AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURING WHITE SPACE AROUND AN OBJECT IN A DOCUMENT

• US 20110179351A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schomer, Matthew T., Capela, Jay C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/244
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/109 Font handling; Temporal or kinetic typography

Abstract

The described embodiments provide a word processor for formatting a document. During operation, the word processor places an object in a section of text in a document. When placing the object in the section of text, the word processor adds a specified amount of white space on a set of sides of the object. The word processor then places text from the section of text on at least a first side and a second side of the object. After placing the text, the word processor determines if the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object. If so, the word processor adjusts the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located closer to the object.

Claims

1. A method for formatting a document in a word processor, comprising:

placing an object in a section of text in a document, leaving a specified amount of white space on a set of sides of the object;

placing text from the section of text on at least a first side and a second side of the object;

after placing the text, determining if the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object; and

if so, adjusting the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located closer to the object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein leaving the specified amount of white space on each side in the set of sides of the object includes leaving:

a default amount of white space on each side of the object;

or

a configured amount of white space on each side of the object, wherein the configured amount is set using one or more per-object white space values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the text on at least the first side and the second side of the object includes:

placing text on each side of the object in accordance with at least one of a document-wide text-arrangement variable or a per-object text-arrangement variable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object includes:

determining a first distance from the first side of the object to a nearest visible portion of the text on the first side of the object;

determining a second distance from the second side of the object to a nearest visible portion of the text on the second side of the object; and

determining if the first distance is less than the second distance.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object when the first distance is less than the second distance by more than a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adjusting the white space on the first side of the object includes:

reducing the amount of white space on the first side of the object; and

repositioning the text from the section of text on the first side of the object closer to the first side of the object in accordance with the reduced amount of white space.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein reducing the amount of white space on the first side of the object includes:

determining a difference between the first distance and the second distance and reducing the amount of white space in proportion to the difference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein reducing the amount of white space in proportion to the difference includes:

subtracting a portion of the difference from the specified amount of white space for the first side of the object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located closer to the object includes:

moving the object further away from a nearest visible portion of the text on the second side of the object and closer to a nearest visible portion of the text on the first side of the object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the method includes executing the word processor in a processing subsystem.

11. A computer-readable storage medium for storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for formatting a document in a word processor, comprising:

placing an object in a section of text in a document, leaving a specified amount of white space on a set of sides of the object;

placing text from the section of text on at least a first side and a second side of the object;

after placing the text, determining if the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object; and

if so, adjusting the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located closer to the object.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein leaving the specified amount of white space on each side in the set of sides of the object includes leaving:

a default amount of white space on each side of the object;

or

a configured amount of white space on each side of the object, wherein the configured amount is set using one or more per-object white space values.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein placing the text on at least the first side and the second side of the object includes:

placing text on each side of the object in accordance with at least one of a document-wide text-arrangement variable or a per-object text-arrangement variable.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein determining if the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object includes:

determining a first distance from the first side of the object to a nearest visible portion of the text on the first side of the object;

determining a second distance from the second side of the object to a nearest visible portion of the text on the second side of the object; and

determining if the first distance is less than the second distance.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object when the first distance is less than the second distance by more than a threshold value.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein adjusting the white space on the first side of the object includes:

reducing the amount of white space on the first side of the object; and

repositioning the text from the section of text on the first side of the object closer to the first side of the object in accordance with the reduced amount of white space.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein reducing the amount of white space on the first side of the object includes:

determining a difference between the first distance and the second distance and reducing the amount of white space in proportion to the difference.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein reducing the amount of white space in proportion to the difference includes:

subtracting a portion of the difference from the specified amount of white space for the first side of the object.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein adjusting the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located closer to the object includes:

moving the object further away from a nearest visible portion of the text on the second side of the object and closer to a nearest visible portion of the text on the first side of the object.

20. An apparatus for formatting a document in a word processor, comprising:

a processing subsystem, wherein the processing subsystem is configured to;

place an object in a section of text in a document, leaving a specified amount of white space on a set of sides of the object;

place text from the section of text on at least a first side and a second side of the object;

after placing the text, determine if the text on the first side of the object is located further from the object than the text on the second side of the object; and

if so, adjust the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located closer to the object.

21. A method for formatting a document in a word processor, comprising:

placing an object in a section of text in a document, leaving a specified amount of white space on a set of sides of the object;

placing text from the section of text on at least a first side and a second side of the object;

after placing the text,

determining if the text on the first side of the object is a first desired distance from the object, and, if not, adjusting the white space on the first side of the object so that the text on the first side of the object is located a first desired distance from the object; and

determining if the text on the second side of the object is a second desired distance from the object, and, if not, adjusting the white space on the second side of the object so that the text on the second side of the object is located a second desired distance from the object.