JP2008102869A - Layout processing method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily adjust layout after dynamically determined according to content data in variable print. <P>SOLUTION: For the layout dynamically determined by feeding the content data into each data area of a template in which a plurality of data areas is laid out, instructions of changing size or positions of the data areas are accepted. Then, a data area to be changed and all the data areas linked to the data area are extracted from the determined layout and defined as one content layout, the content layout and content data corresponding thereto are stored in association with each other. In subsequent determination of dynamic layout, when the content data fed into all the data areas included in the content layout is the same as the content data corresponding to the content layout, the content layout is used. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for generating, editing, and printing a document composed of text and images, and more particularly, suitable for generating, editing, and printing a variable data document.

  In recent years, the necessity of CRM and one-to-one marketing has attracted attention due to factors such as the shortening of product life due to the increase in product variety and the orientation of consumer customization services due to the widespread use of the Internet. Here, CRM is Customer Relationship Management. These methods are very effective for the purpose of increasing customer satisfaction and aiming to develop and lock in customers.

  One-to-One marketing is a type of database marketing that creates a database of personal attribute information such as customer age, gender, hobbies, preferences, purchase history, etc., analyzes the content, and makes proposals that meet customer needs It is. A variable print is a typical example of such one-to-one marketing. In particular, recently, with the advancement of DTP (desktop publishing) technology and the spread of digital printing apparatuses, variable print systems that customize and output documents for each customer have been developed. In such a variable print system, it is required to create a customized document in which different amounts of content are optimally laid out for each customer.

  Generally, when creating such a customized document in the variable print system, a container is laid out on the document. A container is a partial area for drawing content (drawing contents), and is sometimes called a field area. That is, a customized document (document) is created by laying out such a container on a document and associating the database with the layout (associating each content of the database with each container). In this specification, such a document is referred to as a variable data document.

  In such a variable print system, different contents can be poured into each laid-out container depending on the customer. Therefore, the size of data to be flowed into the content is variable. On the other hand, if the size of the container is fixed, the following problem occurs. For example, when text data having a size larger than the size of the container is inserted, all text cannot be displayed in the container. Alternatively, when image data having a size larger than the size of the container is inserted, a part of the image is lost. Such a problem is called overflow.

  If the content is image data, it may be possible to reduce the image and draw it in the container. However, there is a possibility that the image may become extremely small. In addition, a technique has been proposed in which, when text data that does not fit in a fixed-size container is inserted, the font size of the text is reduced and all text can be displayed in the container. However, when the font size is adjusted in this way, the font size becomes too small, resulting in a problem that the balance of the entire document is lost or difficult to read.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for reducing the size of an adjacent container in order to maintain a distance from the adjacent container when the size of a certain container is increased as an automatic layout technique for solving such a problem. It is disclosed in “Layout Design Device”.
JP 7-129658 A (0049, FIG. 8)

  However, in the variable print system using the automatic layout, if the document template design is insufficient or the content is not assumed at the time of design, an unintended layout result is obtained. However, it is difficult to create a document template that provides a satisfactory layout for any content. Therefore, a variable print system that can finely adjust the layout result is desired.

At present, if the layout is unsatisfactory after checking the layout result of the content in the preview,
(A) modify the document template, or
(B) Processing is performed in which the content is changed and re-registered in the database, and the document template and the content are merged again and laid out. For example, even in a situation where a slight change request has occurred, such as when it is desired to display the image size of the content of a previewed page a little larger, one of the operations (A) and (B) is required. .

  However, when the method (A) is used, the work of correcting the document template affects not only the layout result for the target content but also the layout result of other content in the automatic layout system. For this reason, there is a possibility of creating a vicious circle in which the result of modifying the document template is dissatisfied with the layout result of other content. Also, the method (B) lacks ease and flexibility. This is because usually the authority of the database administrator is required to change the contents registered in the database, and this is often not permitted by general document template editors. Furthermore, the data change of the content registered in the database has a problem of losing the original data of the content, and a change that is not desired by a user who uses the data for other purposes is added. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable easy adjustment of a layout after variable layout is dynamically determined according to content data in variable printing. To do.

In order to achieve the above object, a layout processing method according to an aspect of the present invention includes:
A determination step of dynamically determining a layout by flowing content data into each of the plurality of data areas based on a template in which a plurality of data areas are laid out;
An instruction step for receiving an instruction to change the size or position of the data area in the layout determined in the determination step;
The data area instructed to change in the instruction step and all data areas linked to the data area are extracted from the determined layout to form one content layout, and the content layout and the corresponding content data are A storage step of storing in association with the storage means,
In the determining step, when the content data that is poured into all data areas included in the content layout stored in the storage unit is the same as the content data corresponding to the content layout, the layout is used by using the content layout. decide.

  According to the present invention, in variable printing, after a layout is dynamically determined according to content data, the layout can be easily adjusted.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<System configuration>
First, the configuration of the variable print system of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a variable print system 100 for printing a variable data document. FIG. 1B is a block diagram showing the configuration of the host computer 101 shown in FIG. 1A in more detail. The variable print processing described in the present embodiment is executed by the host computer 101 (configured by a general-purpose computer module) that is a layout adjustment apparatus. The layout editing application program 121 (layout adjustment program of the present invention) that can be executed on the system 100 is executed entirely or partially by the host computer 101. In particular, the layout editing process and the variable data document printing process are realized by software executed by the host computer 101.

  The layout editing application program 121 is stored in a computer-readable medium, loaded from the computer-readable medium into the memory 136 of the host computer 101, and executed. A computer readable medium storing such software or computer program is a computer program product. By using the computer program product in a computer, an apparatus suitable for document layout editing and variable printing is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, a keyboard 132, a pointing device such as a mouse 133, and the like are connected as input devices to the host computer 101 via an input / output interface 143. Further, a display device 144 as an output device is connected via a video interface 137. Furthermore, a local printer 145 or the like can be connected via the input / output interface 138. The input / output interface 138 also has a function of connecting the computer module 101 to the network 107. As a result, the host computer 101 can be connected to other computer devices in the system 100 via the network. Typical examples of the network 107 include a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN).

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the host computer 101 includes at least one processor unit 135, for example, a memory unit 136 composed of a semiconductor random access memory (RAM) or a read only memory (ROM). The storage device 139 includes a hard disk drive 140 and a floppy (registered trademark) disk drive 141 that can exchange data with a computer-readable medium that stores programs and the like. Although not shown in FIG. 1B, a magnetic tape drive or the like can also be used as the storage device 139. The CD-ROM drive 142 is provided as a non-volatile data source (of course, a computer program may be provided by a CD-ROM).

  The host computer 101 uses components 135 to 143 that perform communication via the interconnection bus 134 in accordance with an operating system such as GNU / LINUX or Microsoft Windows (registered trademark). Alternatively, components 135-143 that communicate via interconnect bus 134 are utilized by methods known in the art according to conventional operating modes of computer systems. That is, the above-described components indicated by 135 to 143 are communicably connected via the bus 134 and are used by an operating system installed in the host computer 101.

  As an example of the host computer 101 shown in FIG. 1B, an IBM compatible PC, a SUN Sparcstation, or a computer system including them can be considered.

<Outline of layout editing application>
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the layout editing application program 121 is resident in the hard disk drive 140 and the execution and reading are controlled by the processor 135. Data fetched from the media storage device of the program of the layout editing application 121 and the network 107 uses the semiconductor memory 136 in response to the hard disk drive 140.

  In one example, the encoded program of the layout editing application 121 is stored on a CD-ROM or floppy (registered trademark) disk. Then, it is read through the corresponding drive 142 or 141 and installed in the hard disk drive 140. Alternatively, the layout editing application program 121 may be read from the network 107 into the host computer 101 and installed in the hard disk drive (HDD) 140 as another example. Further, the software can be loaded into the host computer 101 from a computer readable card such as magnetic tape, ROM, integrated circuit, magneto-optical disk or PCMCIA card. Alternatively, the software may be loaded into the host computer 101 by wireless communication such as infrared rays with other devices. Furthermore, the software may be loaded into the host computer 101 from another suitable computer via the Internet or an intranet having information recorded on an e-mail communication or WEB site. These are examples of computer readable media and it will be appreciated that other computer readable media may be used.

In FIG. 1A, a layout editing application 121 of the present invention causes a computer to perform variable printing (also referred to as variable data printing (VDP)). The layout editing application 121 includes two software components, that is, a layout engine 105 and a user interface 103. The layout engine 105 is a software component,
-Read one record at a time from the variable data stored in the database 119 according to the size and position restrictions given to the container (rectangular range) that is a partial area,
・ Calculate the size and position of the container into which the read data is flowed from the read data and the container limit.

  In this embodiment, the layout engine 105 further performs processing for drawing data assigned to the container and generating an image of the variable data document. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured as follows, for example. That is, the layout engine 105 operates as an application that determines the size and position of each partial area (container). Then, by outputting drawing information to a printer driver (not shown), the printer driver performs image drawing processing of the variable data document and generates print data. The user interface 103 enables the user to set the layout and attributes of the container, and allows the user to create a document template. The user interface 103 also provides a mechanism for associating each container in the document template with a data source. The user interface 103 and the layout engine 105 communicate via a communication channel 123.

FIG. 1C is a view for explaining the outline of variable data printing according to the present embodiment. A document template 180 is generated by a user interface module 103 (hereinafter referred to as the user interface 103) of the layout editing application 121 in accordance with an operation instruction from the user. In the generation of the document template 180, a plurality of containers 181 to 183 are arranged on a page by a user operation using the user interface 103, and a constraint condition regarding the position and size is given to each container. The user interface 103 associates the document template 180 with the data source 190 and further associates each container with each data field in the data source 190. Association information indicating the association between each container and each data field in the data source 190 is described in a document template, and the document template is stored in the HDD 140. The data source 190 is a file in which item data is described in units of records, and is stored in the HDD 140. In response to a print instruction or preview instruction from the user, the layout engine 105
The data associated with the association information is read from the data source 190 into each of the containers 181 to 182 of the document template,
-Pour in record units (for example, pour data fields A to C of data record 1 into containers 181 to 183),
-Adjust the size of each container (layout adjustment) according to the flowed data.

  In the case of a preview instruction, a document image whose layout has been adjusted is generated and output to be displayed as a preview on the screen of the video display 144. In the case of a print instruction, a document image generated using the layout engine 105 or the printer driver is output as print data to the print server 109. By sequentially processing the data records 1, 2, 3,..., Variable data printing is realized.

  The data source (190) for document generation may be, for example, a general database 119 on a database server 117 configured by another computer running a database application. In this case, the host computer 101 can communicate with the database server 117 via the network 107 and acquire a data source. The document template (180) for variable data printing generated by the layout editing application 121 is stored in the file server 115 constituted by the host computer 101 or another computer. As described above with reference to FIG. 1C, the layout engine 105 of the layout editing application 121 generates a variable data document constituted by a document template merged with data. These documents are stored in the local file system of the host computer 101, stored in the file server 115, or transmitted to the printer 113 and printed. The print server 109 is a computer for providing a network function to a printer that is not directly connected to the network. The print server 109 and the printer 113 are connected via a general communication channel 111.

<Other system configuration examples>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram similar to FIG. 1A, but with an engine server 227 added. The layout engine 225 stored in the engine server 227 is a separated version of the layout engine 105. A general computer is used for the engine server 227. The layout engine 225 combines the document template stored in the file server 115 and the data stored in the database 119 in order to generate a variable data document according to printing or other purposes. Such an operation is requested via the user interface 103.

<Description of layout editing application>
Hereinafter, the layout editing application 121 will be described.

[Main window]
The user interface 103 causes the video display 144 to display a user interface screen formed by the application window 301 as shown in FIG. This window 301 has a menu bar 302, a tool bar 303, a work area 306, and an optional palette 311. The menu bar 302 and the tool bar 303 can be hidden or moved to various places on the screen. The work area 306 can be moved by operating the mouse 133. A palette 311 is an option, and a mouse cursor / pointer 313 represents a position pointed to by the mouse 133.

  The menu bar 302 has a number of menu items 304 that extend below the menu options hierarchy, as is known in the art.

  The toolbar 303 has a number of tool buttons and widgets 305 that can be hidden or displayed depending on a special mode of the application.

  Ruler 308 is optional and is used to indicate the position of a pointer, page, line, margin guide, container or object within the work area.

  The palette 311 is used to access additional functions such as a variable data library. The palette 311 has a window control 312 for moving, resizing, and closing. The palette 311 is optional and is displayed in front of the work area or hidden behind the object. The palette 311 is restricted from being displayed only within the range of the application window 301, or is allowed to display part or all of the palette 311 outside the application window 301.

The tool bar 303 has “buttons” selectable by the user as shown in FIG.
(1) Selection tool button 403: Used for selecting, moving, resizing, resizing, and locking / unlocking a container edge. Container selection is done by dragging a selection box around the container. A plurality of containers can be selected by performing a selection operation on the plurality of containers while pressing the CTRL key.
(2) Text container tool button 404: used to create a container having static or variable text.
(3) Image container tool button 405: used to create a container having a static or variable image.
(4) Link tool button 406: used to create a link for associating containers, and also used to control the distance of the link.

  The application window 301 shown in FIG. 3 of the layout editing application 121 can determine a basic layout by laying out containers and links in a page. The basic layout is a basic layout for variable data printing. If each container in the basic layout is a fixed container, the layout of the print results of all records is the same. In addition, when each container in the basic layout is a variable container described later, the size and position of each container varies within the constraints described later depending on the amount and size of data read in units of records. Therefore, the document template created by the layout editing application 121 determines the basic layout to the last, and when a variable container is included, the layout of the final printed matter is adjusted by the read data.

[Document Template]
In FIG. 3, a work area 306 is used to display / edit the design of a document template (180: basic layout). A document template is sometimes simply referred to as a template. This allows the user to be presented with an overview of the document to be printed in the process of designing the document template. Thus, the user can easily understand how the document merged with the data source (190) changes based on the amount and size of the variable data.

  When the data source is associated with the document template, the corresponding variable text or image is displayed in each laid out container so that the current document can be previewed.

  Visual cues (container borders, anchors, sliders, links, etc.) describing the document structure and variable data container in the document template are always displayed when the document template is created. Further, at the time of previewing the variable data, such visual cues are displayed when the cursor is moved over the container or when the container is selected.

  The work area 306 includes a scroll bar 307, an optional ruler 308, and a document template 309. The document template 309 can indicate that there are a plurality of pages. The document template 309 displays the document template 180 shown in FIG. 1C.

  The page size of a given document template is specified by the user using well-known techniques. For example, by selecting “Page Setup” from “File” in the menu, a dialog for setting the page size is displayed, and the page size specified by the user is reflected there. The actual number of pages in each document can vary depending on the variable data in the associated data source. This is because when a field whose size is changed according to the amount of variable data is set in the document template, an additional page is automatically created when variable data that cannot fit variable data is read in one page. This is because that. A variable table is an example of a field whose size is changed according to the amount of such variable data.

  The border 310 shown in each page is an arbitrary page margin that indicates the maximum width of a printable object on the page.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of objects that can be displayed on the document template 309 of one page. Such objects include containers 407 and 408, an anchor icon 409 to be arbitrarily applied, fixed sides 411 and 414, non-fixed sides 410, links 412, and a slider 413. The anchor icon 409 can be set at a corner of the container rectangle, a side, or the center of the container. When the anchor icon 409 is set, the position of the set location is fixed. That is, in the example of FIG. 4, the anchor icon 409 is set at the upper left corner of the container 407. Therefore, the container 407 indicates that the variable data can be expanded in the right direction and the downward direction when the variable data has a large image size or text amount. When the anchor icon 409 is set to a side, the side is fixed and can be enlarged in each of the other three sides. When the anchor icon 409 is set at the center of the container, the center position of the container is fixed and can be expanded in four directions so that the center position of the container rectangle does not change. Although the link 412 will be described in detail later, it indicates that the container 407 and the container 408 are associated with each other, and the container 408 moves in the right direction while maintaining the length (range can be specified) set in this link. It shows that it is possible. The slider 413 indicates that it can move in the horizontal direction with respect to the set side.

[container]
Here, the container will be described. A container is a space (called a partial area or a data area) in which a fixed or variable text / image is poured from a variable data file into a document template and drawn. The container is laid out together with other containers and objects as shown in FIG. The container is moved, adjusted in size, and recreated by operating the mouse 133 in accordance with an operation instruction from the user via the user interface screen. In addition, data that is poured into the container is content or content data.

  More precisely, a container has a collection of settings, a visual representation, and interaction and editing operations. The following is a definition of a container according to this embodiment.

  (1) A container has fixed or variable contents. The variable content can be said to be dynamic in the sense that the data acquired from the data source may be different for each document, that is, for each record. However, the variable content of the present embodiment is not intended here because the animated content or the content that changes with time by another method is not suitable for printing. Similarly, fixed content is displayed in the same way for all documents generated using the container. However, when the variable content and the link are set, the position of the fixed content may be different in each document due to the influence of the variable content.

  (2) The container has a decoration function similar to the text setting such as the background color, border, font style applied to the content. Such a setting is called a container attribute. The container attribute can be set for each container, but it is also possible to set the same container attribute as a certain container.

  (3) The container is merged with data from the data source when generating the document. The decoration function is visible in the printed output, as is any fixed content. Variable content provides an indication of specific data from a data source. This representation of the container can be printed or displayed on the screen of the video display 144, or both.

  (4) The container has a user interface as a visual clue as shown in FIG. For example, it has an interactive graphical user interface (GUI) for container editing and display settings. Each element of the GUI is displayed on the screen of the video display 144, but is not printed as a document. The user interface 103 of the layout editing application 121 displays some of the container decoration functions such as the background color and font, and further has a function for enabling the editing and display of the container settings.

[Container constraints]
Containers have restrictions on controlling how the content displayed in each document is linked. These constraints (including linking fixed / variable content with containers) are the primary way for users to control multiple document generations from a single document template. One example of a constraint is “the content height of this container is a maximum of 4 inches”. Another example of the constraint is “the left edge of the contents of the container must be displayed at the same horizontal position in each document”. The contents described here are various methods for displaying and editing such constraints using a GUI.

  Content placeholders that specify the placement of fixed content so that the image has a defined location on the page are well known in digital printing technology. Containers have a position and a size, which are edited and displayed in a manner known in the art. Therefore, the following description focuses on display / editing in a method specialized for variable data printing.

  By using the container, the user can specify the size (drawing size) and position of the content in the document. Since many types of documents are generated from a single document template, many possibilities and restrictions are set in the container, and a predetermined user interface is used for setting (designating) and displaying these. .

  An edge of one container defines a virtual border where the associated content is displayed in the document. Thus, discussing the left side of the container is the same as discussing the leftmost side in the area where the associated content is displayable in each document. Similarly, discussing container height is understood as discussing content height constraints associated with the generated document. In the present specification, this distinction will be clarified when the sides or sizes of the container are discussed with reference to the user interface 103.

  In the following description, the term “fixed” that defines a value used to limit the display of content is the same for all documents.

  (1) When the width of the container is fixed, the width assigned to the associated content is the same for all documents.

  (2) If the height of the container is fixed, the height assigned to the associated content is the same for all documents.

  (3) When the distance (link length) is fixed, the specified distance becomes a constraint in all documents.

  (4) When the left and right sides of the container are fixed, it means that the horizontal position of the side regarding the page is the same in all documents. However, the height or vertical position of the container may change. For example, when the left side of the container is fixed, the display position of the associated content is the same horizontal position for all documents. However, some documents may be displayed at the top of the page and others may be displayed at the bottom of the page.

  (5) When the upper and lower sides of the container are fixed, it means that the vertical position of the side on the page is the same for all documents. However, the width or horizontal position of the container may vary from document to document.

  (6) The vertical axis of the container is a virtual vertical line that is parallel to the right side and the left side of the container and located between them. If the vertical axis of the container is fixed, the average horizontal position of the left and right sides of the container (ie, the left and right center position) is the same for all documents. Under this constraint, the width of the container can change. However, the vertical axis is the same horizontal position in all documents, with the left and right sides being the furthest to the most on the vertical axis. Note that the height and vertical position of the container are not affected by this restriction.

  (7) Similarly, if the horizontal axis is fixed, the average of the upper and lower sides of the container is placed at the same vertical position. However, the width and horizontal position of the container are not affected by this restriction.

  (8) When both the horizontal axis and the vertical axis are fixed, it means that the center position of the container is fixed. However, the width and height of the container are not affected by this restriction.

  (9) When the corner position of the container, the intermediate position of the container side, or the center position of the container is fixed, the respective positions are the same in all documents. For example, if the upper left corner of the container is fixed, it means that the upper left position of the arranged container is the same for all documents.

  (10) The vertical side or the vertical axis can be fixed in association with the left or right side of the page, the left page margin or the right page margin, or another horizontal position. Similarly, the horizontal side or horizontal axis can be fixed in association with the top or bottom side of the page, the top and bottom page margins, or other vertical positions.

  The opposite of “Fixed” is “Variable” which means that the sides, axes, corners, intermediate positions of the container, or document constraints may change between documents (between records). For example, in a page, it is expected that the layout will be changed dynamically depending on the size and amount of variable data, but for specific containers, the size and position may be fixed, or the corner of the page It may be desired that the four corners be fixed. For this reason, the layout editing application 121 can appropriately set whether to fix or change the sides, axes, corners, intermediate positions, and the like for each container (partial region). Thereby, when determining the basic layout of the document template 180, the user can create the basic layout as desired by the user.

[Container display / edit]
-How to create a new container-
Containers are described in two types: text containers and image containers. A text container has text and an embedded image. An image container has only images.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a new text container or image container is created on the document template 309 by operating the mouse 133. That is, by clicking the text container tool 404 or the image container tool 405 with the mouse 133 and dragging a rectangle on the document template 309, a new text container or image container is created.

  Alternatively, the container may be created by simply clicking on the document template 309 after activating the appropriate tool 404, 405. In this case, a default size container is inserted on the template in response to a click operation of the mouse 133, and a dialog box or other prompt for setting the dimensions of the new container is provided. In addition, various methods may be considered such that the size of the container may be automatically defined in advance, or may be created and arranged by a calculated schema. A container property dialog is displayed by selecting the generated container with an input means such as a mouse and performing an operation such as instructing a property by right-clicking, and the constraints of the container can be set. In the container property dialog UI (corresponding to the partial area setting means), the above-described various restrictions can be set. In the container properties dialog, you can determine the size (width, height) and position of the container. When making a container variable, set the basic pattern (reference size and reference position) of the container, and set the maximum container size (width and height) and the minimum container size (width and height). It is possible. Note that the size of the container set using the above-described means becomes the reference size at the time of layout setting, and variable data (content data) is poured into the container set here. In addition, the reference size may be changed according to the size of the content data to be inserted or the size change of the related container. Details will be described later.

[Container display method]
(A) to (D) of FIG. 5 exemplify display rules related to the sides of the container.

In order to express the state of the side of the container, the application 121
-Represent the sides using solid lines (item 503) or dotted lines (504),
Anchors (lines, shapes, icons as shown by 506, 507, 509 drawn near the edges),
Handles (control points drawn on or near the side of the area to move or modify, 502),
A slider (short parallel lines drawn on both sides of the side, 413 in FIG. 4),
-Scale icon (505),
・ Use color.

The rules for the container display method shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D are as follows.
(1) Draw with solid lines to fix each side.
(2) When the width is fixed, the left and right sides are drawn with solid lines.
(3) When the height is fixed, the upper and lower sides are drawn with solid lines.
(4) The axes are not drawn.
(5) An enlargement / reduction icon is drawn near each side not drawn by (1) to (3), and those sides are drawn by dotted lines.
(6) For each pair of vertical side and horizontal side, or vertical axis and horizontal axis, if both are fixed, an anchor is drawn at the intersection.
(7) For each fixed side, if no anchor is drawn anywhere on the side, a slider is drawn at the center of the edge.
(8) If anchors and sliders are not drawn on each pair of vertical and horizontal sides or vertical and horizontal axes, a handle is drawn at the intersection of them.

  The lines defined by the rules (1), (2), and (3) are drawn as solid lines because they are fixed or restricted as described above. As in rule (5), the variable side is drawn with a dotted line. Fixed points defined in rules (6), (7), and (8) display anchors, some fixed edges display sliders, and others display handles.

  The above rules are given priority over constraints set later by the user. That is, when another constraint is set later, if the above rule affects the side to be drawn, the drawn content of the solid line or the dotted line is changed.

  The location where the variable side is drawn depends on the content of the container. As will be explained later, “dynamic proofing” is used, which means that content is merged into a document template and made visible in the user interface. Alternative implementations can be used in the content area of a container that is averaged over all documents, or in other means of determining where variable edges should be laid out in the user interface.

These content representations provide a graphical means for displaying the state of each side of the container. The interpretation of the expression is as follows.
(1) Like the side 410 in FIG. 4, the dotted line means that the position of the side in the document changes depending on the contents of the container.
(2) The solid line is limited because it is fixed (side 414) or the width and height of the container are fixed (in container 408, four sides are solid lines and both are fixed) Means an edge.
(3) The anchor means that the place where the side and the axis intersect is fixed. Therefore, the anchor point appears at the horizontal and vertical positions of all documents. The anchor is naturally fixed. The icon 409 in FIG. 4 is an example of an anchor icon that means that the position where the sides 414 intersect is fixed.
(4) The slider has a fixed side length, which means that it may move in parallel. For example, in FIG. 4, slider 413 may display the contents of container 408 to the left or right of the position represented by a particular diagram in the document. For example, when the image size or text amount of data that is flowed into the container 407 associated with the container 408 (linked) is small, the size of the container 407 is small. Therefore, the container 408 is laid out and displayed by sliding (translating) in the left direction. On the other hand, when the size of the container 407 increases, the container 408 is laid out by sliding in the right direction.

  Some or all of these icons / edges may or may not be drawn depending on which tool, which container is selected, highlighted or activated. In general, the sides and icons of a container are not drawn on a printed matter because they help to design a document template.

  As described above, the basic pattern setting of the basic value, minimum value, and maximum value of the width / height of the container is displayed in a secondary dialog window.

  In FIG. 5A, the width and height of the container 501 are not fixed (variable). The fixed side 503 is represented by a solid line, and the variable side 504 is represented by a dotted line. The enlargement / reduction icon 505 indicates that the adjacent side 504 is variable. Other forms of indicators may be used instead or additionally.

  In FIG. 5B, the container 501 is variable in both width and height. An anchor icon 506 has been added to explicitly indicate that the corner positions of both intersecting sides 503 are fixed.

  In FIG. 5C, the container 501 shows a state in which both the width and height of the container are variable, and the container 501 spreads evenly around the center point as indicated by an arbitrary anchor icon 507. That is, the container 501 can be enlarged or reduced around the anchor icon 507. In this enlargement / reduction, the layout is adjusted so that the position of the anchor icon 507 always becomes the center point of the container 501.

  In FIG. 5D, the container 501 has a fixed upper side 508, but both width and height are variable. An anchor icon 509 positioned and shown at the center of the upper side 508 is fixed. The left and right sides (502) of the container 501 are enlarged / reduced around the vertical central axis (vertical axis) through the anchor icon 509.

[Link]
The link indicates the relationship between containers. “Relation” indicates a distance between containers, and containers associated by a link are affected by each other's layout change and calculate a layout. Here, the influence of mutual layout change refers to the pushing between containers ("pushing force" or "pulling force" described later) caused by changing the reference size of the container according to the content data that has been poured. Point to. What is indicated by 412 in FIG. 4 is a link. In FIG. 4, containers 407 and 408 are associated with each other. A link setting method and a layout calculation method for containers associated with the link will be described later.

[Link setting method]
Next, setting of a link for associating containers will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a link setting method. 7A to 7C show transition examples of the user interface (UI) at the time of link setting. A method for setting a link in a container will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, in step S601, the layout editing application 121 displays the document template selected for editing on the work area 306 of the user interface screen. In order to set a link, containers (at least two) for setting a link need to be created on the document template. 7A to 7C show transition examples of user interfaces when two containers are created and links are set in step S601.

  Next, in step S602, the layout editing application 121 determines whether the above-described link tool has been selected (by clicking the button 406 in FIG. 4). If the link tool is not the selected upper body, other various processes are executed as necessary (step S609), and the process returns to step S602.

  In FIG. 7A, it is assumed that the containers 701 and 702 are all composed of fixed sides. 703 and 704 are the same as 409 in FIG. 4 and mean anchors. Reference numeral 705 denotes a mouse pointer. Now, while the link tool is in the selected state, the user clicks and selects one of the two containers for setting a link (referred to as container 701). In response to this operation, the user interface 103 of the layout editing application 121 recognizes that the first container has been designated (step S603), and retains information for specifying the selected container. Further, the locus corresponding to the subsequent movement of the mouse cursor is displayed on the screen (step S604). For example, a line segment 706 in FIG. 7B indicates a line connecting the click position in the state of FIG. 7A and the current mouse cursor position, and a link is set at which position by this UI. Can be shown to the user.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 7B, the user moves the mouse pointer to the other container (container 702) and clicks it. In response to this operation, the user interface 103 recognizes that the second container has been designated (step S605). The layout editing application 121 sets a link between the first container held in step S604 and the second container whose designation is recognized in step S605 (step S606).

  Thus, when the link is set between the two containers 701 and 702 selected by the user, the link UI 707 is displayed (step S607). Further, in response to this link setting, the display state of the container becomes the state shown in FIG. 7C (step S608). In other words, the container UI is automatically changed by setting the link. Here, the sides associated by the links are variable and are indicated by dotted lines. In FIG. 7C, reference numeral 708 denotes a side indicated by a dotted line, which indicates a variable side as described above.

  Note that the change in the state of the container side as shown in FIG. 7C is automatically executed when it is necessary to make the side of the container variable by setting the link. The purpose is to prevent the occurrence of a contradiction that all sides are fixed despite the link being set. 709 is the same as 505 in FIG. 5 and is a mark that visually indicates to the user the direction in which the container can be changed by setting a link. In the example of FIG. 7C, the right side of the left container and the left side of the right container have changed to a variable state, but this is an example. For example, the right container is indicated by 413 in FIG. You can change the setting to have a slider.

<Layout calculation processing by layout engine>
[Layout calculation method (overall flow)]
The layout editing application of this embodiment is divided into a layout mode and a preview mode. In the layout mode, containers are created using the user interface 103, and a layout is created by associating (linking) the containers. In the preview mode, the layout engine 105 inserts each record of the data source into the created layout, and previews the layout result after the record is actually inserted. In this preview mode, an actual record is inserted, and the layout is calculated according to the above-mentioned priority order. However, the preview mode is a layout calculation on the display. Even in the actual printing, the layout engine 105 calculates the layout by inserting data into each container, and the calculation method at that time is the same as the preview mode.

  FIG. 8 shows a flow of layout calculation. First, the preview mode is selected (step S801). In the preview mode, the layout editing application 121 causes the user to select a record to be previewed from the data source, and determines to insert each field data of the selected record into each container (step S802). When the insertion of field data into each container is determined, the layout editing application 121 performs calculation for laying out the record, and performs layout adjustment as necessary (step S803). Details of the layout calculation in step S803 will be described later. The layout editing application 121 displays the layout calculated in step S803 (step S804). The layout editing application 121 determines whether or not to preview other records based on a user instruction (step S805). If it is determined in step S805 that it is not necessary to preview another record, the preview mode is terminated (step S807). If a preview is to be performed for another record, the layout editing application 121 selects another record, performs layout calculation again, and performs a preview (step S806).

  Note that when printing is performed instead of the preview mode, the layout is calculated in order for all records to be printed. Accordingly, step S804 does not exist, and step S805 determines whether all records to be printed have been processed. The result of the layout calculation in step S803 is output by drawing and is generated as print data using a printer driver, and the print data is output to the printer. In this case, the process is terminated when the output of the print data is completed for all the records (all records designated to be printed).

[Layout Calculation Method (Details)]
Next, details of the layout calculation in step S803 will be described. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a layout calculation method when the layout priority is not set according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a UI display example at that time. Since this figure is a flowchart for explaining only the layout calculation processing method, it corresponds to the layout calculation method for printing / previewing one record of variable data printing. In the case of multiple records, the following processing is repeated. These processes are realized by the control of the processor 135 in the host computer 101.

  First, the layout editing application 121 obtains a set of containers for calculating a layout (step S901). In the layout calculation, the associated containers are calculated as one set. For example, referring to FIG. 11, four containers are laid out on the page, and an association is set for each container. In this case, container A and container B, and container C and container D are associated by a link. Therefore, containers A and B are set 1, and containers C and D are set 2. That is, the container group connected by the link is specified as one set. As described above, 1101 is an anchor, 1102 is a fixed side, 1103 is a controller, 1104 is an arrow indicating a change direction of a variable side, 1105 is a variable side, 1106 is a link, and 1107 is a slider. ing.

  Next, the layout editing application 121 selects one to calculate a layout from the set of containers obtained in step S901 (step S902). Then, the layout of the selected set of containers is calculated. First, regarding the two containers (A, B) which are variable elements included in the set of selected containers, the size when each container is not restricted by the image size or text amount of the content data to be flown is set. calculate.

  Specifically, the layout editing application 121 determines whether the container A is an image data container or a text container. This determination can be made based on the attributes set for the container as described above. Next, the layout editing application 121 reads data to be poured into the container A. When the container A is an image data container, the size of the image data (the width, the number of pixels of the height, and the resolution) is the size when the container A is not restricted. When the container A is a text container, the amount of data to be poured into the container A can be calculated based on the number of characters of the text data and the character attribute specified by the container attribute of the container A. The character attributes include, for example, font type, font size, character pitch, line pitch, and the like. The layout editing application 121 can recognize the content data in the database and the attribute of the associated container. Furthermore, by calculating the size of the content data by the above-described calculation, it can be determined whether or not the content data is different from the reference size of the container. Further, when the size of the content data is different from the reference size of the container, the size relationship can also be determined.

  Here, in the case of a text container, since the aspect ratio of the container A cannot be determined without considering the constraint, the constraint is applied. In the example of FIG. 11, the container A has anchors set at the upper left and lower left corners, so the height (vertical direction) is fixed. Therefore, the layout editing application 121 determines whether or not characters of the calculated data amount (text amount) can be poured into the container A having the width (horizontal direction) set as the basic pattern of the container A. If it is determined that all can be poured, the container A has no change in the reference size (width, height) set in the basic pattern. If it is determined that all the containers cannot be poured, the container A has a fixed height due to the anchor setting, and thus extends in the horizontal direction. Here, the layout editing application 121 calculates the size of the container A by calculating how much the width of the container A can be filled with characters of the calculated data amount.

  Next, the layout editing application 121 optimizes the layout so that the size of the container to be laid out is as small as possible with the actual content size (step S903). Layout optimization is such that the difference between the size of the inserted content and the size of the layout is the same as much as possible in the associated containers so that the size can be changed dynamically. Done. The layout editing application 121 obtains the size of the set of containers calculated in step S902, that is, the total size of the container A, the container B, and the link 1106 (here, a fixed link). Then, the difference between the total size and the size of the set of containers in the basic layout (corresponding to the distance between the anchor icons of containers A and B in the example of FIG. 11) is obtained. If the width of container A or container B is increased, a difference value is generated if it is calculated in the previous step. The layout editing application 121 adjusts the layout by equally distributing the difference value to each element of the set of containers.

  The layout editing application 121 optimizes the layout. If the rule is violated, the layout editing application 121 performs calculation so as not to violate the rule again (step S904). The rules described here are restrictions set by the user at the time of layout creation, such as a variable range or position of the container size, and a change in the link length in the case of a variable link. Once the layout is calculated so that it does not violate the rules, the set layout is completed. Then, the processes in steps S902 to S904 are performed on all the sets on the page, and the layout editing application 121 calculates the layout of the entire page (step S905).

  10A to 10C are examples of UIs at the time of layout without setting priority.

  FIG. 10A shows a state in which a certain record is inserted and a layout is determined. 1001 and 1002 are anchors, 1003 and 1004 are fixed sides, 1005 is a variable side, 1006 is an arrow indicating the change direction of the variable side, and 1008 is a link. In this state, the record is changed and contents of different sizes are inserted. FIG. 10B shows the size of the new content superimposed on the state of FIG. Reference numeral 1009 denotes a content size inserted in each container. Then, layout calculation is performed. FIG. 10C shows the result of layout calculation. The size of each container after the calculation is calculated so that there is a difference equivalent to the size of the content that is actually inserted, and is calculated so as not to violate the rules described above. As shown in (C) of FIG. 10, the inserted content size (1009) shown in (B) and the calculated content size (1010) have the same difference in both.

[Link settings with variable length]
FIG. 12 shows a user interface for setting a variable link. Similar to FIG. 4, there are an application window 301 and a toolbar 303. In the state of FIG. 12, a container 1203 and a container 1204 exist on the document template 309. Each container includes an anchor icon 1201, an anchor icon 1202, a fixed side 1205, and a side 1206. A variable-size link 1209 is provided between the containers 1203 and 1204 and connects the containers 1203 and 1204. Since a link is set between the container 1203 and the container 1204, the right side 1207 and the left side 1208 are represented by dotted lines. For this reason, an indicator 1210 and an indicator 1211 are displayed in each container, indicating that the sides 1207 and 1208 are variable, respectively.

  FIG. 14 shows an example of a dialog window 1401 for setting the information of the link 1209, which is a user interface screen in the link setting means. This dialog includes a title bar 1402, a tool button 1403, a button 1404 for opening / closing the dialog window, and an area 1409 for setting various information. In this dialog window, an alternative selection can be made as to whether the link type is a variable length (1407) link or a fixed length (1406) link. When the link type is variable, a minimum value (Min.Distance 1410), a maximum value (Max.Distance 1412), and a reference value (Distance 1411) of the link length can be set. The dialog 1401 in FIG. 14 is displayed, for example, when a link is set between two containers by the link setting operation described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 and then this link is selected by an operation such as clicking. The Alternatively, immediately after setting a link, a dialog window 1401 regarding the link may be automatically displayed. Here, the reference value 1411 of the distance between the containers is the length of the link used when the size of each container is not changed when data is inserted.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining a variable link setting procedure by the user interface 103 of this embodiment. For example, when a link is established between the container A and the container B in FIG. 11 according to the procedure described in FIGS. 6 and 7, a fixed-size link is first established. Then, by selecting this link and executing the processing shown in FIG. 13, the link can be changed from the state of the fixed-size link 1106 (FIG. 11) to the variable-size link 1209 (FIG. 12). . These processes are realized by the control of the processor 135 in the host computer 101.

  First, a desired link (for example, link 1106) is selected with the mouse. In this state, when a predetermined operation for displaying a link property is performed, the user interface 103 of the layout editing application 121 recognizes it as an input of a link property display instruction (step S1301). When the link property display instruction is recognized, a property dialog window 1401 (FIG. 14) corresponding to the selected link (hereinafter referred to as the target link) is displayed. Next, the user interface 103 displays the link property (step S1302). The link selection operation may be any operation such as a right mouse click or a specific key operation on the keyboard, as in the case of setting the basic pattern of the container.

  A dialog window 1401 displayed in step S1302 shows the current state of the selected link. In this example, since the link 1106 is selected, the link size is fixed at this stage. In the Link Type 1405, the Fixed Length 1406 indicating the fixed length is selected.

  In order to change the link from a fixed size to a variable size in this dialog window 1401, a Flexible Length 1407 for setting the link size to be variable is selected in Link Type 1405. As a result, Max. Distance 1412, Min. Distance 1410, and Distance 1411 arranged in Link Distance 1408 are validated, and numerical values can be set. In order to set the variable size of the link, the user sets the maximum value of the link length to Max. Distance 1412, the minimum value to Min. Distance 1410, and the current value to Distance 1411.

  When the setting is completed, the user instructs application of the setting using a general dialog window open / close button 1404. When the user interface 103 detects this instruction, the process proceeds from step S1303 to step S1304 and the subsequent steps, and the setting state is reflected on the target link.

  That is, first, in step S1304, the layout editing application 121 determines whether the target link is a fixed size or a variable size. If the fixed size is designated, the process proceeds to step S1308, the target link is set to “fixed size”, and the display state of the target link is set to “solid line” representing “fixed link” in step S1307.

  On the other hand, if a variable size is specified in step S1304, the process advances to step S1305, and the layout editing application 121 sets the target link to “variable size”. In step S1306, the current value (reference value), maximum value, and minimum value of the target link set by the dialog window 1401 are registered. Thereafter, in step S1307, the display state of the target link is set to “dotted line” representing “variable link”. As a result, the UI display of the link changes to a state as indicated by the link 1209 in FIG. 12 (step S1306). The setting information of the above dialog window 701 is stored in the memory.

  Note that the distance between containers arranged as the current layout may be automatically input as the default value for the current value set in Distance 1411.

  FIG. 15 shows a layout result when a fixed-size link is used. The layout calculation method is performed as described above. For example, consider a case where image data of different sizes are inserted into the container 1203 and the container 1204 in FIG. In this case, each container regards the data size as optimum, and the container 1203 tries to change the size in the right direction so as to approach the frame 1504 (optimum container size) that becomes the inserted image size. Similarly, the container 1204 tries to change the size in the left direction so as to approach the frame 1505 (optimum container size) that becomes the inserted image size. However, the container 1203 and the container 1204 cannot move the left side 1212 and the right side 1213 by the anchor 1201 and the anchor 1202, respectively. If the size is changed as described above, the interval between the two sides must be narrowed. However, a fixed-size link 1503 is set between containers, and the length is maintained at the time of layout calculation. Therefore, the sizes of the containers 1203 and 1204 are changed.

  As a result, the container 1203 and the container 1204 cannot secure the optimum size according to the aspect ratio of the data, and finally smaller than the optimum size (frame 1504, frame 1505) as shown in FIG. turn into. That is, since the size of the link 1503 is fixed, the container 1501 and the container 1502 cannot achieve the optimum size (in FIG. 15, the range indicated by the one-point difference line in each container is the aspect ratio of the data).

  On the other hand, FIG. 16 shows a case where the link is made variable in the same state as FIG. In this case, in the above example, a variable-size link is set between the container 1203 and the container 1204 as illustrated. Therefore, when the sizes of the container 1203 and the container 1204 are changed, the size of the container 1203 and the container 1204 can be made larger than the example of FIG. 15 by reducing the link size. As a result, it is possible to achieve an optimum size according to the data size to be inserted, or to set a container frame closer to the insertion data size (optimum size). FIG. 16 shows this result. As a result of the layout calculation, the variable link 1209 is in a size state as indicated by the variable link 1603. In this case, each of the container 1203 and the container 1204 has an optimum size (a size suitable for the data size).

  The above is the automatic layout method which is the premise in the present invention. In the variable print system described above, a configuration that allows easy fine adjustment of the layout after the layout is dynamically determined according to the content data will be described below.

[Adjustment of layout contents]
FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining the layout-completed content adjustment processing of the layout editing application program 121. The layout-adjusted content adjustment process shown in FIG. 17 will be described below with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that each content obtained as a result of the dynamic layout described above in the [layout calculation method (details)] after pouring content data into a document template is referred to as a laid-out content. A layout-completed content whose position and size have been changed by a user operation is referred to as an adjusted content.

  FIG. 18 is a document template editing screen provided by the layout editing application program 121. The document template is created using the user interface described above with reference to FIGS. In the example of FIG. 18, an image container 1821 and a text container 1822 that are variable containers exist in the document template 1809 and are associated by a fixed link 1823. In the document template 1809, the text containers 1824 and 1825 are a variable container and a fixed container, respectively, and are associated by a fixed link 1826. The image container 1821 and the text containers 1822 and 1824 are variable objects. The fixed links 1823 and 1826 and the text container 1825 which is a fixed container are static objects.

  When the content of variable data is poured into the document template 1809 shown in FIG. 18, the above-described dynamic layout is performed by [layout calculation method (details)]. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing an example of a preview screen by the layout editing application program 121 as a result of such dynamic layout. The contents 1921 and 1922 in the preview display area 1909 in FIG. 19 are the results (layout contents) in which the corresponding content data is poured into the image container 1821 and the text container 1822 in FIG. Similarly, the contents 1924 and 1925 are the results (layout contents) in which the corresponding contents data is poured into the text containers 1824 and 1825 in FIG. 18 and dynamically laid out. Reference numeral 313 denotes a mouse cursor / pointer (hereinafter referred to as a pointer), and 1931 denotes a content handle.

  In the preview screen of FIG. 19, when the user performs an adjustment operation such as a size change or a position change on a desired laid-out content using the pointer 313, a preview screen as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 20, a case where the size of the layout-completed content 1921 is changed is shown. The content 2021 is the adjusted content after the size of the layout-completed content 1921 is changed, and 2031 is a handle of the adjusted content 2021.

  In response to the adjustment operation as shown in FIG. 20 being performed on the preview screen, the layout editing application 121 displays the adjusted static layout data editing view as shown in FIG. 21 (hereinafter, the adjusted layout view). Is generated and displayed. The adjusted layout view in FIG. 21 corresponds to the result of the adjustment operation on the preview screen shown in FIG. In FIG. 21, a content 2121 is a mapping of the adjusted content 2021 on the preview screen of FIG. Similarly, the content 2122 is a mapping of the layout-completed content 2022 copied from the preview screen of FIG. Hereinafter, the contents 2121 and 2122 on the adjusted layout view are referred to as adjusted contents. The link 2123 that associates the content 2121 and the content 2122 is a hold link, and maintains the relative positional relationship between the two contents during dynamic layout. Details of the hold link 2123 will be described later.

  Next, the adjusted layout view generation process of the layout editing application 121 as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the user operates the pointer 313 to select the laid out content 1921 on the preview screen in FIG. 19, the layout editing application program 121 advances the process from step S1701 to step S1702. In step S1702, the layout editing application program 121 discriminates the selected content, and the handle 1931 is selected in order to move and resize the content. Display at point.

  Next, the user instructs adjustment of the selected content using the user interface 103. When the layout editing application 121 detects an adjustment instruction, the process advances from step S1703 to step S1704. The adjustment of the laid-out content includes changes such as movement and size adjustment. In this example, it is assumed that a size adjustment instruction has been detected. That is, a case will be described in which the instruction detected in step S1703 is a size change instruction from the laid-out content 1921 to the changed content 2021, as shown in FIG.

  In step S1704, the layout editing application program 121 newly generates an adjusted layout view as shown in FIG. If an adjusted layout view corresponding to the data record has already been generated, the corresponding adjusted layout view is acquired. In step S 1705, the layout editing application program 121 searches for a corresponding container on the document template 1809 of the content 2021 whose size has been adjusted by the user. In this example, a corresponding image container 1821 is detected. In step S1706, the layout editing application program 121 traces all the links of the corresponding container detected on the document template 1809. Then, all containers linked directly or indirectly with the corresponding container are detected. The indirectly linked container is another container that is further linked to the directly linked container. With respect to the image container 1821 of FIG. 18, the container linked directly or indirectly is the text container 1822 linked by a fixed link 1823.

  In step S1707, the layout editing application program 121 organizes the corresponding containers detected on the document template 1809 and all the containers linked directly or indirectly thereto as one logical dynamic container group. In step S1708, the layout editing application program 121 searches for the adjusted content and the laid-out content corresponding to the dynamic container group from the preview in which the size changing operation has been performed. In this example, the adjusted content 2021 and the layout content 2022 are searched. In step S1709, one group of adjusted content and layout content corresponding to the dynamic container group is copied to the adjusted layout view as one content layout. As a result, adjusted contents 2121 and 2122 shown in FIG. 21 are displayed in the adjusted layout view.

  At the time of copying, in step S1710, the layout editing application program 121 searches the adjusted layout view for a data set of the same content corresponding to the same dynamic container group. If there is, in step S1711, the content display of the data set is deleted. With this process, the adjusted layout view is updated with the dynamic container group including the latest adjusted content.

  Further, in step S1712, the layout editing application program 121 replaces all link relationships on the document template 1809 of the dynamic container group with hold links as will be described later. The relationship is then mapped to the adjusted layout view. For example, in FIG. 21, the fixed link 1823 that links the image container 1821 and the text container 1822 on the document template 1809 of FIG. 18 is replaced with a hold link. Then, on the adjusted layout view of FIG. 21, a hold link 2123 is mapped as a link for holding the layout-completed contents 2121 and 2122.

  As described above, the adjusted layout view is completed in step S1712. At this time, the configuration of the content layout (dynamic container group) (the position and size of each adjusted container constituting the group) and the content data flowing into each adjusted container are registered in association with each other. With this registered data, the registered adjusted static layout is used when the content data is poured into the dynamic container group in the subsequent dynamic layout processing or the like.

  With the above-described layout-adjusted content adjustment process, the user can make a desired adjustment to the desired content that has been laid out by the dynamic layout process.

  The adjusted layout view can be created for a plurality of records, and one adjusted layout view holds the adjustment result for the data of one record. In this example, the adjusted layout view for one page of data is shown, but a plurality of pages of adjusted layout views can be held. In other words, the adjusted layout view can hold a plurality of pages, like the other two views (template editing view display and preview display). In the same data record preview, when adjustments are made to the laid-out content on different pages, an adjusted static layout corresponding to the page where the adjusted content exists is generated as a separate adjusted layout view for each page. Is done.

  Further, it is assumed that the file saving of the adjusted layout view data by the layout editing application program 121 is performed in one file together with the basic document template data. Of course, the adjusted layout view data file may be stored in a separate file associated with the document template data. In any case, at the time of reading the document template data by the layout editing application program 121, the adjusted layout view data is also simultaneously read by the layout editing application program 121.

  As described above, in the above process, a layout view determined by pouring content data into each of a plurality of data areas is displayed based on a document template in which containers as a plurality of data areas are laid out. Then, as shown in FIG. 19, it is possible to instruct a change in the size or position of the laid-out content (data area) in the determined layout (S1702 to S1703). The container of the laid out content instructed to be changed and all the containers linked thereto are extracted from the view of FIG. 19 to form one content layout (S1704 to 1708). Then, the content layout and the corresponding content data are associated and stored in the adjusted layout view (S1709 to S1712).

  In the subsequent layout calculation processing, it is determined whether the content data that is poured into all data areas included in the content layout stored in the adjusted layout view is the same as the content data corresponding to the content layout. If they are the same, the layout is determined using the content layout. In this way, the adjustment result of the laid-out content is used when determining the layout of the corresponding content data, and the user can easily adjust the laid-out content for each content data. Hereinafter, such a layout process will be described.

[Layout of document template with adjusted content]
FIG. 22 is a flowchart for explaining the layout processing of a document template having adjusted content by the layout editing application program 121. Hereinafter, the layout process will be described with reference to FIG.

  The layout editing application program 121 accepts an instruction such as a selection operation of the menu item 304 in the menu bar 302 using the pointer 313 by the user. The layout editing application program 121 newly opens a document template having adjusted content stored in accordance with this instruction, or switches the connected database. At this time, when the document template having the adjusted content adjusted by the layout-adjusted content adjustment process described with reference to FIG. 17 is selected, the layout is performed by the process shown in FIG. 22 to generate a preview.

  In step S2201, upon receiving an instruction to generate a document template preview, the layout editing application program 121 proceeds to step S2202. When previewing (ie, layout), it is determined in step S2202 whether or not the document template is a document template having adjusted content. If the document template has adjusted content, the process proceeds to step S2203. If there is no adjusted content, the process advances to step S2213 to perform the layout processing (hereinafter referred to as normal preview generation processing) described above with reference to FIG.

  In step S2203, content data to be flowed into the container on the document template associated with the adjusted content is checked with respect to the data record that is the target of layout calculation. In step S2204, it is determined whether or not the content data poured into the container corresponding to the adjusted content is the same as the content data registered in the adjusted layout view in the data record. If they are not the same, the process advances to step S2210 to perform normal automatic layout processing for the container and related containers. In step S2210, this is displayed as a preview.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2204 that they are the same, the process proceeds from step S2204 to step S2205. In step S2205, all containers linked directly or indirectly to the container corresponding to the adjusted content are detected on the document template. In step S2206, the corresponding container and the group of containers directly or indirectly linked to the container are organized as one logical dynamic container group. In step S2207, the layout editing application program 121 searches the adjusted layout view for adjusted content corresponding to the organized dynamic container group.

  In step S2208, for the dynamic container group, the corresponding content data set in the adjusted layout view is compared with the corresponding content data set in the data record. If both are the same, the process proceeds to step S2209, and the layout-completed content data of the dynamic container group saved for the adjusted layout view is used as the layout result. In step S2211, the layout result is displayed as a preview. On the other hand, if they are not the same, in step S2210, the above-described automatic layout (hereinafter referred to as normal automatic layout) in [layout calculation method (detail)] is performed on the dynamic container group. In step S2211, the generated layout is displayed as a preview.

  The layout editing application program 121 repeats the above processing until it finishes generating the preview (step S2212). Although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 22, if unprocessed containers remain after the layout processing for the adjusted content is completed, the automatic layout processing in step S <b> 2210 is performed on these to display a preview. For example, in the case of the document template of FIG. 18, after finishing the layout process for the adjusted content, the containers 1824 and 1825 remain as unprocessed containers. Accordingly, regarding these containers, the automatic layout processing in step S2210 is applied and preview display is performed.

Edit document template with adjusted content
Next, processing when an editing operation such as addition of a container is performed on a document template having adjusted content will be described. FIG. 23 is an update flow of the preview and the adjusted layout view when the document template having the adjusted content of the layout editing application program 121 is edited. The operation flow of FIG. 23 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 18 to 21 and FIGS.

  FIG. 24 shows a state in which a dynamic container is newly added to the dynamic container group by a user editing operation on the document template editing screen shown in FIG. That is, the text container 2427 newly added by the user editing operation is added as an element of the dynamic container group including the image container 2421 and the text container 2422 by the fixed link 2428 newly added by the user. Yes.

  In the document template editing screen of FIG. 18, the user can place the text container 2427 and the link 2428 as shown in FIG. 24 by operating the text container tool button 404 and the link tool button 406 using the pointer 313. By such a layout editing operation, the dynamic text container 2427 is added as a new dynamic element to the dynamic container group (2421 to 2422). When the layout editing application detects that a new dynamic element has been added to the dynamic container group, the layout editing application proceeds from step S2301 to step S2302. The layout editing application program 121 performs automatic layout on the changed portion in order to generate a new preview of the document template.

  In step S2302, the layout editing application program 121 determines whether or not the document template is a document template having adjusted content (for example, content adjusted in size as shown in FIG. 20). If there is adjusted content, the process advances from step S2302 to step S2303. In step S2303, it is determined whether or not the adjusted dynamic container group is a dynamic container group registered in the adjusted layout view. In the case of a dynamic container group registered in the adjusted layout view, the process advances from step S2303 to step S2304.

  In step S2304, the same determination as in step S2208 described above is performed in [Layout of document template having adjusted content]. That is, it is determined whether or not the content data set of the data record to be flowed into the dynamic container group is the same as the content data set corresponding to the dynamic container group stored in the adjusted layout view. If they are the same, the process advances from step S2304 to step S2305. In step S2305, the adjusted content data (size, position, etc. of each container) of the dynamic container group stored in the adjusted layout view is used as layout data. In step S2306, the container corresponding to the adjusted content is regarded as a fixed-size container linked by a dynamic container 2427 added as a new dynamic element and a fixed link 2428. That is, the dynamic container 2421 linked to the new dynamic container 2427 by the fixed link 2428 is regarded as a fixed container having the size shown in the adjusted container 2021 in FIG. 20 (2121 in FIG. 21). In step S2307, the dynamic layout shown in FIGS. 9 and 15 is performed together with the dynamic container 2427 into which the content data is poured.

  FIG. 25 shows a preview screen of the layout result. The contents 2521 and 2527 are the results of the dynamic layout of the container 2421 and the text container 2427 in FIG. It can be seen that the adjusted container 2521 and the adjusted container 2522 associated by the hold link maintain the relative positional relationship and size. The maintenance of such a relative positional relationship is a function of the hold link, which will be described later.

  In step S2308, the layout editing application program 121 replaces and saves the layout result with the layout completed data of the dynamic container group before template editing stored in the adjusted layout view. This processing is the same as the processing in steps S1709 to S1712 described above in [Adjustment of Layout Contents]. That is, in the adjusted static layout view, the old content shown in FIG. 21 is deleted, and as shown in FIG. 26, a static layout view of a new dynamic container group to which a new dynamic container is added is registered. . In addition, the configuration of the dynamic container group (the position and size of each adjusted container constituting the group) and the content data (added content data to a new dynamic container) that is poured into each adjusted container are also updated.

  FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an adjusted layout view screen of the layout result. In FIG. 26, adjusted contents 2621, 2622, and 2627 are maps of the layout-completed contents 2521, 2522, and 2527 copied from the preview screen of FIG. 2623 and 2628 are hold links converted from the links 2423 and 2428 on the document template editing screen of FIG.

  In the processing described above, it is determined whether or not a new container associated with at least one of the containers (data areas) belonging to the content layout (dynamic container group including adjusted content) has been added. When a new container is added and the layout is determined using the content layout, the container included in the content layout is assumed to be a fixed-size container, and the layout is dynamically changed with the added new container. Calculated. Thus, even when new content is added, the layout (content layout) of the dynamic container group including the adjusted content is maintained.

[Layout operation during hold link (when adding dynamic container)]
Next, the details of the layout result (layout content 2522 in FIG. 25) of the container 2622 shown in FIG. 24 will be described. As shown in FIG. 26, the container 2422 is linked by the adjusted container 2621 and the hold link 2623 in the adjusted layout view.

  Next, the processing for the hold link at the time of automatic layout execution (during preview generation) performed when a new dynamic container is added to the dynamic container group in which adjusted data is stored in the adjusted layout view will be described. To do. FIG. 27 shows a layout flow of the layout editing application program regarding processing for such a hold link.

  In step S2701, the layout editing application program 121 determines whether or not the layout is an automatic layout when a new dynamic container is added to the dynamic container group in which the adjusted content is stored in the adjusted layout view. If YES, the process proceeds from step S2701 to step S2702. In step S2702, it is determined whether the newly added dynamic container has been added to the dynamic container group including the adjusted content. That is, it is determined whether the dynamic container added on the document template has a link relationship with the container on the document template corresponding to the adjusted content stored in the adjusted layout view described above. If YES, the process proceeds to step S2703.

  In step S2703, it is determined whether the adjusted content on the adjusted layout view corresponding to the container is hold-linked to other layout-completed content data. If YES, the process proceeds to step S2704. In step S2704, it is determined whether the container has been moved by the amount T in the X direction and / or the amount U in the Y direction by automatic layout calculation. When moving, the process proceeds from step S2704 to step S2705.

  In step S2705, the layout editing application program 121 moves the layout of other adjusted content that is hold-linked on the adjusted layout view in accordance with the above movement. That is, the layout of the other adjusted content to be hold-linked is moved by the amount T in the X direction and / or the amount U in the Y direction. Also, if the moved adjusted content has another hold-linked adjusted content, the adjusted content is also laid out by moving the amount T in the X direction and / or the amount U in the Y direction. The This is the process of steps S2705 and S2706. Thus, steps S2705 to S2706 are repeated until all the contents that can be reached from the hold link relationship as the starting point have been moved by the amount T in the X direction and / or the amount U in the Y direction. The layout editing application program 121 finishes the layout processing related to the hold link when all the contents that can be reached from the hold link relationship as the starting point have moved by the amount T in the X direction and / or the amount U in the Y direction. To do.

  As a result of the layout processing related to the hold link, the laid-out content 2122 that is hold-linked to 2121 in FIG. 21 is moved and laid out (in the Y direction) as shown in FIGS. That is, the laid out content 2122 is moved from the original layout position shown in 2022 in the preview display of FIG. 20 to the layout position shown in 2522 in the preview display of FIG. In this way, the size of the adjusted content in the dynamic group and the relative positional relationship between them are maintained.

[Operation when editing adjusted content]
Next, an operation at the time of editing adjusted content in the adjusted layout view will be described.

  In the adjusted layout view, the user can perform an adjustment editing operation such as movement and size change for each held layout content. This adjustment / edit operation is the same as the adjustment / edit operation of the laid-out content on the preview screen shown in FIGS.

  FIG. 28 is an operation flow of the layout editing application program 121 when editing adjusted content. The operation flow will be described below with reference to FIGS. 26 and 29 to 30.

  FIG. 29 is an adjusted static layout data editing screen of the layout editing application program 121 when the user performs a size changing operation using the mouse cursor 313 on the adjusted layout view screen of FIG. 2927 is the adjusted content corresponding to the adjusted content 2627 in FIG. 26, and 2928 is a hold link corresponding to 2628 in FIG.

  In the adjusted layout view of FIG. 26, consider a case where the layout-completed content 2627 to be held is changed (size changed) as shown by 2927 in FIG. When the position or size of the adjusted content is changed by the user, the process proceeds from step S2801 to step S2802. In step S2802, the layout editing application program 121 determines whether the changed adjusted content has a hold link. If there is a hold link, the process advances from step S2802 to step S2803.

  In step S2803, the length of the hold link is changed in accordance with the movement / size change of the adjusted content performed by the user. For example, in the case of FIG. 29, the size of the adjusted content 2627 of FIG. 26 is reduced in the Y direction as 2927. In such a case, the layout editing application program 121 sets the hold link 2628 in FIG. 26 to 2928 in FIG. 29 so as not to change the position of the adjusted content 2621 to be linked to the adjusted content 2627 in FIG. Stretch in the Y direction.

  Further, in step S2804, the layout editing application program 121 updates the preview display in order to reflect the changed content applied to the adjusted content on the preview screen. FIG. 30 is a preview screen in which changes made to the laid-out content shown in FIG. 29 are reflected. The adjusted content 2927 of FIG. 29 edited by the user is previewed as 3027 of FIG. .

  In addition, since the layout adjustment result is applied before the dynamic layout, it is possible to provide a layout adjustment system that makes use of the characteristics of the dynamic layout. That is, even when the document template is changed by the user after the layout adjustment by the user, the layout adjustment corresponding to the document template change is performed by the layout adjustment system.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the position or size of the data area included in the content layout can be changed in accordance with a user instruction in the content layout view (adjusted layout view). In this case, the position or size of only the content whose position or size has been changed in the view of the content layout is changed, and the positions and sizes of the other containers are maintained. The adjusted content layout can be made less susceptible to editing operations.

  In the above, the links (link 1823 etc.) constituting the dynamic group are fixed links, but may be variable links.

  In the present invention, the functions of the above-described embodiments are achieved by supplying a software program directly or remotely to a system or apparatus, and the computer of the system or apparatus reads and executes the supplied program code. Including the case. In this case, the supplied program is a program corresponding to the flowchart shown in the embodiment.

  Accordingly, since the functions of the present invention are implemented by computer, the program code installed in the computer also implements the present invention. That is, the present invention includes a computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention.

  In that case, as long as it has the function of a program, it may be in the form of object code, a program executed by an interpreter, script data supplied to the OS, or the like.

  Examples of the recording medium for supplying the program include the following. For example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM, DVD (DVD-ROM, DVD- R).

  As another program supply method, a client computer browser is used to connect to a homepage on the Internet, and the computer program of the present invention is downloaded from the homepage to a recording medium such as a hard disk. In this case, the downloaded program may be a compressed file including an automatic installation function. It can also be realized by dividing the program code constituting the program of the present invention into a plurality of files and downloading each file from a different homepage. That is, a WWW server that allows a plurality of users to download a program file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer is also included in the present invention.

  Further, the program of the present invention may be encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, and distributed to users. In this case, a user who has cleared a predetermined condition is allowed to download key information for decryption from a homepage via the Internet, execute an encrypted program using the key information, and install the program on the computer. You can also.

  In addition to the functions of the above-described embodiment being realized by the computer executing the read program, the embodiment of the embodiment is implemented in cooperation with an OS or the like running on the computer based on an instruction of the program. A function may be realized. In this case, the OS or the like performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing.

  Furthermore, the program read from the recording medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, so that part or all of the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized. May be. In this case, after a program is written in the function expansion board or function expansion unit, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a variable print system according to an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the outline of a structure of the host computer in FIG. It is a figure explaining the outline | summary of variable data printing. It is a figure which shows the other structure of the variable print system by embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface according to an embodiment including a menu bar, a toolbar, a work area, and a floating palette. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the container in a user interface. It is a figure explaining the container rule by embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the creation process of the link by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a transition of the user interface at the time of link creation. It is a flowchart which shows the layout calculation process by the layout engine of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the layout calculation process by the layout engine of embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the layout calculation process by embodiment. It is a figure explaining the set of containers at the time of layout calculation of an embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display in a user interface when a container is arrange | positioned by a variable link. It is a flowchart explaining the process for setting a variable link by the user interface of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the setting dialog window of a link by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a layout result by a fixed link. It is a figure which shows the example of a layout result by a variable link. It is a flowchart which shows the layout completed content adjustment process of the layout edit application program by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the document template edit screen of the layout edit application program by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the preview screen of the layout editing application program by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of a preview screen when size change operation by the user of the layout editing application program by embodiment is performed. It is a figure which shows the example of the adjusted layout view screen of the layout edit application program by embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the layout process of the document template with the adjustment content of the layout editing application program by embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the update process of a preview and an adjusted layout view at the time of document template editing with the adjustment content of the layout editing application program by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a document template edit screen when a dynamic container is newly added to the dynamic container group by user edit operation of the layout edit application program by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a preview screen when a dynamic container is newly added to the dynamic container group by user editing operation of the layout editing application program by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a static layout data edit view screen when a dynamic container is newly added to the dynamic container group by the user edit operation of the layout edit application program by embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the layout process of the layout edit application program with respect to the hold link by embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow which shows operation | movement of the layout edit application program at the time of adjusted static layout data edit by embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the adjusted static layout data edit screen when the change operation by the user of the layout edit application program by embodiment is performed. It is a figure which shows the example of the preview screen in which the change operation by the user in the adjusted layout view screen of the layout edit application program by embodiment was reflected.

Claims (9)

A determination step of dynamically determining a layout by flowing content data into each of the plurality of data areas based on a template in which a plurality of data areas are laid out;
An instruction step for receiving an instruction to change the size or position of the data area in the layout determined in the determination step;
The data area instructed to change in the instruction step and all data areas linked to the data area are extracted from the determined layout to form one content layout, and the content layout and the corresponding content data are A storage step of storing in association with the storage means,
In the determining step, when the content data that is poured into all data areas included in the content layout stored in the storage unit is the same as the content data corresponding to the content layout, the layout is used by using the content layout. A layout processing method characterized by determining.   The layout processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a display step of generating and displaying a view of the content layout. The determination step includes
A determination step of determining whether a new data area associated with at least one of the data areas belonging to the content layout has been added;
When it is determined that the new data area has been added and the layout is determined using the content layout, the data area included in the content layout is defined as a data area having a fixed size. The layout processing method according to claim 1, wherein the layout is dynamically determined between the two.   4. The layout processing method according to claim 3, wherein the relative positions and sizes of all the data areas are maintained in the content layout.   The method further comprises an updating step of updating the content layout stored in the storage unit according to a result of a dynamic layout of all data areas included in the content layout and the new data area by the determining step. The layout processing method according to claim 3 or 4. A change step of changing a position or size of a data area included in the content layout in accordance with a user instruction in the view of the content layout;
A content layout editing step of changing the position or size of only the data area whose position or size has been changed in the changing process, and maintaining the position and size of each data area other than the changed data. The layout processing method according to claim 1. Determining means for dynamically determining a layout by flowing content data into each of the plurality of data areas based on a template in which a plurality of data areas are laid out;
Instruction means for accepting an instruction to change the size or position of the data area in the layout determined by the determination means;
The data area instructed to change by the instruction means and all data areas linked to the data area are extracted from the determined layout to form one content layout, and the content layout and the corresponding content data are Storage means for storing in association,
In the determining means, when the content data poured into all data areas included in the content layout stored in the storage means is the same as the content data corresponding to the content layout, the layout is used by using the content layout. A layout processing apparatus characterized by determining.   A computer program for causing a computer to execute the layout processing method according to claim 1.   A storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute the layout processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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