application without losing the format and functionality that the data originally had in the parent application, comprising the steps of:

(a) using the parent application, enabling a user to select the data to be translated into HTML;

(b) analyzing the data to identify regions where padding can be inserted to improve the aesthetic appearance of the data when viewed with a browser;

(c) translating the data from the file format of the parent application into the HTML format and incorporating padding for said regions;

(d) including a marker associated with any padding added;

(e) incorporating the data translated into an HTML file; and

(f) ignoring any padding associated with the marker if reintroducing the data translated from within the HTML file, into the parent application.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the parent application comprises a spreadsheet program and the data that are translated include one of a data table and a chart selected from a spreadsheet.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the HTML file is created by the step of translating the data from the format of the parent application into the HTML format.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the HTML file is an existing HTML file to which the data translated are added.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the marker comprises a cascading style sheet property.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the cascading style sheet property is an MSO-Ignore property.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein the padding is added to a region that includes text that would otherwise be displayed in the browser so close to a border of an adjacent region as to interfere with a readability of the text.

37. An article of manufacture adapted for use with a computer, comprising:

(a) a memory medium; and

(b) a plurality of machine instructions comprising a computer program, which are stored on the memory medium, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a computer, causing the computer to;

(i) enable a user to specify a data selection to be translated from a first file format of a parent application into a second file format, different from the first file format, for use by another application;

(ii) translate the data selection into the second file format, including within the data translated a marker associated with each formatting change required to resolve any conflicts between the first file format and a functionality associated with the data in the parent application, and the second file format and its corresponding functionality in the other application;

(iii) incorporate the data translated into a file using the second file format; and

(iv) enable the data translated to be reintroduce from the file into the parent application such that whenever any marker denoting a format change is found, that formatting change is ignored by the parent application.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 37, wherein the machine instructions which cause the computer to incorporate the data translated further cause the computer to include information defining and preserving the first file format and functionality of the data, such that the information is ignored by the other application compatible with the second file format, said information being used by the computer to recreate the original formatting and functionality of the data if reintroduced into the parent application.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein the parent application comprises a spreadsheet program and the data that are translated include one of a data table and a chart selected from a spreadsheet.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein the second file format is written in hypertext markup language.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein the data translated are incorporated into an existing file.

42. The article of manufacture of claim 38, wherein the marker comprises a cascading style sheet property.

43. The article of manufacture of claim 42, wherein the cascading style sheet property is an MSO-Ignore property.

44. A system for enabling formatting and functionality information to be persisted when data having a first format used by a parent application are translated into a second format, different from the first format, required of another application, such that the data translated can be returned to the parent application without loss of any format and any functionality that the data had in the first format, comprising:

(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions defining the parent application are stored;

(b) a display; and

(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory to access the machine instructions and to the display, said processor executing said machine instructions and thereby implementing a plurality of functions, as follows;

(i) enabling a user within the parent application to specify the data in the first format to be translated into the second format;

(ii) translating the data selection into the second format, including within the data translated, a marker associated with each formatting change required to resolve any conflicts between a format and a functionality associated with the data in the first format and a format and a functionality available in the second format;

(iii) incorporating the translated data into a file compatible with the second format and including within the file, format and functionality information associated with the data in the first format, such that the format and functionality information is ignored by any application using the file; and

(iv) enabling the data translated to be reintroduced into an application compatible with the first format from the file, such that whenever any marker denoting a format change is found, the formatting change is ignored by the application compatible with the first format, and the format and functionality information included with the data translated is used to recreate the formatting and the functionality that the data originally exhibited before being translated into the second format.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the parent application comprises a spreadsheet program, and the translated data include one of a data table and a chart selected from a spreadsheet.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the second format include hypertext markup language.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the data translated are incorporated into an existing file.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein the marker comprises a cascading style sheet property.

49. The system of claim 44, wherein the cascading style sheet property is an MSO-Ignore property.