System and method for adding items in a structured document

• US 9,092,755 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Baird, Peter J., Shaver, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula, Cesar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zuberi, Mohammed-Ibrahim
• Application Number:
  US13/149,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20130132831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 715/255, 715/810, 715/830
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing a document authoring application. A palette comprising a plurality of editing controls may be displayed within the canvas that is associated with an electronic document having an associated structure. The palette may be positioned within the canvas based at least in part on the associated structure of the electronic document. Responsive to selections of editing controls at the palette, documents objects may be added to the canvas. The palette may be repositioned within the canvas based at least in part on the structure associated with the electronic document.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, at a computing device, a canvas associated with an electronic document, the electronic document having an associated structure defined by a markup language;

displaying, at a first location within the canvas, a palette comprising a plurality of editing controls, including two or more controls corresponding to addition of displayable objects to the canvas, and the palette is positioned within the canvas based at least in part on the associated structure of the electronic document;

responsive to receiving, at the computing device, an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of editing controls of the palette, automatically adding a particular displayable object that corresponds to the selected editing control and is defined by the markup language to the canvas at the first location without displaying technical details of the markup language for the particular displayable object; and

responsive to said receiving the indication of the selection, automatically repositioning the palette to a second location within the canvas based at least in part on the structure associated with the electronic document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location within the canvas is adjacent to the first location.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the first location within the canvas is below other displayable objects that were included on the canvas prior to the adding the displayable particular object;

wherein the second location corresponds to a next location in accordance with the associated structure of the electronic document; and

wherein the repositioning the palette within the canvas is performed independent of cursor trajectory.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

repositioning the palette at a third location within the canvas in response to receiving, at the computing device, an indication of a user selection indicating a previously added displayable object within the canvas.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

modifying the indicated previously added displayable object in response to receiving, at the computing device, an indication of a selection of an editing control of the palette that specifies an updating operation.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

adding an additional displayable object, within the canvas, adjacent to the indicated previously added displayable object in response to receiving, at the computing device, an indication of a selection of an editing control of the palette that corresponds to addition of displayable objects.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the adding the additional displayable object includes positioning the additional displayable object at the third location and positioning the palette at a fourth location.

8. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

an input device; and

memory having stored thereon instructions executable by the computing device, using the processor, to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising;

displaying a canvas associated with an electronic document, the electronic document having an associated structure defined by a markup language;

displaying, at a first location within the canvas, a palette comprising a plurality of editing controls, including two or more controls corresponding to addition of objects to the canvas, and the palette is positioned within the canvas based at least in part on the associated structure of the electronic document; and

responsive to receiving, at the computing device from the input device, an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of editing controls of the palette, automatically adding a particular object that corresponds to the selected editing control and is defined by a markup language to the canvas at the first location; and

responsive to said receiving the indication of the selection, automatically repositioning the palette to a second location within the canvas based at least in part on the structure associated with the electronic document and without dependency on a path followed by the input device.

9. The computing device of claim 8,

wherein the displaying the palette includes positioning the palette at a first location within the canvas;

wherein the adding the particular object to the canvas includes positioning the particular object at the first location, and

wherein the repositioning the palette within the canvas includes positioning the palette at a second location within the canvas that is adjacent to the first location.

10. The computing device of claim 9,

wherein the first location within the canvas is below other objects that were included on the canvas prior to the adding the particular object;

and

wherein the second location corresponds to a next location in accordance with the associated structure of the electronic document.

11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

repositioning the palette at a third location within the canvas in response to receiving an indication of a user selection indicating a previously added object within the canvas.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying the indicated previously added object in response to receiving an indication of a selection of an editing control of the palette that specifies an updating operation.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding an additional object within the canvas adjacent to the indicated previously added object in response to receiving an indication of a selection of an editing control of the palette that corresponds to addition of objects.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the adding the additional object includes positioning the additional object at the third location and positioning the palette at a fourth location.

15. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, responsive to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

displaying a canvas associated with an electronic document, the electronic document having an associated structure defined by a markup language;

displaying, at a first location within the canvas, a palette comprising a plurality of editing controls, including two or more controls corresponding to addition of displayable objects to the canvas, and the palette is positioned within the canvas based at least in part on the associated structure of the electronic document;

responsive to receiving, using the input device, an indication of a selection of one of the plurality of editing controls of the palette, automatically adding a particular displayable object that corresponds to the selected editing control and is defined by the markup language to the canvas at the first location without displaying technical details of the markup language for the particular displayable object; and

responsive to said receiving the indication of the selection, automatically repositioning the palette to a second location within the canvas based at least in part on the structure associated with the electronic document.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second location within the canvas is adjacent to the first location.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16,

wherein the first location within the canvas is below other displayable objects that were included on the canvas prior to the adding the particular displayable object;

wherein the second location corresponds to a next location in accordance with the associated structure of the electronic document; and

wherein the repositioning the palette within the canvas is performed independent of cursor trajectory.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

repositioning the palette at a third location within the canvas in response to receiving an indication of a user selection indicating a previously added displayable object within the canvas.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

modifying the indicated previously added displayable object in response to receiving an indication of a selection of an editing control of the palette that specifies an updating operation.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

adding an additional displayable object within the canvas adjacent to the indicated previously added displayable object in response to receiving an indication of a selection of an editing control of the palette that corresponds to addition of displayable objects.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the adding the additional displayable object includes positioning the additional displayable object at the third location and positioning the palette at a fourth location.