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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a documentation system for
processing document data such as text data, graphic data, framed data and
other data for edition. More particularly, the present invention is
concerned with a consolidated document editing system suited profitably
for the consolidated edition of such a document in which a plurality of
different document data such as the text data, graphic data and other data
to be processed through different procedures coexist in a mixed fashion,
while displaying a print image of the document on a display screen for
allowing given data to be edited on the image as displayed.
As a typical one of the documentation systems known heretofore, the work
station described in A. Kamitani "Jstar Work Station" published, by
Maruzen Co., Ltd. of Japan of Apr. 25, 1986 is mentioned. In this work
station, the document data such as text, graphic and other data are
allocated by employing frames enclosing the data, whereon the data within
the frames are edited on a frame basis. During the edition, one page of
the document is displayed on a display screen in the form of a print image
(this display of the print image will hereinafter be also referred to as
the layout display), whereby the edition of the individual document data
can be performed by viewing simultaneously the print image. By selecting
the frame with a cursor, the document data within the selected frame is
subjected to the processing for edition. By moving the frame, the page
layout can be easily modified or altered. However, in the case of the work
station of the prior art, severe constraints are imposed on the use of the
frame such that the frame must be of a rectangular form of exclusive
nature, that only the frame for the graphic data permits another frame to
be additionally placed therein, and so forth, as described in the
literature cited above (see pages 134 and 135). At this juncture, the
phrase "frame of exclusive nature" means the attribute of the frame which
inhibits another frame from being nested therein.
On the other hand, in a documentation system disclosed in U.S. Ser. No.
122,783 filed on Nov. 19, 1987 in the name of inventors including some of
those of the present application, the document data are allocated to
regions (equivalent to the frames mentioned above), wherein the data are
edited on a region basis. With this documentation system, the page layout
can be altered easily by moving the regions or through like procedure. It
is noted that the constraints imposed on the region are much mitigated
when compared with the work station described in the first mentioned
literature. Although the region is equally required to be of a rectangular
form, it is possible to designate the exclusiveness or non-exclusiveness
of any given region for the given text data. Furthermore, overlapping or
superposition of the different regions can be realized utterly
arbitrarily. However, edition on the layout display screen is impossible,
differing from the work station disclosed in the first mentioned
publication. In other words, edition of the data within each region
requires the display of a display-destined region. Consequently, the
operator or user can not confirm the layout as a whole in the course of
the edition performed for a region.
In the first mentioned work station, the severe constraints as imposed
provided an obstacle for the arbitrary or comfortable edition of the
document, in addition to the problem that inputting of characters to the
layout display being generated requires a lot of time for displaying the
inputted characters, making impractical the character entry at a high
speed. On the other hand, in the second mentioned documentation system,
the edition procedure must be interrupted when the layout display has to
be generated for the purpose of confirmation, alteration or correction of
the page layout or for the edition of different data, making the
manipulation very troublesome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the problems of
the prior art systems and provide a documentation system which can enjoy
advantages of both the prior art systems mentioned above, i.e., the
capability of manipulation for the edition on the displayed layout image
on one hand, as in the case of the first mentioned prior art system, and
the capability of edition while allowing arbitrary overlaps of the regions
on the other hand, as in the case of the second mentioned prior art
system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a documentation
system incorporating an edition mode in which inputting or entry of
characters for edition can be performed at a high speed. In this mode, the
inputted characters are displayed at a high speed without displaying the
document layout.
In view of the objects mentioned above, there is provided according to an
aspect of the present invention a documentation system which includes a
document manage program for managing the structure of a document such as a
layout thereof and others, a plurality of edit programs provided in
correspondence with regions for editing the data within the relevant
regions, and display programs for displaying the data as edited, wherein
the programs mentioned above are caused to run independent of one other on
an operating system (hereinafter also referred to as OS in abridgement).
The document manage program is imparted with a function for activating the
edit program and the display program. Further, message transfer means is
provided between the document manage program and the edit program for
realizing bidirectional message transfer therebetween. A message sender
means is provided for sending a message from the display program to the
document manage program. Further, a means for commanding the edit program
to change over the regions is provided for allowing the operator or user
to change over the regions in the course of edition processing.
In association with the edit program, a means for commanding a re-display
is provided for sending a message information the document manage program
of issuance of a request for the re-display.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are provided for
the edit program a first program (mode) enabling the edition on the
display layout image and a second program (mode) serving as an entry
machine which permits high-speed character input and edition.
In the processing for edition, the edit program compares the input
coordinates indicating positions or locations of document data for edition
with the coordinates of the regions subjected to the edition and continues
the edition processing when the input coordinates coincide with the
coordinates within the region for which the edition processing is
currently being executed. On the other hand, in case the input coordinates
are outside of the region of concern (i.e. extra-region coordinates), the
edit program issues to the document manage program through the message
transfer means a message informing that the input coordinates are the
extra-region coordinates, whereupon the edition processing comes to an
end. When the operator commands the change-over of regions to be subjected
to the edition, the edit program issues to the document manage program
through the message transfer means a message informing of the region
change-over, whereupon the edition processing executed until then is
terminated.
Upon reception of the message of the extra-region coordinates, the document
program determines on the basis of the input coordinates the region in
which the input coordinates are located, whereupon the edit program
corresponding to the document data for the determined region is activated.
In case the document manage program can not determine the region on the
basis of only the input coordinates, the operator then can command the
change-over of regions, whereby the relevant region is determined on the
basis of that command, being then followed by activation of the edit
program corresponding to the determine region. As the situation in which
the region can not be determined with the input coordinates only, there
can be mentioned such a situation in which two or more regions overlap one
another for the same input coordinates.
In case the overlap of the regions is simple, it is possible to change over
the regions to be subjected to the edition merely by designating the
desired region. On the other hand, when the inter-region overlap or
super-position is complicated, the other region can be selected as the
objective for the edition merely by commanding the change-over of the
region.
However, when edition is to be performed for the data in the overlapping
domain between the different regions, the edition processing for one of
the regions in the overlapping domain may undesirably result in that the
other region is processed for the edition concurrently. By way of example,
when the text data in the one region is deleted, it may occur that the
text data in the other region is undesirably deleted. For evading such
inconvenience, it is proposed according to another aspect of the invention
to provide a function for re-displaying the text data in any given region
before the edition. More specifically, the edit program is so implemented
as to be capable of issuing a message indicating a request for the
re-display to the document manage program after the processing for edition
has been performed. In that case, the edition processing is interrupted
until a response message indicating the reception of the re-display
request is received from the document manage program. The processing for
edition is resumed upon reception of the response message. On the other
hand, when the document manage program receives the re-display request
message, it activates the display program corresponding to the region to
be re-displayed. Subsequently, the display program is executed. The
document manage program then waits for a response message indicating the
completion of the re-display processing. This operation is repeated for
all the regions to be re-displayed. Upon completion of the re-display for
all the regions of concern, a message indicating this fact is sent to the
edit program. The display program activated in response to the re-display
request performs the processing for re-displaying the corresponding
region. When the processing has been completed, a response message
informing of the completed display is sent to the document manage program,
whereupon the processing comes to an end. As will now be appreciated, it
is possible to restore the images of other regions than those subjected to
the edition processing by the edit program.
The first program (mode) for enabling the manipulation for edition on the
layout image as displayed and the second program (mode) serving as the
entry machine can operate independent of each other. By activating either
one of the first and second programs (modes) at the time when the document
manage program activating the edit program, edition can be performed on
the layout image being displayed, while a high-speed entry operation can
be realized, as the operator requires.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A to 1D and FIGS. 12A and 12B are views showing schematically
contents as displayed on a display screen in the documentation system
according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for illustrating a structure of document data
employed in the documentation system according to an embodiment of the
invention;
FIGS. 3 and 17 are views showing program structures, respectively, which
can be adopted in the documentation system according to the invention;
FIGS. 4, 7 and 13 are views for illustrating control data utilized in the
documentation system;
FIGS. 5A, 5B and 5C are views for illustrating coordinate systems used in
the documentation system according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIGS. 6A and 6B and FIG. 15 are views showing examples of input means in
the system according to an embodiment of the invention; and
FIGS. 8 to 10, FIGS. 11A and 11B, FIG. 14 and FIG. 16 are flow charts
showing various processings which can be performed in the documentation
system according to an embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now, the present invention will be described in detail in conjunction with
preferred embodiments thereof by reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2A shows a logic structure 200 of document data as adopted in the
documentation system according to an embodiment of the present invention
together with an example of document 210. The document 210 includes a
plurality of chapters each of which in turn includes a plurality of pages.
Further, each page includes a plurality of regions, wherein the layout of a
page is determined in dependence on the positions and sizes of the regions
included in that page. Each of the regions is assigned with one of text
data, graphic data and enclosed or framed data (hereinafter also referred
to as region data in general). With the phrase "enclosed or framed data",
it is intended to mean the text data which is enclosed by a frame
(exclusive of the graphic data) and inserted in the body of text. Further,
the graphic data means the data enclosed by a frame in which the graphic
data are present. In the following description of the illustrated
embodiments of the invention, the assumption is made that only the three
types of data mentioned above are to be dealt with. It is however apparent
that such limitation of the data species is only by way of example and
immaterial to the essence of the invention. It is an easy and simple
matter for persons skilled in this art to expand the capability of the
documentation system according to the illustrated embodiment of the
invention so that other data such as image data and the like can be
handled as the region data in addition to the text data and the graphic
data.
The document data are composed of the data of the individual regions and
the structure data defining the logic structure. In the case of the
instant embodiment of the invention, the structure data and the individual
region data are stored separately in independent files, respectively. More
specifically, referring to FIG. 2B showing a hierarchical file structure,
a directory 220 at the bottom level corresponds to one document and has a
plurality of files 230a to 230d belonging thereto, in which the structure
data and the region data of different types are stored separately from one
another. By way of example, the file 230a stores therein the structure data
with the files 230b, 230c and 230d storing the text data, graphic data and
the frame-enclosed data, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 3, a document edit program is composed of a document
manager 300, an edit program 310 and a layout display program 320. The
document manager 300 provides the user with the facilities for the edition
such as alteration of the layout and composition of the chapter and at the
same time serves as a program for managing the edit program 310 and the
layout display program 320 in a consolidated manner.
FIG. 4 shows an example of the structural data. As can be seen in the
figure, the structural data is composed of a chapter manage table 400,
page manage tables 410a, 410b, etc. and region manage tables 420a, 420b,
etc. The chapter manage table 400 manages pointers to the associated page
manage tables 410a, 410b, etc., while each of the page manage tables 410a,
410b, etc. manages pointers to the region manage tables 420a, 420b, etc.
for the regions included in the associated page. Each of the region manage
tables generally denoted by 420 lists therein region (identification)
numbers 421, data species 422 representing discriminatively the text data,
graphic data and the frame-enclosed data, positions and sizes 423 of the
regions, region attributes 424 and the file names 425 in which the data
allocated to the regions are stored. The region attributes are of
significance only to the graphic data region and the framed data region
and indicate whether these regions are exclusive or nonexclusive.
Parenthetically, the phrase "graphic data region" means the region
allocated with the graphic data. Similarly, the text and framed data
regions means the regions allocated with the text data and the
frame-enclosed data, respectively. In the exclusive region, no text data
can be entered. Accordingly, in the exclusive region, there occurs no
overlap between the text data and the data within the exclusive region. On
the other hand, in the non-exclusive region, the text data can be entered,
whereby the text data may overlap the data within that non-exclusive
region. The document manager 300 serves to update the structure data shown
in FIG. 4 in accordance with the commands such as deletion and/or addition
of chapter and/or page, move and/or deletion of the regions, and others.
Since the processings performed by the document manager 300 bears no
direct relevance to the present invention, any further description of this
manager 300 will be unnecessary.
Referring to FIG. 3, the edition program 310 is composed of a text edit
program 310a, a graphic edit program 310b and a frame edit program 310c
which are independent of one another. These edit programs 310a, 310b and
310c read out and edit the region data stored in the associated files 230
(FIG. 2B). Each of the edit programs collectively denoted by a numeral 310
processes for the edition only one designated region data stored in one of
the files 230 independent of the structure data and the other region data.
Similarly, the layout display program 320 is composed of a text layout
display program 320a, a graphic layout display program 320b, a frame
layout display program 320c which are independent of one another, as shown
in FIG. 3, and serves to read out the region data from the designated files
230 for displaying a print image of the read data on a layout image being
displayed.
The various programs mentioned above run on a multi-task operating system
(OS) and are managed by the OS as the independent tasks upon execution
thereof. Accordingly, in conjunction with the explanation of the
operations of the individual programs, they are called the tasks instead
of the programs. Since the tasks can be executed on the conventional
general-purpose multi-task operating system (OS) of which functions and
structure are known in the art in the case of the illustrated embodiment
of the invention, description of the multi-task OS is herein omitted.
Further, the functions such as task activation/termination, inter-task
message transfer and others are very common functions of the multi-task OS
and well known in the art. Accordingly, description about these functions
as well as realization thereof are also omitted herein.
Relationships among the individual tasks are represented by arrowhead lines
330, 331a, 331b and 332 in FIG. 3. More specifically, the arrowhead line
330 indicates that the document manager 300 activates the edit tasks 310
or that messages are issued to the edit tasks 310. The arrowhead line 331a
or 331b represents that the edit tasks 310 or the layout display tasks 320
issue and send messages to the document manager 300. Finally, the
arrowhead symbol 332 represents activation of the layout display tasks 320
by the document manager 300.
In the following table 1, the contents and types of the messages are
listed.
TABLE 1
______________________________________
Type of
messages Contents
______________________________________
330 Completion of layout alternation
331a End of processing, extra-region coordinates,
change-over, change of page, scrolling
331b Completion of layout display
______________________________________
The messages 331a are issued by the document manager 300 and sent to the
edit tasks and include a "processing end" message informing that the
edition terminating command is issued in the course of the edition, an
"extra-region coordinate" message indicating that the input coordinates as
designated are outside of the region being subjected to the edition, a
"change-over" message indicating that the change-over of region is
commanded, a "scrolling" message indicating the scrolling command, a "page
change message" indicating the necessity of changing the page, and so
forth. The message 330 is issued by the document manager 300 in response
to the message 331a to inform the edit tasks 310 that the processing for
updating the layout image has been completed in accordance with the
content of the message 331a. The message 331b is issued by the layout
display task 320 to the document manager 300 for information that the
processing for the layout display as commanded has been completed.
Before entering into the description of the processing performed by each
task, a method for edition performed on the layout display image will be
elucidated with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B along with FIGS. 1A to 1D.
FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D are views showing examples of the layout display
generated in the course of the editing operation by the documentation
system according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention.
In the figures, a reference numeral 100 documents a menu bar displaying a
list of available editing functions to be selected by the operator,
wherein a numeral 101 denotes a change-over function, 102 denotes a new
region creating function, 103 denotes a region manipulating function and a
numeral 104 denotes an end function. Further, a numeral 120 denotes a
layout display representing one page of a document being edited. A numeral
121 denotes a text region on the page being displayed, 122 denotes a
graphic region, and a numeral 123 denotes an frame-enclosed or framed
region. A numeral 110 denotes a cursor for indicating locations on the CRT
screen, the position of the cursor 110 being designated with the aid of an
external input unit such as a mouse or the like.
The layout display shown in FIG. 1D is generated in the state where the
document manager 300 is being activated and waiting for the input by the
operator. At this juncture, it is assumed that the operator commands a
correction or modification of an edited document stored in a floppy disc.
Then, the document manager 300 and the layout display tasks 320 are
sequentially activated, wherein the state shown in FIG. 1D is achieved
when the layout display processing has been completed by the layout
display tasks 320.
When the operator designates a region 122 with the cursor 110, moves the
cursor 110 to the menu bar 100 and selects the region manipulating
function 103, then a pull-down menu 600b shown in FIG. 6B is displayed.
When the function "EDIT" of the pull-down menu is selected by the
operator, the display of the state shown in FIG. 1A is generated. In this
state, the graphic edit task 310b is operating, wherein a menu for the
graphic edition is displayed in the menu bar 100. In FIG. 1A, the region
being subjected to the edition is indicated as enclosed by a thick solid
line with the other regions being indicated as enclosed by broken lines.
In this conjunction, it should be mentioned that this type of display
scheme is not essential to the present invention. All the regions may
equally be displayed by using the same kind of line or those regions of no
concern may be spared from the display.
When the new region creating function 102 on the menu bar 100 is designated
in the state shown in FIG. 1D, a pull-down menu 600a shown in FIG. 6A is
displayed. When one of "TEXT", "GRAPHIC" and "FRAME" is selected in this
pull-down menu 600a, a corresponding region is newly displayed on the
screen 120. By designating the size and the location of this region, there
is established a new text region or a frame region or other containing no
document data yet.
In the state shown in FIG. 1A, graphic edition can be performed within the
graphic region 122. When the position indicated by the cursor 110 lies
within the graphic region 122, the graph edit task 310b performs the
graphic edition processing. Of course, the operator can input other
desired edit functions through corresponding designation of the menu bar
100 with the cursor. As the means for inputting the edit functions, a
keyboard may be employed in addition to the selection from the menu bar
100 by means of the cursor. On the other hand, when the frame-enclosed
region 123 is designated with the cursor 110, the region 123 is then
subjected to the processing for edition, whereupon the display state shown
in FIG. 1B is generated with the frame edit task 310c being activated. At
that time, a frame edition menu is displayed on the menu bar 100.
As will be appreciated from the above, editions of the document data of
different types or species can be sequentially performed with the edit
tasks 310 being changed over by designating the regions on the layout
display screen. As an example, assume that the edition is to be performed
for the text region 121 in the state shown in FIG. 1C. In this state, the
graphic region 122 and the frame region 123 are superposed on the text
region 121. Consequently, there may arise such situation that difficulty
is encountered in deciding whether the input coordinates designated by the
operator with the cursor 110 indicate a position within the text region 121
or within other regions (122, 123). More specifically, in the case of the
example illustrated in FIG. 1, the attribute of the graphic region 122 is
assumed to be non-exclusive (i.e. capable of being superposed with other
region), wherein the text region 121 and the graphic region 122 are
displayed in superposition (overlap). Accordingly, when a position within
the overlapping domain is designated by the cursor, the apparatus will
then encounter extreme difficulty in deciding whether the designated
position lies in the text region 121 or in the graphic region 122.
For coping with the problem mentioned above, there is provided according to
a teaching of the present invention the change-over function 101 in the
menu bar 100 for each of the edit tasks 310 with a view to making clear
which of the regions is designated for the edition. When the change-over
function 101 is designated by the cursor, the document manager 300
operates in response thereto, whereby the state shown in FIG. 1D is
displayed to allow the various functions to be selected by consulting the
new region create menu 102 or the region processing menu 103, as described
hereinbefore. More specifically, designation of the region for the edition
in the domain where the graphic region 122 overlaps the text region 121 in
the state shown in FIG. 1D is carried out in the manner mentioned below.
When the overlapping domain or area is designated by the operator with the
cursor, the system displays the graphic region 122 by enclosing it with the
solid line. When the operator commands the execution of edition immediately
thereafter with the mouse, edition for the graphic region is started. When
the operator designates the overlapping domain twice successively, the
text region and the graphic region are displayed as enclosed by the solid
line frame. Assuming that the execution of the processing for edition is
commanded by the operator with the mouse in this state, the system then
decides the command as the invalid input and does not accept the command.
On the other hand, when the operator designates the overlapping area with
the cursor in the state where both the regions are displayed as enclosed
by the solid lines, the system clears the solid line enclosure display and
displays only the text region by enclosing it with the solid line. When the
execution is commanded by the operator with the mouse in this state,
edition for the text region is started.
Next, description will be made of the processings executed by the various
tasks with reference to FIG. 5 and FIGS. 7 to 10. FIGS. 5A to 5C and FIG.
7 are views for illustrating the managing data used for the management of
the regions by the document manager 300 as well as in the course of
edition. The document manager 300 manages or controls the position and the
size of a region with the aid of a form coordinate system. In FIG. 5A,
reference numeral 120' denotes a form for the edition. The form coordinate
system is a dot coordinate system having the origin 510 located at the
upper left corner of the form, as shown in FIG. 5A. With this coordinate
system, the positions and the sizes of regions 121' to 123' are managed by
making use of the upper left corner coordinates (531, 541, 551) and the
lower right corner coordinates (532, 542, 552) of the respective regions.
These coordinates are stored in the region manage tables 420 at rows 423.
FIG. 5B shows the layout of the form displayed on the display screen 500
on which a coordinate system having the origin 520 at a upper left corner
point located beneath the region for the menu bar 100 is established, as
shown in FIG. 5B. In this figure, the reference numerals affixed with
primes denote the points of the coordinate system on the display screen
500 which correspond to those on the form coordinate system, respectively.
By way of example, numeral 510' denotes the origin of the form coordinate
system and other numerals with the prime denote the coordinates of the
upper left corners and the lower right corners mentioned previously in
conjunction with FIG. 5A. The document manager 300 includes a coordinate
data table 560 (shown in FIG. 5C) for managing the regions displayed on
the display screen 500 during the edit processing. In the data table 560,
numeral 561 denotes the identification number of the region for which the
edition is being performed, 562 denotes an area in which a
reduction/magnification ratio for the display is held, and 563-i (i=1, 2,
3) denotes an area in which the identification number i of the region
stored at 421 is placed, and 565-i denotes areas for holding the upper
left corner and the lower right corner of that region. In the case of the
example illustrated in FIG. 5A, the coordinates 531' and 532' are held at
565-2 with th | | |
