Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Siddharth Agrawal

Bret David Ahlstrom

Meredith Anne McClurg

Cy Anne Cedar

Dachuan Zhang

Robert Parker

Resolution and composition of electronic document layout are provided. An intermediate text data structure may be generated to hold a 'resolved' rich text state for a given document. Properties contained in the 'resolved' rich text state are a composite of all relevant properties including user defined and entered properties and including properties associated with the document according to a pre-built document context. This text body resolution process then may be utilized for generating a composite text layout for the text streams associated with a plurality of document components for generating a single rich text stream for presentation to and editing by a user.

Composition of electronic document layout

An edit list including a collection of change descriptions and definitions for a primary data structure is used for on-demand, incremental updating of associated auxiliary data structures. Edits performed on the primary data structure are recorded in the edit list with a version stamp, along with definitions of the changes and any other pertinent data. Each auxiliary data structure maintains its own version stamp that identifies when the auxiliary data structure was last synchronized with the primary data structure. When an auxiliary data structure needs to be updated, the edit list is retrieved and change descriptions scanned to find one with the matching version stamp. All change descriptions logged since that one are incorporated into the auxiliary data structure. The specific contents of each change description enable the auxiliary data structure to be incrementally updated as each change description is processed individually.

On-demand incremental update of data structures using edit list

A divided table cell is generated by selecting one cell in a table and creating a new cell to display over the selected cell. Both cells contain a constraint that define an area where that cell cannot display objects. Objects comprise alphanumeric characters, graphical symbols or any representation in a table cell. The cells are displayed over top of each other such that the display area of one cell coincides with the constraint area of the other cell. The display shows a divided cell capable of accepting and editing objects. The divided cell also retains the characteristics of other cells in the table. The object layout in a cell with a constraint utilizes test rectangles to calculate the height and width of the displayable area of the cell. An initial test rectangle is calculated using the full width of the cell and the height of the objects to be placed in it. The initial test rectangle is then modified by applying the constraint to the initial test rectangle and removing all the sections, preferably rectangular sections, of the initial test rectangle that intersect the constraint. The resulting objects that fit in the modified test rectangle are presented in the display.

Method for displaying editable characters in a divided table cell

An object-oriented text layout engine that implements an efficient two-pass text placement procedure. The interface allows the text layout engine to receive parameters that define the document space into which text is to be placed. The interface also allows the text layout engine to receive parameters that define one or more constraints around which the text is to be placed. The text layout engine then places the around the constraint within the document space and returns the text layout to the client program. The text layout engine may be configured in three components, a Fill Constrained Display Rectangle (FCDR) module, a Format Line module, and a Compute Unobstructed Spans (CUS) module. The FCDR module controls the operation of the text layout engine, interacts with the client program, and calls the Format Line and CUS modules as necessary. The CUS module receives a set of parameters that define a candidate rectangle and a constraint that may intersect the candidate rectangle. The CUS module breaks the candidate rectangle to avoid the constraint and returns zero or more unobstructed spans that do not intersect the constraint. The Format Line module receives text characters and a span definition and assigns the text characters to the span.

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Redmond, WA, United States of America

Siddharth Agrawal