Context free document portions

• US 7,617,447 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Brian, Sawicki, Marcin, Little, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughn; Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US10/731,900
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500, 715/511, 715/513, 715/515, 715/522, 715/523, 715/200, 715/209, 715/229, 715/234, 715/239, 715/248, 715/249
• US Class Current: 715/234
• 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 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

Portions of an Extensible Markup Language document, such as individual paragraphs or groups of paragraphs or fragments of text, are provided self-describing properties such as styles, fonts, list types, and the like. If such a portion of a document is subsequently copied or moved to a second document or to a different location in the first document, the self-describing properties provided for the portion travel with the portion to the second document or to the different location in the first document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of formatting a selection of text from a document as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) formatted selection such that the selection of text carries formatting properties particular to the selection of text for use in another document, comprising:

receiving the selection of text in the document;

identifying an XML markup specifying one or more formatting properties associated with the selection of text;

applying the XML markup to the selection of text, wherein applying the XML markup to the selection of text includes applying an XML tag to the selection of text;

associating the XML markup with the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the XML markup independent of an other XML markup associated with the other document into which the selection of text is inserted;

inserting the selection of text into the other document by;

receiving the selection of an XML node associated with the selection of text from an XML structure pane, the XML structure pane showing a markup language structure applied to the document, the markup language structure comprising a plurality of markup language nodes associated with portions of text in the document; and

in response to a user input, moving the XML node to an XML structure pane showing a markup language structure applied to the other document to insert the XML markup and the selected text into the other document along with style and formatting properties defined in the markup language structure;

parsing the other document for formatting properties required for the other document after inserting the selection of text into the other document;

avoiding a conflict between the XML markup associated with the selection of text and the other XML markup associated with the other document by causing the XML markup associated with the selection of text to be carried with the selection of text when the selection of text is inserted into the other document to maintain the application of the XML markup data to the selection of text in the other document independent of the other XML markup associated with the other document; and

providing a framework for an annotation of the XML markup by associating the selection of text with at least one XML schema file attached to the document, the at least one schema file providing a definition of the XML markup applied to the selection of text and providing XML parsing application rules for understanding and using the XML tag.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing the XML markup applied to the selection of text upon encountering the XML markup applied to the selection of text in the other document.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

applying the XML Markup applied to the selection of text in the document to the selection of text in the other document; and

formatting the other document whereby the XML markup applied to the selection of text in the document is applied to the selection of text in the other document apart from the other XML markup applied to any other text contained in the other document.

4. The method of claim 1, whereby parsing the other document for formatting properties required for the other document after inserting the selection of text into the other document includes parsing formatting properties applied to the other document including parsing the XML markup applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the XML markup.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising parsing the other document with an XML parsing application capable of understanding the other XML markup applied to the other document and capable of understanding the XML markup applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the data applied to the selection of text in the document.

6. The method of claim 5, whereby the XML tag may be recognized by the XML parsing application as designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the data applied to the selection of text in the document apart from the other XML markup applied to other portions of text in the other document into which the selection of text is inserted.

7. The method of claim 6, whereby during parsing the other document for the XML markup to applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the XML markup applied to the selection text in the document, locating the XML tag applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the XML markup applied to the selection of text in the document.

8. The method of claim 7, whereby the XML tag is a <

cfChunk>

tag.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

validating the XML markup and the associated selection of text against the at least one XML schema file as the XML markup and the associated selection of text is entered into the document; and

generating an error message to alert a user of at least one of an invalid XML markup and an invalid text string.

10. A method of formatting a selection of text from a document as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) formatted selection such that the selection of text carries formatting data particular to the selection of text for use in an other XML document:

receiving the of text in the document;

applying formatting data particular to the selection of text;

applying an XML tag to the selection of text whereby the XML tag may be recognized by an XML parsing application as designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the particular formatting data apart from any formatting applied to other portions of text, wherein the XML tag is a <

cfChunk>

tag;

inserting the selection of text into the other XML document by;

receiving the selection of an XML node associated with the selection of text from an XML structure pane, the XML structure pane showing a markup language structure applied to the document, the markup language structure comprising a plurality of markup language nodes associated with portions of text in the document; and

in response to a user input, moving the XML node to an XML structure pane showing a markup language structure applied to the other XML document to insert the XML markup and the selected text into the other XML document along with style and formatting properties defined in the markup language structure;

parsing the other XML document for other formatting data required for the other XML document;

determining the formatting data particular to the selection of text upon encountering the XML tag applied to the selection of text;

applying the formatting data particular to the selection of text to the selection of text in the other XML document;

formatting the other XML document whereby the formatting data particular to the selection of text is applied to the selection of text in the other XML document apart from any formatting applied to any other text contained in the other XML document; and

providing a framework for an annotation of the XML markup by further comprising associating the selection of text with an XML schema file attached to the document, the schema file providing a definition of the XML tag applied to the selection of text and providing XML parsing application rules for understanding and using the XML tag.

11. A computer storage medium on which is stored instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method of representing a selection of text from a document as an Extensible Markup Language (XML) formatted selection such that the selection of text carries formatting data particular to the selection of text for use in a subsequent XML document:

receiving the selection of text in the document;

identifying an XML markup specifying the formatting data particular to the selection of text;

applying the XML markup the selection of text, wherein applying the XML markup to the selection of text includes applying an XML tag to the selection of text;

associating the XML markup with the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the XML markup independent of an other XML markup associated with the subsequent XML document into which the selection of text is inserted;

inserting the selection of text into the subsequent XML document by;

receiving the selection of an XML node associated with the selection of text from an XML structure pane, the XML structure pane showing a markup language structure applied to the document, the markup language structure comprising a plurality of markup language nodes associated with portions of text in the document; and

in response to a user input moving the XML node to an XML structure pane showing a markup language structure applied to the subsequent XML document to insert the XML markup and the selected text into the subsequent XML document along with style and formatting properties defined in the markup language structure;

parsing the other document for formatting properties required for the other document after inserting the selection of text into the other document;

avoiding a conflict between the XML markup and the other XML markup by maintaining the association of the XML markup with the selection of text independent of the other XML markup associated with the other document; and

providing a framework for the annotation of the XML markup by associating the selection of text with an XML schema file attached to the document, the schema file providing a definition of the XML tag applied to the selection of text and providing XML parsing application rules for understanding and using the XML tag.

12. The computer medium of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the formatting data applied to the selection of text in the document upon encountering the XML markup applied to the selection of text;

applying the formatting data applied to the selection of text in the document to the selection of text in the subsequent XML document; and

formatting the subsequent XML document whereby the formatting data applied to the selection of text in the document is applied to the selection of text in the subsequent XML document apart from any formatting applied to any other text contained in the subsequent XML document.

13. The computer medium of claim 12, whereby parsing the subsequent XML document for formatting required for the subsequent XML document after inserting the selection of text into the subsequent XML document includes parsing an other XML markup applied to the subsequent XML document including parsing the XML markup applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the formatting data.

14. The computer medium of claim 13, further comprising parsing the subsequent XML document with an XML parsing application capable of understanding the other XML markup applied to the subsequent XML document and capable of understanding the XML markup applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the formatting data applied to the selection of text in the document.

15. The computer medium of claim 14, whereby the XML tag may be recognized by an XML parsing application as designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the formatting data applied to the selection of text in the document apart from any formatting applied to other portions of text in the document and any other document into which the portion of text is inserted.

16. The computer medium of claim 15, whereby during parsing the subsequent XML document for the XML markup to applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the formatting data applied to the selection text in the document, locating the XML tag applied to the selection of text for designating that the selection of text is formatted according to the formatting data applied to the selection of text in the document.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

validating the XML markup and the associated selection of text against the XML schema file as the XML markup and the associated selection of text is entered into the document; and

generating an error message to alert a user of at least one of an invalid XML markup and an invalid text string.