Structured document processor

• US 7,478,320 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nagayama, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel; Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US10/880,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20050028088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,660 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/517, 715/243, 715/234, 715/235, 715/200, 715/237
• US Class Current: 715/235
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A structured document processor comprises a document structure analyzing module for analyzing the structure of a predetermined document and a template structure analyzing module for analyzing the structure of a template to be applied to the predetermined document, wherein at least one content area of the template is identified. The processor also comprises a structural component selection accepting module for accepting selection of a structural component of the predetermined document for each identified content area of the template and a template applying module for applying the template to modify the predetermined document by inserting each selected structural component into its corresponding content area. The processor may further comprise a structural component retrieving module for retrieving from at least one additional structured document, a structural component positioned similarly to the structural component of the predetermined document selected for each identified content area, wherein the template is applied to each additional document.

Claims

1. A method for processing a structured documents comprising:

selecting a predetermined graphical template;

analyzing the structure of said predetermined graphical template and identifying at least one content area for setting or editing different contents according to documents to which said predetermined template is applied and at least one common area to be used in common among said documents to which said predetermined template is applied;

selecting a first structured document that said predetermined graphical template is to be applied to;

analyzing the structure of said first structured document so as to identify various structural components of said first structured document;

selecting at least one content area of said predetermined template;

selecting a particular structural component of said first structured document to be inserted into each selected content area of said predetermined template;

storing an association between template structure information and document structure information for each selected content area and the corresponding selected particular structural component;

applying said predetermined structural template to said first structured document so as to insert each said particular structural component into the corresponding selected content area of said predetermined template and to include said at least one common area of said predetermined template into said first structured document; and

performing for a plurality of additional documents;

selecting a next one of said plurality of additional structured documents;

analyzing the structure of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents so as to identify various structural components thereof;

using the stored associations between template structure information and document structure information to automatically select a similarly situated structural component of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents to be inserted into each selected content area of said predetermined template;

iteratively repeating until insertion is valid from a structural viewpoint for each particular selected structural component;

checking whether insertion of said particular structural component selected for the corresponding content area of said predetermined template is valid from a structural viewpoint; and

expanding from said selected particular structural component to select a higher structural component based upon the analysis of said structure of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents if a check indicates that an insertion into its corresponding content area is invalid from a structural viewpoint; and

applying said predetermined structural template to said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents so as to insert each validated structural component into the corresponding selected content area of said predetermined template and to include said at least one common area of said predetermined template into said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a screen image that displays said predetermined graphical template;

wherein

analyzing the structure of said predetermined graphical template and identifying at least one content area further comprises;

displaying to a user, a list of content areas determined from analyzing the structure of said predetermined graphical template; and

accepting selection of said at least one content area of said predetermined graphical template from among the displayed content areas included in the predetermined graphical template.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

said analyzing the structure of said predetermined graphical comprises generating first structure information showing the structure of the predetermined graphical template;

said analyzing the structure of said next one of said plurality of additional structured document comprises generating second structure information showing the structure of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents; and

checking whether insertion of said particular structural component selected for the corresponding content area of said predetermined content is valid from a structural viewpoint further comprises checking whether insertion of each selected structural component into its corresponding identified content area is valid from a structural viewpoint of the document, based on the first and second structure information.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein expanding from said selected particular structural component comprises determining whether there exists a structural component positioned similarly to the particular structural component included in the analyzed structure information, and wherein no structural component is positioned similarly, further comprising temporarily changing the particular structural component to a different higher-level structural component than the particular structural component, and retrieving a structural component positioned similarly to the different structural component, from among structural components included in the analyzed structure information.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising determining whether insertion of the different structural component into the particular content area is valid from a structural viewpoint of the document, and, if it is determined to be valid, a structural component positioned similarly to the different structural component is retrieved from among structural components included in the analyzed structure information.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

implementing a document pre-selection to select at least a portion of said plurality of additional documents to which said predetermined graphical template is to be applied; and

storing said pre-selected documents in a document storing module;

wherein;

selecting a next one of said plurality of additional structured documents comprises retrieving said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents from said document storing module if said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents is stored in said document storing module.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a screen image of available graphical templates; and

allowing a user to select said predetermined graphical template from said screen image of graphical templates.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

analyzing the structure of said first structured document so as to identify various structural components of said first structured document comprises;

displaying the structure of said first structured document as an expandable hierarchy; and

selecting a particular structural component of said first structured document to be inserted into each selected content area of said predetermined template comprises;

enabling a user to select structural components from the displayed structure to be inserted into each selected content area of said predetermined template.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

checking whether the insertion of each select structural component of said first structured document into the corresponding selected content area of said predetermined template is valid from a structural viewpoint.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising displaying a warning if an attempt is made to insert a structural component into a corresponding content area that is invalid from a structural viewpoint.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

checking whether insertion of said particular structural component selected for the corresponding content area of said predetermined template is valid from a structural viewpoint comprises determining that insertion is invalid from a structural viewpoint if the corresponding structural component is not found.