Variable text processing for an electronic press

• US 7,278,094 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RR Donnelley & Sons Company
• Original Assignee: RR Donnelley & Sons Company
• Inventors: Warmus, James L., Dreyer, Mark G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): STORK, KYLE R
• Application Number:
  US09/563,882
• Time in Patent Office: 2,708 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/517, 715/520, 715/522, 715/523, 715/530, 709/223, 707/202
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4311 Making personalised books or mail packets according to personal, geographic or demographic data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A software system is useful for generating a page file from a template file and database entries. The database entries are representative of variable information and the template file includes data designating a variable text area. The software system includes a computer-readable medium storing a software program having first, second, and third routines. The first routine associates the variable text area with a first text file that includes a variable information placeholder, while the second routine derives a second text file from the first text file in accordance with the variable information placeholder and at least one of the database entries. The third routine then generates the page file from the template file and the second text file.

Claims

1. A software system for generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a software program stored in the computer-readable medium and including

a first routine that selects records from the database;

a second routine that associates the variable text area with text files designated by entries in the selected records, wherein each entry designates a storage location remote from the database and wherein the text files comprise variable information placeholders;

a third routine that generates the multiple page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record; and

a fourth routine that derives further text files from the first-named text files in accordance with the variable information placeholders and at least one of the record entries.

2. The software system of claim 1, wherein a fifth routine generates the multiple page files from the further text files.

3. The software system of claim 1, wherein the fourth routine modifies the first-named text files to derive the further text files.

4. The software system of claim 3, wherein:

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names;

the software program further includes a fifth routine that generates an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholders.

5. The software system of claim 4, wherein:

the variable information placeholders have word positions in the text files; and

the association data is representative of the word positions of the variable information placeholders.

6. The software system of claim 1, wherein the multiple page files comprise variable data files.

7. The software system of claim 6, wherein the variable data files comprise page description data readable by an electronic press to print books.

8. The software system of claim 1, wherein the record entries further specify control information, and wherein the control information comprises the number of page files to be produced and formatting information for the page file to be produced.

9. A software system for generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a software program stored in the computer-readable medium and including

a first routine that selects records from the database;

a second routine that associates the variable text area with text files designated by entries in the selected records, wherein each entry designates a storage location remote from the database; and

a third routine that generates the multiple page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record; and

wherein the variable text area is designated by a text file placeholder, the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names, and a storage location of the text files is specified by data stored under one of the plurality of field names associated with the text file placeholder.

10. A method of generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting records from the database;

associating the variable text area with text files designated by entries in the selected records, wherein each entry designates a storage location remote from the database and wherein the text files comprise variable information placeholders;

generating the multiple page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record; and

deriving further text files from the first-named text files in accordance with the variable information placeholders and at least one of the record entries.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating step comprises the step of processing the template file to include further data stored in the further text files.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the deriving step comprises the step of modifying the first-named text files.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names;

the method further comprises the step of generating an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholders.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the variable information placeholders have word positions in the text files; and

the association data is representative of the word positions of the variable information placeholders.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the multiple page files comprise variable data files.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the variable data files comprise page description data readable by an electronic press to print books.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the record entries further specify control information, and wherein the control information comprises the number of page files to be produced and formatting information for the page file to be produced.

18. A method of generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting records room the database;

associating the variable text area with text files designated by entries in the selected records, wherein each entry designates a storage location remote from the database; and

generating the multiple page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record; and

wherein the variable text area is designated by a text file placeholder, the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names, and a storage location of the text files is specified by data stored under one of the plurality of field names associated with the text file placeholder.

19. An apparatus for generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, the apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a record from the database;

means for associating the variable text area with a text file designated by an entry in the record, wherein the entry designates a storage location remote from the database and wherein the text file comprises a variable information placeholder;

means responsive to the associating means for generating a page file of the multiple page files from the template file, the text file, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record; and

means for deriving a further text file from the first-named text file in accordance with the variable information placeholder and at least one of the record entries.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

the apparatus further comprises means for generating an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholder.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the variable text area is designated by a text file placeholder;

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

a storage location of the text file is specified by data stored under one of the plurality of field names associated with the text file placeholder.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the record entries further specify control information, and wherein the control information comprises the number of page files to be produced and formatting information for the page file to be produced.

23. A software system for generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

a software program stored in the computer-readable medium and including

a first routine that selects a record from the database;

a second routine that associates the variable text area with a first text file designated by an entry in the record, wherein the first text file includes a variable information placeholder;

a third routine that derives a second text file from the first text file in accordance with the variable information placeholder and at least one of the record entries; and

a fourth routine that generates a page file of the multiple page files from the template file, the second text file, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record.

24. The software system of claim 23, wherein the page file comprises a variable data file.

25. The software system of claim 24, wherein the variable data file comprises page description data readable by an electronic press to print books having variable content.

26. The software system of claim 23, wherein:

the record entries are stored in a database under a plurality of field names;

the first text file includes a further variable information placeholder;

the first-named and further variable information placeholders have a respective word position in the text file; and

the third routine associates the first-named and further variable information placeholders with corresponding database field names of the plurality of database field names and develops array data representative of the respective word position of the first-named and further variable information placeholders and the corresponding database field names.

27. The software system of claim 26, wherein the third routine generates a file comprising the array data stored in reverse order.

28. The software system of claim 23, wherein:

the variable text area is designated by a text file placeholder;

the record entries are stored in a database under a plurality of field names;

a storage location of the text file is specified by data stored under a field name of the plurality of field names associated with the text file placeholder.

29. The software system of claim 28, wherein the template file includes further data representative of a general text area having the variable text area therein.

30. The software system of claim 29, wherein the general text area comprises a further text file placeholder.

31. The software system of claim 23, wherein the variable information is representative of formatting codes for text in the modified text file.

32. The software system of claim 23, wherein:

the software program further includes a fifth routine that determines whether the variable information placeholder is a text file placeholder.

33. The software system of claim 23, wherein the software program further comprises a fifth routine that prompts a user to establish a storage location of the database.

34. The software system of claim 23, wherein:

the record entries are stored in a database; and

the database further comprises data identifying a storage location of the text file.

35. The software system of claim 23, wherein the record entries further specify control information, and wherein the control information comprises the number of page files to be produced and formatting information for the page file to be produced.

36. A method of generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a variable text area, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a record from the database;

associating the variable text area with a first text file designated by an entry in the record wherein the first text file includes a variable information placeholder;

deriving a second text file from the first text file in accordance with the variable information placeholder and at least one of the record entries; and

generating a page file of the multiple page files from the template file, the second text file, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of determining whether the variable information placeholder comprises a text file placeholder.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the record entries are stored in a database under a plurality of field names.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein:

the variable information placeholder has a word position in the text file; and

the associating step comprises the step of storing data representative of the word position and one of the plurality of field names.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the record entries further specify control information, and wherein the control information comprises the number of page files to be produced and formatting information for the page file to be produced.

41. A system for generating multiple page files, comprising:

a first memory that stores a template file comprising first data designating a text file placeholder;

a second memory that stores second data representative of variable information;

a third memory that stores a plurality of text files wherein each text file comprises a respective plurality of variable information placeholders, and wherein the third memory is stored remotely from the first and second memories; and

a processor coupled to the first memory, second memory, and the third memory and configured to perform;

a first task that associates the text file placeholder with a first text file of the plurality of text files, wherein the first text file includes a variable information placeholder;

a second task that derives a second text file from the first text file in accordance with the variable information placeholder and at least one of the data representative of variable information; and

a third task that generates a page file of the multiple page files from the template file, the second text file, and the second data, wherein each second data determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each second data.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the second memory stores third data specifying the first text file of the plurality of text files.

43. The system of claim 41, further comprising a computer-readable medium that includes the first memory, second memory, and the third memory.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein at least one of the plurality of variable information placeholders comprises a further text file placeholder.

45. The system of claim 41, wherein the second memory stores third data specifying a storage location of the third memory.

46. The system of claim 41, wherein the record entries further specify control information, and wherein the control information comprises the number of page files to be produced and formatting information for the page file to be produced.