Self-sizing object placement

• US 7,028,255 B1
• Filed: 08/14/2000
• Issued: 04/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Ayers, Bob M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, CONG LAC T
• Application Number:
  US09/639,582
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 715/517, 715/518, 715/520, 715/521, 715/500, 715/815, 715/788
• US Class Current: 715/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A method and computer program product includes identifying a page layout template having a plurality of dimensions including one or more variable dimensions, the template lacking a size specification for the variable dimensions and including at least one box having adjustable metrics in the variable dimensions specifying at least one of a size of the box and a distance from the box to any other boxes; fixing a size for each variable dimension of the template; and adjusting the metrics of the box based on the sizes.

Claims

1. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a page layout template, the template including a hierarchy of boxes, the hierarchy including an exterior bounding box for the template and one or more interior boxes contained within the exterior bounding box, the exterior bounding box forming the topmost level of the hierarchy, the one or more interior boxes forming one or more lower levels of the hierarchy, each lower level including one or more interior boxes, the exterior bounding box having one or more variable dimensions that have an undefined size specification, at least one of the interior boxes having one or more metrics that are variable in the same dimensions as the exterior bounding box, each metric specifying a size for the interior box, a distance between the interior box and another box, or both, the size or distance each being defined as two values, a first value specifying a nominal value, and a second value specifying a range of permissible values around the nominal value, the other box being another box on the same level or on a different level of the hierarchy;

converting the one or more variable dimensions of the exterior bounding box into one or more fixed dimensions, each having a defined size specification; and

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes based on the fixed dimensions.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes includes:

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes in hierarchical order.

3. The product of claim 2, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes in hierarchical order includes:

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes independently in each dimension.

4. The product of claim 2, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes in hierarchical order includes:

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes, first in one dimension, and then in another dimension.

5. The product of claim 4, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes, first in one dimension, and then in another dimension includes:

terminating adjustment in a given dimension for an interior box and any child boxes contained within the interior box when the interior box has a synthesized metric in the given dimension, the synthesized metric being a metric that is adjusted after content has been flowed into the interior box.

6. The product of claim 1, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes includes:

for each variable dimension,

for each level of the hierarchy,

for each interior box in the level,

adjusting the metric in the variable dimension to a value within the range of permissible values.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein adjusting the metric in the variable dimension includes:

if the metric is a synthesized metric, terminating adjustment of the interior box and any child boxes contained within the interior box, the synthesized metric being a metric that is adjusted after content has been flowed into the interior box.

8. The product of claim 1, wherein:

the metrics include a synthesized metric, the synthesized metric being a metric that is adjusted after content has been flowed into the interior box; and

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes includes adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes without adjusting the synthesized metric.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

flowing content into the interior boxes; and

adjusting the synthesized metric based on the flowed content.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a page layout template, the template including a hierarchy of boxes, the hierarchy including an exterior bounding box for the template and one or more interior boxes contained within the exterior bounding box, the exterior bounding box forming the topmost level of the hierarchy, the one or more interior boxes forming one or more lower levels of the hierarchy, each lower level including one or more interior boxes, the exterior bounding box having one or more variable dimensions that have an undefined size specification, at least one of the interior boxes having one or more metrics that are variable in the same dimensions as the exterior bounding box, each metric specifying a size for the interior box, a distance between the interior box and another box, or both, the size or distance each being defined as two values, a first value specifying a nominal value, and a second value specifying a range of permissible values around the nominal value, the other box being another box on the same level or on a different level of the hierarchy;

converting the one or more variable dimensions of the exterior bounding box into one or more fixed dimensions, each having a defined size specification; and

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes based on the fixed dimensions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes includes:

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes in hierarchical order.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes in hierarchical order includes:

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes independently in each dimension.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes in hierarchical order includes:

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes, first in one dimension, and then in another dimension.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes, first in one dimension, and then in another dimension includes:

terminating adjustment in a given dimension for an interior box and any child boxes contained within the interior box when the interior box has a synthesized metric in the given dimension, the synthesized metric being a metric that is adjusted after content has been flowed into the interior box.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes includes:

for each variable dimension,

for each level of the hierarchy,

for each interior box in the level,

adjusting the metric in the variable dimension to a value within the range of permissible values.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the metric in the variable dimension includes:

if the metric is a synthesized metric, terminating adjustment of the interior box and any child boxes contained within the interior box, the synthesized metric being a metric that is adjusted after content has been flowed into the interior box.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the metrics include a synthesized metric, the synthesized metric being a metric that is adjusted after content has been flowed into the interior box; and

adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes includes adjusting the metrics of the interior boxes without adjusting the synthesized metric.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

flowing content into the interior boxes; and

adjusting the synthesized metric based on the flowed content.