Variable text processing for an electronic press

• US 7,949,945 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RR Donnelley & Sons Company
• Original Assignee: RR Donnelley & Sons Company
• Inventors: Dreyer, Mark G., Warmus, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork; Kyle R
• Application Number:
  US11/810,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 715/234, 715/243, 715/254
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4311 Making personalised books or mail packets according to personal, geographic or demographic data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A software system is useful for generating page files from a template file and database entries. The database entries are representative of variable information and the template file includes data designating a first variable text area and a second variable text area. The software system includes a computer-readable medium storing a software program having first, second, and third routines. The first routine selects a record from the database, while the second routine associates the first variable text area with the contents of an entry in the selected record and associates the second variable text area with one of a plurality of text files. The third routine generates the page files from the template file, the text files, and the database.

Claims

1. A system for generating page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a first variable text area and a second variable text area, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium; and

a software program stored in the computer-readable storage medium and comprising a first routine that selects a record from the database;

a second routine that associates the first variable text area with the contents of an entry in the selected record and associates the second variable text area with one of a plurality of text files, wherein the entry designates a storage location of the text file; and

a third routine that generates the page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the software program comprises a fourth routine that modifies one of the plurality of text files to derive a further text file, wherein the further text file is derived in accordance with variable information placeholders in the one of the plurality of text files and a record entry.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

the software program further includes a fifth routine that generates an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholders.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the variable information placeholders have word positions in the text files; and

the association data is representative of the word positions of the variable information placeholders.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the page files comprise variable data files.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the variable data files comprise page description data utilizable by an electronic press to print books.

7. A method of generating page files, the method comprising the steps of:

providing records in a database;

providing a template file, wherein the template file comprises data designating a first variable text area and a second variable text area;

selecting a record;

associating the first variable text area with the contents of an entry in the selected record;

associating the second variable text area with one of a plurality of text files, the text file designated by the entry, wherein the entry designates a storage location of the text file; and

generating the page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating step comprises the step of processing the template file to include further data stored in further text files derived from the first named text files, wherein the further text files are derived in accordance with variable information place holders in the first-named text files.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method comprises the step of modifying the first-named text files.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

the method further comprises the step of generating an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholders.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the variable information placeholders have word positions in the text files; and

the association data is representative of the word positions of the variable information placeholders.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the page files comprise variable data files.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the variable data files comprise page description data utilizable by an electronic press to print books.

14. An apparatus including a computer processor for generating page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a first variable text area and a second variable text area, the apparatus comprising:

means for selecting a record from the database;

means for associating the first variable text area with the contents of an entry in the selected record;

means for associating the second variable text area with one of a plurality of text files, wherein the entry designates a storage location of the text file; and

means responsive to the associating means for generating page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

one of the plurality of text files comprises a variable information placeholder;

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

the apparatus further comprises means for generating an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholder.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:

the variable text area is designated by a text file placeholder;

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

a storage location of the text file is specified by data stored under one of the plurality of field names associated with the text file placeholder.

17. A system for generating multiple page files from a template file and records in a database wherein the template file comprises data designating a first variable text area and a second variable text area, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium; and

a software program stored in the computer-readable storage medium and comprising

a first routine that selects records from the database;

a second routine that associates the first variable text area with the contents of an entry in a selected record and associates the second variable text area with one of a plurality of text files, wherein the entry designates a storage location of the text file; and

a third routine that generates the multiple page files from the template file, the text files, and the database, wherein each selected record determines the content of each page file and wherein each page file corresponds to each selected record.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the method comprises a fourth routine that modifies the first-named text files to derive further text files.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

one of the first-named text files comprises a variable information placeholder,

the record entries are stored in the database under a plurality of field names; and

the software program further includes a fifth routine that generates an associations file having association data linking one of the plurality of field names with the variable information placeholder.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the variable information placeholder includes a word position in the text files; and

the association data is representative of the word position of the variable information placeholder.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the multiple page files comprise variable data files.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the variable data files comprise page description data utilizable by an electronic press to print books.