Automated document formatting tool

• US 7,424,673 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Broman, Paul, Frankel, Glenn, Taboada, Roberto C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stork; Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US11/050,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/517, 715/523, 715/530, 715/234, 715/243, 715/254
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A formatting tool enables “smart” copy and paste functions. The “smart” copy and paste functions can be invoked in a context-sensitive manner, depending on the conditions under which the copy and paste functions are implemented. The present invention will automatically include in a selection a paragraph marker at the end of a selected paragraph, if every other textual character in the paragraph has been selected. The present invention will discard a paragraph mark that is included in pasted text if the pasted text is pasted into the middle of another paragraph, indicating that the user prefers the formatting of the pasted-into paragraph. The present invention also reduces inconsistencies in formatting styles that may exist between source and target documents automatically redefining a style in the target document to conform to a corresponding style in the source document. The present invention also automatically adjusts paragraph spacing, in response to text being pasted into a target document. In response to various scenarios, the present invention will determine the most likely paragraph spacing intended by the user and will apply the most probable paragraph spacing to the pasted paragraph. The present invention also automatically adjusts list, table, and spreadsheet formatting, in response to such document elements being pasted into a differently-formatted target document. Finally, the present invention provides a convenient recovery dialog that may be invoked to alter any automatically-implemented formatting decisions.

Claims

1. A system for formatting a document, the system comprising:

a source document having at least one document element having an associated formatting style;

a target document having a corresponding formatting style;

a formatting component operative to perform one of the following;

cut and copy the document element from the source document and to paste the document element into the target document; and

a formatting rules component containing a list of rules that describe events that can trigger an automatic re-formatting, the formatting rules component containing at least one cutting or copying formatting rule that is not associated with a section break or final paragraph mark in the source document and an associated formatting action the formatting rules component being operative to compare the associated formatting style of the document element of the source document and the corresponding formatting style of the target document, wherein the formatting rules component being operative to compare the associated formatting style of the document element of the source document and the corresponding formatting style of the target document comprises resolving conflicts between the corresponding formatting style and the associated formatting style, and wherein the formatting component formats the document element in accordance with the formatting action in response to a determination that the formatting rule has been triggered and in response to instructions from the formatting rules component and wherein the formatting component renames a second action in response to a determination that the formatting action in the list has been redefined in the target document and that the corresponding formatting style and the associated formatting style are not identical.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatting component comprises computer-executable instructions for applying and modifying formatting to document elements.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the formatting component is implemented as a part of a word processing application.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether a formatting rule has been triggered comprises searching the list for a formatting action associated with a selection action in response to detecting that the selection action has occurred, and if a formatting action associated with the selection action is found, determining that a formatting rule has been triggered.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the selection action comprises selecting the document element in the source document and indicating a desire to copy or cut the document element.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether a formatting rule has been triggered comprises searching the list for a formatting action associated with a paste action in response to detecting that the paste action has occurred, and if a formatting action associated with the paste action is found, determining that a formatting rule has been triggered.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the paste action comprises placing a cursor at a paste point in the target document and indicating a desire to paste the document element in the target document.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatting component provides an on-object user interface comprising recovery options for selection in response to formatting the document element and performs a recovery action, in response to receiving a recovery option selection.

9. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

determine a selection of a document element in a source document;

determine whether a first formatting rule applies to the selection of the document element;

format the document element in response to a determination that the first formatting rule applies to the selection of the document element;

determine a selection of a paste point;

determine whether a second formatting rule applies to the selection of the paste point;

determine whether the second formatting rule belongs to a formatting style group;

determine whether a member formatting style in the formatting style group has been at least one of the following;

used and redefined in the document element;

rename the second formatting rule in response to a determination that the member formatting style in the formatting style group has been used or redefined in the source document;

determine whether the first formatting rule conflicts with the second formatting rule;

resolve the conflict between the first formatting rule and the second formatting rule in response to a determination that the first formatting rule conflicts with the second formatting rule;

format the document element in response to a determination that the second formatting rule applies to the selection of the paste point; and

paste the document element into a target document.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein causing the computer to determine whether a first formatting rule applies to the selection of the document element comprises causing the computer to determine whether every textual character in a paragraph has been selected and an associated paragraph marker has not been selected.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to extend the selection to include the paragraph mark in response to a determination that every textual character in the paragraph has been selected and the associated paragraph marker has not been selected.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to determine if a selection cursor moved left in response to extending the selection to include the paragraph mark, and if so, retract the selection to exclude the paragraph mark.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein causing the computer to display a plurality of available recovery actions comprises causing the computer to display an on-object user interface comprising recovery options for selection.

14. A system including a processor for formatting a document, the system comprising:

a formatting component operative to cut and copy a document element from a source document and to paste the document element into a target document; and

a formatting rules component containing at least one cutting or copying formatting rule that is not associated with a section break or final paragraph mark in the source document and an associated formatting action, wherein the formatting component is configured to format the document element in accordance with the formatting action in response to a determination that the formatting rule has been triggered, the formatting component being configured to determine that the formatting rule has been triggered comprises the formatting component being configured to,

search a list for a formatting action associated with a second action in response to detecting that the second action has occurred,

if a formatting action associated with the second action is found, determine that the formatting rule has been triggered,

determine whether the at least one cutting or copying formatting rule that is not associated with a section break or final paragraph mark in the source document conflicts with the associated formatting action,

if the at least one cutting or copying formatting rule that is not associated with a section break or final paragraph mark in the source document conflicts with the associated formatting action, resolve the conflict between the at least one cutting or copying formatting rule that is not associated with a section break or final paragraph mark in the source document and the associated formatting action,

apply the formatting action to the pasted document element; and

rename the second action in response to a determination that the formatting action in the list has been used in the target document.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the formatting component comprises computer-executable instructions for applying and modifying formatting to document elements.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the formatting component is implemented as a part of a word processing application.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the formatting component being configured to search the list for the formatting action associated with the second action comprises the formatting component being configured to search the list for the formatting action associated with the second action comprising one of the following:

a paste action and a selection action.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the formatting component being configured to search the list for the formatting action associated with the second action comprises the formatting component being configured to search the list for the formatting action associated with the second action comprising a selection action indicating one of the following:

a desire to copy the document element and a desire to cut the document element.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the formatting component being configured to search the list for the formatting action associated with the second action comprises the formatting component being configured to search the list for the formatting action associated with the second action comprising a paste action indicating a desire to paste the document element in the target document.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the formatting component is further operative to provide an on-object user interface comprising recovery options for selection in response to formatting the document element and performs a recovery action, in response to receiving a recovery option selection.