Method for managing embedded files for a document saved in HTML format

• US 6,585,777 B1
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Buchthal, David M., Ramaley, Alan A., Aldrich, Darrell L., Olsen, Thomas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Thu V.
• Application Number:
  US09/233,991
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 707/100, 707/501, 707/106, 707/511, 715/513, 715/501.1, 715/500, 715/511
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats

Abstract

A computer-implemented process for simulating, in an HTML-formatted primary file, certain user-expected characteristics of an electronic document containing an embedded file. In response to initiating a save operation for a primary file to be saved as an HTML document, a file embedded within the primary file is detected. In turn, a support file is created for storage, in a separate storage location and physically removed from the primary file, to logically represent the embedded file. In addition, a current file list, which is associated with the primary file, is created and saved to the storage mechanism, typically the hard disk drive for the computer. When the HTML-formatted primary file is opened in a work session, the editor can open a link to each support file identified by the file list. In response to conducting a save operation for a primary file, an inquiry can be conducted to determine if a prior file list is associated with the primary document. If a prior file list is located, then the current file list is compared to the prior file list. This comparison operation is completed to determine whether support files identified by the prior file list are no longer identified by the current file list. The support files not identified by the current file list, but identified in the prior file list, are deleted from the hard disk of the computer because the corresponding embedded files have been deleted by edit operations for the primary file.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for simulating characteristics of an electronic document containing embedded content when the document is saved in a HyperText Markup Language (HTML) by performing the steps comprising:

initiating an HTML save operation of a primary file;

determining whether the primary file contains a file embedded within the primary file;

in the event that the primary file contains an embedded file, creating a support file representing the embedded file for storage as a separate file on a storage mechanism and assigning a unique identifier to the support file;

creating a new file list linked to the primary file, the new file list stored on the storage mechanism and comprising the identifier assigned to the support file;

determining whether a prior file list is associated with the primary document, the prior file list containing an identifier for a support file created during a prior save operation for the primary file;

in response to locating the prior file list, comparing the new file list to the prior file list, and

if the identifier for the support file created during the prior save operation does not match another identifier in the new file list for the support file, deleting from the storage mechanism the support file having the identifier in the prior file list.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the primary file contains an embedded file comprises the steps of:

in the event that the primary file contains content that is generated by a save operation, rather than loaded in response to loading the primary file, then the content is identified as embedded within the primary file;

in the event that the primary file contains content that supports internal communication for the primary file, then the content is identified as embedded within the primary file;

in the event that the primary file contains content that is a user-authored picture in a VML file and having no <

image data>

tag, then the content is identified as embedded within the primary file;

in the event that the primary file contains a user-authored hyperlink identified in the new file list, then the content is identified as embedded within the primary file;

in the event that the primary file contains content that is a user-authored frame having a certain CSS property for a <

frame>

tag set to a true state, then the content is identified as embedded within the primary file; and

in the event that the primary file contains content that is a user-authored sound or movie identified by the new file list, then the content is identified as embedded within the primary file;

otherwise, the content associated with the primary file is linked to the primary file.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the support file comprises:

identifying the type of content for the embedded file represented by the support file;

assigning the unique identifier to the support file based on the identified type of content for the embedded file;

selecting a storage configuration for the support file; and

storing the support file on the storage mechanism in the selected storage configuration.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the step of assigning a unique identifier to the support file comprises:

for the identified type of content for the embedded file represented by the support file, determining whether a single instance of the support file exists for the primary file;

in the event that a single instance of the support file exists for the primary file, then assigning a fixed string as the unique identifier for the support file;

otherwise, assigning a combination of a fixed string and a unique instance number as the unique identifier for the support file.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein

the step of selecting a storage configuration for the support file comprises:

determining whether the storage configuration for the support file is a flat file layout;

if the storage configuration for the support file is a flat file layout, then creating a directory having a directory identifier defined by an identifier for the primary file prepended to the assigned identifier for the support file and storing the support file on the storage mechanism within the directory identified by the directory identifier,

otherwise, creating a folder having a folder identifier defined by a combination of the identifier for the primary file and a local file term and storing the support file on the storage mechanism in the folder identified by the folder identifier.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the new file list is stored on the storage mechanism as a file separate from the primary file and is linked to the primary file by a hyperlink.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the new file list is referenced in the primary file by an HTML <

link>

tag.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier assigned to the support file and maintained within the new file list comprises a unique file name for the support file and a link between the primary file and the support file.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

in response to opening the primary file, opening each support file identified by the new file list, thereby presenting a user with the impression that content embedded within the primary file has been opened by opening the primary file.

10. A computer-implemented method for managing content embedded within a primary file in response to saving the primary file in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format, comprising the steps of:

in response to initiating an HTML save operation of the primary file, saving the content of each file embedded within the primary file to a storage mechanism by creating a support file that is separate from the primary file;

creating a file list for the primary file that comprises an entry for each support file associated with the primary file, each file list entry identifying the support file and representing a link between the primary file and the support file, and

saving the file list for use with subsequent operations involving the primary file.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising the step of inserting into the primary file an HTML <

link>

tag comprising a reference to the file list, the HTML <

link>

tag providing a link between the primary file and the file list.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

after completing the HTML save operation for the primary file, opening the primary file and reading the HTML <

link>

tag for the file list; and

opening each support file identified by the file list, thereby presenting the user with the impression that content embedded within the primary file has been opened as a result of opening the primary file.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the step of saving the content of each file embedded within the primary file to a storage mechanism by creating a support file comprises:

identifying the type of the content for the embedded file represented by the support file;

assigning a unique identifier to the support file based on the identified type of content for the embedded file;

selecting a storage configuration for the support file; and

storing the support file on the storage mechanism in the selected storage configuration.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein the step of assigning a unique identifier to the support file comprises:

for the identified type of content for the embedded file represented by the support file, determining whether a single instance of the support file exists for the primary file;

in the event that a single instance of the support file exists for the primary file, then assigning a fixed string as the unique identifier for the support file;

otherwise, assigning a combination of a fixed string and a unique instance number as the unique identifier for the support file.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the step of selecting a storage configuration for the support file comprises:

determining whether the storage configuration for the support file is a flat file layout;

if the storage configuration for the support file is a flat file layout, then creating a directory having a directory identifier defined by an identifier for the primary file prepended to the assigned identifier for the support file and storing the support file on the storage mechanism within the directory identified by the directory identifier,

otherwise, creating a folder having a folder identifier defined by a combination of the identifier for the primary file and a local file term and storing the support file on the storage mechanism in the folder identified by the folder identifier.

16. A computer-implemented method for mananaging content embedded within a primary file in response to saving the primary file in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format, comprising the steps of:

conducting an inquiry during a current save operation to determine whether a prior file list is available for the primary file, the prior file list identifying each support file stored as a separate file on a storage mechanism and representing content embedded within the primary file at the time of a prior save operation;

if the prior file list is available, comparing each support file identified in the prior file list to a current file list identifying each support file stored as a separate file on a storage mechanism and representing content embedded within the primary file at the time of the current save operation;

if the prior file list identifies a support file of a prior save operation that is not identified by the current file list, deleting from the storage mechanism the non-matching support file identified in the prior file list.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 wherein the current file list and the prior file list are each stored on the storage mechanism as a file separate from the primary file and linked to the primary file by a hyperlink.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein for each support file identified by the current file list, the current file list comprises a unique file name for each support file and a link between the primary file and the support file.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 further comprising:

in response to conducting an open file operation for the primary file after completing the current save operation, opening each support file identified by the current file list, thereby presenting a user with the impression that content embedded within the primary file has been opened by opening the primary file.