Method and system for handling text that includes paragraph delimiters

Abstract

A method and word processing system for handling text pasted into a document that uses a paragraph delimiter different than that employed by the word processing system. A computer system (10) that is generally conventional in design executes a word processing program that efficiently handles text pasted into a word processing document, even though that text uses a paragraph delimiter different than the native paragraph delimiter of the word processing system. The document opened by the word processing system has a corresponding piece table that includes an array of character positions and an array of data records. Each piece of the piece table represents adjacent characters that stored together in a file, and each record or PCD in the array of data records corresponds to a different piece in the piece table. When a file is opened to select text that will be pasted into the word processing document, a corresponding entry is made in the piece table that includes pointers to a file control block (FCB) for the opened file. The FCB indicates the type of paragraph delimiter used for that text. Thus, the word processing system tracks the appropriate paragraph delimiter used and translates any foreign paragraph delimiter to the native delimiter when displaying the text for editing. When the document is saved to a file, the paragraph delimiter associated with the text is translated to the native paragraph delimiter used by the word processing system.