Method and apparatus for document processing

• US 20050273704A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ternasky, Joseph D., Little, Robert A., Jazdzewski, Charles P., Anderson, Christopher L., Relyea, Rob, Foehr, Oliver, Dunietz, Jerry, Hillberg, Mike, Ornstein, David
• Application Number:
  US10/992,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273704A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/197 Version control for software G06F8/71

Abstract

Modular content framework and document format methods and systems are described. The described framework and format define a set of building blocks for composing, packaging, distributing, and rendering document-centered content. These building blocks define a platform-independent framework for document formats that enable software and hardware systems to generate, exchange, and display documents reliably and consistently. The framework and format have been designed in a flexible and extensible fashion. In addition to this general framework and format, a particular format, known as the reach package format, is defined using the general framework. The reach package format is a format for storing paginated documents. The contents of a reach package can be displayed or printed with full fidelity among devices and applications in a wide range of environments and across a wide range of scenarios.

Claims

1. A memory for storing data for access by an application program being executed on a processor, comprising:

a data structure stored in the memory, the data structure including a markup representation associated with a plurality of document parts, the markup representation including;

a preferred content that is used by applications capable of processing the preferred content; and

a fallback content that is used by applications incapable of processing the preferred content.

2. The memory of claim 1, wherein the markup representation further includes an element that controls a manner in which applications handle unknown attributes.

3. The memory of claim 1, wherein the markup representation further includes an element that identifies a namespace as ignorable.

4. The memory of claim 1, wherein the markup representation further includes an element that identifies elements and attributes associated with a namespace as ignorable.

5. The memory of claim 1, wherein the markup representation further includes an element that specifies behavior for ignorable content.

6. The memory of claim 1, wherein the markup representation further includes an element that reverses the effect of a declaring a namespace ignorable.

7. The memory of claim 1, wherein the preferred content and the fallback content can be nested in an arbitrary manner.

8. A programming interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media, comprising:

a first group of services related to identifying attributes contained in a document;

a second group of services related to determining a default handling behavior associated with each attribute in the document;

a third group of services related to ignoring an attribute in the document if the attribute is not understood and the attribute'"'"'s default handling behavior is set to ignore new features; and

a fourth group of services related to halting processing of the document if the attribute is not understood and the attribute'"'"'s default handling behavior is set to require understanding of attributes.

9. The programming interface of claim 8, further comprising a fifth group of services related to processing attributes in the document if the attribute is understood.

10. The programming interface of claim 8, wherein the first group of services includes a service for identifying elements contained in the document.

11. The programming interface of claim 8, wherein the default handling behavior may vary when processing different parts of the document.

12. The programming interface of claim 8, wherein the third group of services includes a service for maintaining the ignored attribute for future use if a carry along parameter is active.

13. The programming interface of claim 8, wherein the third group of services includes a service for discarding the ignored attribute if a carry along parameter is not active.

14. The programming interface of claim 8, where in the third group of services includes a service for storing the attribute for use in a later process.

15. The programming interface of claim 8, wherein the first group of services includes a service for determining compatibility rules properties.

16. The programming interface of claim 8, further comprising a fifth group of services related to identifying behavior associated with ignorable content.

17. The programming interface of claim 8, wherein the first group of services includes a service for identifying XML attributes.

18. A software architecture comprising the programming interface as recited in claim 8.

19. A programming interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media, comprising:

a first group of services related to defining a plurality of parts associated with a document; and

a second group of services related to associating a markup representation with the plurality of parts, wherein the second group of services includes;

a service for identifying a preferred content that is used by applications capable of processing the preferred content; and

a service for identifying a fallback content that is used by applications incapable of processing the preferred content.

20. The programming interface of claim 19, wherein the first group of services includes a service for associating a name with each of the plurality of parts.

21. The programming interface of claim 19, wherein the second group of services includes a service for identifying an element that controls how applications react to unknown attributes.

22. The programming interface of claim 19, wherein the second group of services includes a service for identifying an element that declares a namespace as ignorable.

23. The programming interface of claim 19, wherein the second group of services includes a service for identifying an element that declares all elements and attributes associated with a namespace as ignorable.

24. The programming interface of claim 19, wherein the second group of services includes a service for identifying an element that specifies behavior for ignorable content.

25. The programming interface of claim 19, wherein the second group of services includes a service for identifying an element that reverses t he effect of a namespace declared ignorable.

26. A software architecture comprising the programming interface as recited in claim 19.

27. A programming interface embodied on one or more computer-readable media, comprising:

a first group of services related to identifying a document;

a second group of services related to determining a handling behavior associated with the document, wherein the second group of services includes;

a service for determining behavior associated with ignorable content in the document;

a service for halting processing of the document if an element in the document is not understood and the handling behavior associated with the document requires an understanding of the element;

a third group of services related to rendering the document.

28. The programming interface of claim 27, wherein the third group of services includes a service for displaying the document on a display device.

29. The programming interface of claim 27, wherein the third group of services includes a service for printing the document on a printing device.

30. The programming interface of claim 27, wherein the third group of services includes a service for transmitting the document to another device.

31. The programming interface of claim 27, wherein the second group of services includes a service for identifying XML elements.

32. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying attributes contained in a document;

means for determining a default handling behavior associated with each attribute in the document; and

means for processing the document, the means for processing the document configured to;

ignore an attribute in the document if the attribute is not understood and the attribute'"'"'s default handling behavior is set to ignore new features; and

halt processing of the document if the attribute is not understood and the attribute'"'"'s default handling behavior is set to require an understanding of attributes.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for processing the document is further configured to process attributes in the document that are understood.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the attributes include elements contained in the document.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the default handling behavior varies based on the portion of the document being processed.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for processing the document is further configured to:

maintain the ignored attribute for future use if a carry along parameter is active; and

discard the ignored attribute if a carry along parameter is not active.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for identifying behavior associated with ignorable content.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for rendering the document.

39. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising means for communicating the document to another device for rendering.

40. An apparatus comprising:

means for defining a plurality of parts associated with a document;

means for identifying a preferred content used by applications capable of processing the preferred content;

means for identifying a fallback content used by applications incapable of processing the preferred content; and

means for defining a manner in which applications react to unknown attributes in the document.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, further including means for defining an element that declares a namespace as ignorable.

42. The apparatus of claim 40, further including means for defining an element that declares all elements and attributes associated with a namespace as ignorable.

43. The apparatus of claim 40, further including means for determining an element that specifies behavior for ignorable content.