Extensible electronic document processing system for creating ne

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Details

395776, 364DIG1.61, 3642256, 364250, 3642804, G06F 944

Patent

active

055795196

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a Document Processing System for creating, editing, printing and presenting active electronic documents which are associated with computer programs.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electronic Document Processing Systems generally include a computer workstation programmed to allow a user to create and edit an electronic representation of a document. The workstation includes a display device for displaying an image of the document as it would appear if printed. For example, a document such as a magazine article may contain an arrangement of text and graphics. The system allows the user to edit the document by modifying existing text and graphics or by adding entirely new text or images. As the user modifies the document, the display is continually updated to reflect these changes, thereby allowing the user to interact with the system to achieve the desired document.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

We have discovered an improved document processing system for creating computer procedures (i.e,. methods) and associating them with an electronic document structured as a nested hierarchy of constituent objects. The system includes a document processing means for defining the method and associating it with the electronic document or its lower level constituent objects. The system further includes an interpreter for interpreting the computer procedure in response to a specified event.
In preferred embodiments, the methods are defined in a dialect of the programming language LISP. A LISP interpreter interprets the new LISP programs, thereby allowing the user to add new methods without modifying the underlying document processing system.


DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1(a) is a block diagram of a computer workstation programmed to operate as a document processing system.
FIG. 1(b) is a block diagram illustrating a computer network which includes the computer workstation shown in FIG. 1(a).
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the software architecture of an electronic document processing system embodying the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an illustration of an electronic document as it would appear if displayed or printed.
FIG. 4 is a diagram of a directory, within the Unix filesystem which contains a high level document.
FIG. 5 is a schematic of the hierarchy of data objects and methods comprising the memorandum document shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a diagram of a directory within the Unix filesystem which contains generic document objects.
FIG. 7 is an illustration of a generic memorandum document as it would appear if printed.
FIG. 8 is a schematic of the hierarchy of generic data objects and methods comprising the generic memorandum object shown in FIG. 7.
FIGS. 9(a) and (b) is a flow chart of a LISP program for defining a new method and attaching it to a document.


DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1 (a) an electronic document processing system 10 (herein "EDPS" 10) is implemented using a properly programmed computer workstation. The workstation includes a disk 12 for storing electronic representations of documents, and a display 14 for displaying documents for viewing by a user. The workstation is connected to an Ethernet network, thereby allowing the workstation to access documents and software stored on other nodes 11. (FIG. 1(b))
The user selects a document by manipulating a keyboard 16 and/or a mouse 18. A processor 20, in response to the user's input, retrieves an electronic representation of the selected document from disk 12 and supplies display 14 with image data representative of the selected document. In response, display 14 generates an image of the document for viewing by the user.
The user interacts with the system to modify the selected document. For example, the user may enter keyboard commands requesting the system to select certain text and delete it from the document. Processor 20 responds to the commands by editing the electronic representation of the document and modifying the image data to adjust the displayed image.
In addition to modifying the appea

REFERENCES:
patent: 4633430 (1986-12-01), Cooper
patent: 4996662 (1991-02-01), Cooper et al.
patent: 5307499 (1994-04-01), Yin
patent: 5333237 (1994-07-01), Stefanopoulos
Sobell, Mark G., "A Practical Guide to the Unix System", Benjamin/Cummings, 1989, pp. 66-67.
Hares, John S. and Smart, John D., "Object Orientation", John Wiley & Sons, 1993, pp. 42-44.

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