System and/or method for content cropping

• US 8,176,410 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2005
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Hausig, Nils
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amin, Mustafa
• Application Number:
  US11/225,970
• Time in Patent Office: 2,429 Days
• Field of Search: 715/255, 715/272, 715/277, 715/500
• US Class Current: 715/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces

Abstract

Embodiments of methods, apparatuses, devices and systems associated with content cropping are disclosed. One exemplary method comprises extracting one or more portions of content from a first file and cropping at least one portion of the one or more portions of content, and displaying the cropped extracted at least one portion of content as at least a portion of a second file.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor adapted to execute instructions;

a module operable, in response to execution of said instructions by said processor, to perform;

receiving input, via a text-cropping user interface, specifying a portion of a file storing text;

in response to said receiving, generating a container object that contains both a link referencing the file and computer-executable instructions for extracting text from the file for display within a document;

inserting the container object into the document, wherein the document is separate from the file;

executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

extract a copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the extracted copy of the text to be displayed within the document;

subsequent to said displaying the extracted copy, subsequent to a modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, and in response to an event, automatically updating the container object, wherein said updating comprises executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

re-extract another copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, wherein the re-extracted other copy includes the modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the re-extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the re-extracted other copy of the text to be displayed within the document.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said module is further operable to examine the file and to perform said updating the container object at one or more determined times.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said module is further operable to examine the file by comparing a modification date of the file to a modification date of the extracted copy of the text stored in the container object.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said automatically updating the container object is performed in response to the file being modified.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input comprises a starting point and an ending point of the specified portion of the file.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input specifying a portion of the file storing text comprises a user selection of text of the file within the text-cropping user interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the user selection comprises input highlighting one or more portions of the file via the text-cropping user interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input comprises specification of one or more cropping parameters.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the cropping parameters comprise one or more numbers specifying an extent of the text stored in the file.

10. A method, comprising:

executing instructions, by a processor, to direct the processor to perform;

receiving input, via a text-cropping user interface, specifying a portion of a file storing text;

in response to said receiving, generating a container object that contains both a link referencing the file and computer-executable instructions for extracting text from the file for display within a document;

inserting the container object into the document, wherein the document is separate from the file;

executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

extract a copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the extracted copy of the text to be displayed within the document;

subsequent to said displaying the extracted copy, subsequent to a modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, and in response to an event, automatically updating the container object, wherein said updating comprises executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

re-extract another copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, wherein the re-extracted other copy includes the modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the re-extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the re-extracted other copy of the text to be displayed within the document.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said input comprises input highlighting one or more portions of the file via the text-cropping user interface.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said input comprises a starting point and an ending point for the specified portion of the file.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the input comprises specification of one or more cropping parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cropping parameters comprise one or more numbers specifying an extent of the text stored in the file.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said automatically updating the container object is based at least in part on one or more triggers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said one or more triggers comprise modifying, saving, and/or accessing the separate document.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said automatically updating the container object is based on one or more differences between the extracted copy of the text stored in the container object and the text stored in the specified portion of the file.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said input specifying a portion of the file storing text comprises user selection of text of the file within the text-cropping user interface.

19. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions which, in response to being executed by a processor, direct said processor to perform;

receiving input, via a text-cropping user interface, specifying a portion of a file storing text;

in response to said receiving, generating a container object that contains both a link referencing the file and computer-executable instructions for extracting text from the file for display within a document;

inserting the container object into the document, wherein the document is separate from the file;

executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

extract a copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the extracted copy of the text to be displayed within the document;

subsequent to said displaying the extracted copy, subsequent to a modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, and in response to an event, automatically updating the container object, wherein said updating comprises executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

re-extract another copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, wherein the re-extracted other copy includes the modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the re-extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the re-extracted other copy of the text to be displayed within the document.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein said input comprises highlighting of one or more portions of the file via the text-cropping user interface.

21. The article of claim 19, wherein said input comprises a starting point and an ending point for the specified portion of the file.

22. The article of claim 19, wherein said input comprises specification of one or more cropping parameters.

23. The article of claim 22, wherein the cropping parameters comprise one or more numbers specifying an extent of the text stored in the file.

24. The article of claim 19, wherein said automatically updating the container object is based at least in part on one or more triggers.

25. The article of claim 24, wherein said one or more triggers comprise modifying, saving, and/or accessing the separate document.

26. The article of claim 19, wherein said automatically updating the container object is based on one or more differences between the extracted copy of the text stored in the container object and the text stored in the specified portion of the file.

27. The article of claim 19, wherein said input specifying a portion of the file storing text comprises a selection of text of the file within the text-cropping user interface.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a content linking means for linking a file storing text with at least a portion of a document that is separate from the file, wherein a portion of the file storing text is specified via input to a text-cropping user interface, and wherein said linking comprises;

in response to receiving said input, generating a container object that contains both a link referencing the file and computer-executable instructions for extracting text from the file for display within the separate document; and

inserting the container object into the separate document;

means for executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

extract a copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store said extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the extracted copy of the text to be displayed within the separate document; and

means for, subsequent to said displaying the extracted copy, subsequent to a modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, and in response to an event, automatically updating the container object, wherein said updating comprises executing the computer-executable instructions of the container object to;

re-extract another copy, via the link, of the text stored in the specified portion of the file, wherein the re-extracted other copy includes the modification of the text stored in the specified portion of the file;

store the re-extracted copy of the text in the container object; and

cause the re-extracted other copy of the text to be displayed within the separate document.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, and further comprising a comparing means for determining one or more changes in said file.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said automatically updating the container object is performed based at least in part on the determined one or more changes in said file.