Automated document formatting tool

摘要

A formatting tool enables “smart” copy and paste functions. The “smart” copy and paste functions can be invoked in a context-sensitive manner, depending on the conditions under which the copy and paste functions are implemented. The present invention will automatically include in a selection a paragraph marker at the end of a selected paragraph, if every other textual character in the paragraph has been selected. The present invention will discard a paragraph mark that is included in pasted text if the pasted text is pasted into the middle of another paragraph, indicating that the user prefers the formatting of the pasted-into paragraph. The present invention also reduces inconsistencies in formatting styles that may exist between source and target documents automatically redefining a style in the target document to conform to a corresponding style in the source document. The present invention also automatically adjusts paragraph spacing, in response to text being pasted into a target document. In response to various scenarios, the present invention will determine the most likely paragraph spacing intended by the user and will apply the most probable paragraph spacing to the pasted paragraph. The present invention also automatically adjusts list, table, and spreadsheet formatting, in response to such document elements being pasted into a differently-formatted target document. Finally, the present invention provides a convenient recovery dialog that may be invoked to alter any automatically-implemented formatting decisions.

主权项

1. A computer-readable storage medium device having a set of instructions which when executed performs a method for automated document formatting, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:
determining a selection of a document element in a source document; determining a paste point in a target document; comparing source formatting properties associated with the document element to target formatting properties associated with the target document in order to determine intended formatting properties for the document element when included in the target document; pasting the document element in the target document with the intended formatting properties; determining whether the paste point is adjacent to a target list item in an existing target list in the target document; displaying a recovery action user interface comprising a selectable action for pasting the document element at the paste point as a new independent list in the target document; receiving the recovery action selection for pasting the document element at the paste point as the new independent list in the target document; removing the pasted document element from the existing target list; and pasting the document element at the paste point as the new independent list in the target document, in response to receiving the recovery action selection.