COLUMN FORMATTING BY TYPED EXAMPLE

摘要

COLUMN FORMATTING BY TYPED EXAMPLE The technical advance solved by the method of the invention is the formatting of a table of columns and gutters by way of typed example in both the creation of new formats and the revision of the old. In this regard, the operator keys in text characters defining the maximum column width and tab stops for the column, and spaces over to the next column and repeats this for each of the columns in a newly created format. This single entry permits the column and gutter widths to be automatically aligned with tab stops. This formatted column example line is then vector encoded and saved by the system. If it is subsequently desired to revise a saved table, its encoded format line is recalled, rebuilt, and then revised by entering additional text and control characters defining an altered width or tab stop settings of an existing column or a new column. This revised column example line is then encoded and saved. The encoding is a memory conservation feature by saving a compacted parameter set of formats. There is also provided an automatic one-character wide gutter insertion when creating a new column to prevent the operator from failing to include a gutter after having formatted adjacent columns. AT9-81-003