Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Terrence R Crowley

Charles W Parker

Zhenguang Chen

David G Garber

Robert J Mauceri, Jr

Michael A Angiulo

Theodore J Stefanik

Russell Mayo Sasnett

Data in a document are displayed according to a transformation stylesheet, and the transformation stylesheet is automatically updated in response to a document modification made using a graphical editor. Mapping between the transformation stylesheet and the document is automated, so that user modifications to the document or to the transformation stylesheet are automatically incorporated in both. The transformation stylesheet is automatically annotated to create the mapping, and the data are transformed according to the annotated transformation stylesheet. Annotations are carried over to the resulting document. The annotations map nodes within the document to corresponding nodes in the transformation stylesheet. Annotations affected by modifications to the document are translated and replace corresponding nodes in the transformation stylesheet. The updated transformation stylesheet is re-annotated and the data are again transformed. Differences between the updated document and the original document are merged into the original document to maintain user selection information.

Transformation stylesheet editor

A method and system for preserving attributes of objects within a file that was created in a different environment from that in which the file is opened, enabling the attributes to be maintained after the file is saved. For example, an HTML document created with a text editor includes elements such as plain text and HTML tags, with which attributes such as whitespace, line breaks, and indent level are associated. When such a document is opened in an HTML editor implementing the present invention, the attributes of these elements are preserved. Even when changes to these elements occur, to the extent possible, the method provides for determining attributes of related elements that were in the document as originally opened in the HTML editor, so that these attributes can be applied to corresponding objects that are added to the document or in regard to changes that are made by the user. The preservation of persistent object attributes is also applicable to other types of software applications such as language development systems and word processing programs. This invention thus insures, for example, that functions developed in newer versions of a program, although not recognized in an earlier version, persist when a file is opened in the earlier version and then saved.

Robust modification of persistent objects while preserving formatting and other attributes

Growing community of inventors

Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Terrence R Crowley