Automated document formatting tool

• US 7,743,317 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• 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 S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US11/052,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,961 Days
• Field of Search: 715/255, 715/256, 715/770, 715/212, 715/217, 715/220, 715/249
• US Class Current: 715/217
• 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 method for pasting spreadsheet elements, the method comprising:

determining a selection of a spreadsheet element having a first set of formatting properties in a source document;

determining a paste point in a target document;

comparing the first set of formatting properties associated with the spreadsheet element to a second set of formatting properties associated with the target document in order to determine an intended set of formatting properties for the spreadsheet element when included in the target document, wherein comparing the first set of formatting properties associated with the spreadsheet element to the second set of formatting properties associated with the target document comprises;

determining whether source style properties of the source document have been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document,

in response to a determination that the source style properties have been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document, setting target style properties as intended style properties associated with the intended formatting properties, and

in response to a determination that the source style properties have not been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document, setting the source style properties as the intended style properties associated with the intended formatting properties;

determining if the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell; and

if the selected spreadsheet element is not a single cell, pasting the spreadsheet element as a table at the paste point in the target document with the intended set of formatting properties applied thereto.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell, pasting contents of the spreadsheet cell as text at the paste point in the target document.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to pasting the spreadsheet element in the target document, displaying a recovery action user interface having at least one selectable recovery action.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface;

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with a third set of formatting properties corresponding to the target document applied thereto.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface;

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as unformatted text.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface;

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with the first set of formatting properties applied thereto and a link to a spreadsheet in the source document from which the spreadsheet element was selected.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface;

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with a third set of formatting properties corresponding to the target document applied thereto and a link to a spreadsheet in the source document from which the spreadsheet element was selected.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface;

displaying a formatting user interface having at least one selectable style,

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with the selected style applied thereto.

9. A computer-readable storage medium that stores a set of instructions which when executed perform a method for pasting spreadsheet elements, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

determining a selection of a spreadsheet element having a first set of formatting properties in a source document;

determining a paste point in a target document;

comparing the first set of formatting properties associated with the spreadsheet element to a second set of formatting properties associated with the target document in order to determine an intended set of formatting properties for the spreadsheet element when included in the target document, wherein comparing the first set of formatting properties associated with the spreadsheet element to the second set of formatting properties associated with the target document comprises;

determining whether source style properties of the source document have been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document,

in response to a determination that the source style properties have been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document, setting target style properties as intended style properties associated with the intended formatting properties, and

in response to a determination that the source style properties have not been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document, setting the source style properties as the intended style properties associated with the intended formatting properties;

determining if the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell; and

if the selected spreadsheet element is not a single cell, pasting the spreadsheet element as a table at the paste point in the target document with the intended set of formatting properties applied thereto.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising, if the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell, pasting contents of the spreadsheet cell as text at the paste point in the target document.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising, in response to pasting the spreadsheet element in the target document, displaying a recovery action user interface having at least one selectable recovery action.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising, in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface:

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with a third set of formatting properties corresponding to the target document applied thereto.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising, in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface:

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as unformatted text.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising, in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface:

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with the first set of formatting properties applied thereto and a link to a spreadsheet in the source document from which the spreadsheet element was selected.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising, in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface:

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with a third set of formatting properties corresponding to the target document applied thereto and a link to a spreadsheet in the source document from which the spreadsheet element was selected.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising, in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface:

displaying a formatting user interface having at least one selectable style,

removing the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

pasting the spreadsheet element as a table with the selected style applied thereto.

17. A system for pasting spreadsheet elements, the system comprising:

a memory storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory storage, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

determine a selection of a spreadsheet element having a first set of formatting properties in a source document;

determine a paste point in a target document;

compare the first set of formatting properties associated with the spreadsheet element to a second set of formatting properties associated with the target document in order to determine an intended set of formatting properties for the spreadsheet element when included in the target document, wherein the processing unit being operative to compare the first set of formatting properties associated with the spreadsheet element to the second set of formatting properties associated with the target document comprises the processing unit being operative to;

determine whether source style properties of the source document have been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document,

in response to a determination that the source style properties have been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document, set target style properties as intended style properties associated with the intended formatting properties, and

in response to a determination that the source style properties have not been at least one of;

used and modified in the target document, set the source style properties as the intended style properties associated with the intended formatting properties;

determine if the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell; and

if the selected spreadsheet element is not a single cell, paste the spreadsheet element as a table at the paste point in the target document with the intended set of formatting properties applied thereto.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing unit is further operative to, when the selected spreadsheet element is a single cell, paste contents of the spreadsheet cell as text at the paste point in the target document.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processing unit is further operative to, in response to pasting the spreadsheet element in the target document, display a recovery action user interface having at least one selectable recovery action.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing unit is further operative to, in response to receiving a recovery action selection from the recovery action user interface:

remove the spreadsheet element from the target document, and

paste the spreadsheet element as a table with a third set of formatting properties corresponding to the target document applied thereto.