JPH04280365A - Method and device for processing document - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate a document with a high real time feature by providing a function switching a procedure for fetching external data into document data in accordance with the system and storage form of data. CONSTITUTION:Document data 21 and entity reference information 22 are generated by using a document editing program. In document data 21, external data is extracted and a pointer, namely, an entity is described at a point into which external data is inserted. The name of the entity, a name showing the control source of external data to be extracted, namely, an agent 33, and a command for extracting external data from the control source, namely, a request 34 are set to be one group, and they are described in entity reference information 22. Document data 21 and entity reference information 22 are used and an entity reference processing is executed so as to generate temporary document data 31. Furthermore, temporary document data 31 is copied out and it is outputted to an output device 3.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a device for processing document data that can be used on a computer, and in particular, a document processing device that processes data managed outside the document data as part of the document data. It is related to.

0002

[Background Art] Conventionally, in a conventional document processing device using a computer, when creating a document that includes data managed externally (hereinafter referred to as external data) as part of the document data, the following processing is performed. is being carried out.

[0003] A user first prepares external data in a specific data storage format suitable for use. For example, U
On NIX, it is prepared as a file managed by the file system. Data read from video cameras and scanners is also prepared in the form of files on UNIX. Next, document data is created using a document editing program, and a pointer to external data is inserted at a desired position in the document data.

For example, on UNIX, a file name is inserted along with special symbols as a pointer to external data. Document formatting program LaTeX (L.Lampo)
rt: ”LaTeX:A Document Pre
paration System”, Addison-
Wesley (1986). ), if you use “te
xt" as external data, use \input{text
}. In order to create a document from the document data created in this way, it was possible to create a document that included external data as a part of it by performing a fair copy process.

[0005]

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, external data includes not only data managed in a specific data storage format (file system on UNIX).
Data that is managed in a special format, such as data managed by a database management system, or data that only becomes meaningful when it is imported from an input device such as a video camera when creating a document from document data. , it is required to be able to make data that may change from time to time into a part of a document, but in the above conventional example, at the stage of creating a document from document data, external data that can be imported into the document is required. is limited to data that is already stored in a specific data storage format (file system on UNIX), and the external data extraction process can only extract data in this specific format, and can be managed in various formats as described above. There was a problem in that it was not possible to create a document that included data imported at an appropriate time or data imported at an appropriate time.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, there is provided a first storage means for storing a document, and identification information indicating a reference point of other data is detected from the document stored in the first storage means. a detection means, a second storage means for storing other data reference information corresponding to the identification information, a reference means for referring to other data in accordance with a reference request based on the other data reference information, and a second storage means for storing other data reference information in accordance with the other data reference information; a determining means for determining the management form of data to be referenced from information; a control means for controlling the processing procedure of the referencing means according to the determination result of the determining means; and document processing means for replacing other data reference information.

[0007]

EXAMPLES (Example 1) Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of this embodiment.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a console, which is equipped with a device (for example, a keyboard) for inputting characters into the computer and a device (for example, a display) for displaying responses from the computer.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a CPU that performs various processes according to processing procedures stored in the program memory 10 and controls each part of the system.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an output device that performs printing on a medium such as paper or displaying on a display.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a database that stores data managed by a database management system.

In this embodiment, a weather information database managed by a relational database management system is used as an example of the database 4. One of the tables in this database is a table named ``now'', which has attributes such as ``weather'', ``temperature'', and ``humidity'' to provide current weather information. and as the attribute value of each attribute in this table,
The latest information is stored by the weather information manager, and the attribute value of the attribute "weather" is "sunny".
Assume that it is stored. In addition, this weather information database uses "Wea", which can accept SQL, which is a standard language for describing database queries in relational database management systems.
The data is handled using a weather information data management program named "ther_DB_Server".

5 is a computer bus to which each part of the system is connected.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a program memory in which programs for executing various processes including the processing procedures shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 are stored.
, an agent switching program 13 , and an external data extraction program 14 . 20 is a data memory for storing various data, and has areas for input document data 21 and entity reference information 22. A temporary data memory 30 is a work memory for temporarily storing data during operation of this system, and stores temporary document data 31, an entity name 32, an agent name 33, and a request 34. Database 4 and memories 10, 20, 30 may be physically the same.

The flow of processing in the embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.

First, in step S201, document data 21 and entity reference information 22 are created using a document editing program and stored in the data memory 20.

In the document data 21, a pointer is written at the point where external data is to be extracted and inserted. This pointer is called an entity. For example, an entity with the entity name "Koramo" is created by using the entity name start symbol "&", the entity name, and the entity name end symbol ";".
”. In this case, in the document data 21, the symbols "&" and ";" are treated as special characters. FIG. 4 shows an example of document data 21 including entities.

The entity reference information 22 includes the entity name and the name (
(hereinafter referred to as an agent) and a command for extracting external data from a management source (hereinafter referred to as a request) are described as one set. Entity reference information 22
An example is shown in FIG. This example corresponds to the entity in FIG.

In the entity reference information shown in FIG. 5, one set of entity reference information is such that the character string following the first symbol string "<#" represents the entity name, and the next symbol string "<#" represents the entity name.
The character string between the symbols ">" and "AGENT" represents the agent, and the next symbol string "<#REQUEST"
” to the symbol “>” represents a request, and finally, the symbol “>” ends this set. The symbol "<" in the first symbol string "<#" corresponds to the last symbol ">". A plurality of entity reference information may be described in the entity reference information 22.

[0021] FIG. 5 describes a set of entity reference information. In this entity reference information, the entity name is ``Soramo'' and the agent name is ``Wheat.''
her_DB_Server”, the request is “se
lect weather from now”, which is a standard SQL statement in relational database management systems.
It is written in a language and means to extract the attribute value of the attribute "weather" from the table named "now".

Furthermore, the entity reference information 22 is associated with the document data 21. For example, each UN
If it is a file in IX, the entity reference information can be associated by file name by, for example, changing the file name of the document data to the file name with an extension. Incidentally, a program called an editor is usually used as a document editing program.

Next, in the entity reference process in step S202, temporary document data 31 is created using the document data 21 and entity reference information 22 created in step S201, and is stored in the temporary data memory 30. The temporary document data 31 is document data in which the entity portion of the document data 21 is replaced with data obtained by processing entity reference information.

Here, using FIG. 3, step S202
Explain entity reference processing. First, in the entity search in step S301, an entity is searched from the beginning of the document data 21, and if an entity is found, only the entity name of that entity is stored in the temporary data memory 30 as the entity name 32. The portions of the document data 21 until the entity is found are sequentially added to the temporary document data 31 in the temporary data memory 30.

Step S30 for the document data in FIG.
When performing the entity search for 1, the entity “&
The contents of the temporary data memory 30 at the time when the sky pattern is found are as shown in FIG.

Next, in step S302, if an entity is found in the entity search in step S301, the next step S303 is executed. If it is not found, it is assumed that the entity reference processing has ended, and the processing ends.

Next, in step S303, the agent name reference program 11 selects the entity name 3.
The agent name corresponding to 2 is referred to from the entity reference information 22, and the result is set as the agent name 33,
The data is stored in the temporary data memory 30. This agent name reference program is, for example, entity reference information 2.
2, the first entity reference information with an entity name that corresponds to the specified entity name is extracted, and then the character string between "<#AGENT" and the corresponding ">" is extracted from it. This can be achieved using an algorithm.

Regarding the entity reference information in FIG.
ather_DB_Server" is referenced.

Next, in step S304, the request reference program 12 refers to the request corresponding to the entity name 32 from the entity reference information 22, and stores the result as a request 34 in the temporary data memory 30. This request reference program, for example, extracts the first entity reference information having an entity name that corresponds to the specified entity name from the entity reference information 22, and then selects "<#REQUEST" from the entity reference information 22 to correspond to this. This can be achieved using an algorithm that extracts the character string between ">". Regarding the entity reference information in Figure 5, when the entity name is "Sora-mo", the request is "sel".
ect weather from now" is referred to.

Next, in step S305, the agent switching program 13 executes step S304.
As an agent for processing the request 34 obtained in step S306, the agent specified by the agent name 33 is assigned as an agent for extracting external data. This agent switching program can be realized, for example, in UNIX by an algorithm that starts a process with an agent name as an external data extraction agent process. Regarding the entity reference information in FIG. 5, when the agent is switched in step S305, "We
ather_DB_Server' control process is started as an external data extraction agent process.

Next, in step S306, the external data extraction program 14 performs the following operations on the external data extraction agent switched in step S305:
The request 34 is passed as a processing request for extracting external data, and the external data obtained thereby is added to the temporary document data 31. When the processing related to the entity “& sky pattern;” found in step S301 is performed until the extraction of external data in step S306, the contents of the temporary document data 31 are
It is assumed that the attribute value of the attribute ``weather'' in the table named ``is sunny'', so the result is as shown in FIG. When step S306 is completed, step S306 is completed again.
301 is executed. This concludes the explanation of the entity reference process shown in FIG. 3.

[0032] Here, the contents of the temporary document data 31 when the entity reference processing for the document data in FIG. 4 is completed are as shown in FIG. 8. Next, in step S203, the temporary document data 31 is corrected. In this embodiment, when outputting to a printer as the output device 3, the temporary document data 31 is printed by sending it as character data or a control code. The same applies when displaying on a display. With this, all the processes shown in FIG. 2 are completed. At the end, all data in the temporary data memory 30 is deleted.

(Embodiment 2) In Embodiment 1, document data and entity reference information have been treated as separate data, but these data may be integrated. The process for separating document data with such entity reference information into document data that does not include entity reference information and entity reference information is performed in step S2 in FIG.
By performing this immediately before 02, subsequent processing can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

A program for separating document data with entity reference information into document data and entity reference information is written as the symbol "<#" and the corresponding ">" when entity reference information is written as shown in FIG. This can be achieved by regarding the character string between ``'' as entity reference information and separating it from the document data with entity reference information.

However, when entity reference information is written as shown in FIG. 5 in document data with entity reference information, the symbols "<", "#", and ">" must be treated as special characters. As a result, in addition to being able to obtain the same effects as those obtained in Example 1 with one piece of data, it is also possible to obtain the effect that data management is simplified.

(Embodiment 3) In Embodiments 1 and 2, an agent, which is a name indicating the management source of external data to be extracted as entity reference information, and a request, which is a command for extracting external data from the management source, are used. Although expressed as one set, in Example 3, by adding "type" to the entity reference information as information representing the data type of the external data obtained, it is possible to handle data with a special type. shall be.

This embodiment will be explained below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the system configuration of this embodiment. Only the differences from FIG. 1 will be explained.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an input device for inputting audio, image, graphics, and the like. In this embodiment, it is assumed that a video camera capable of photographing the sky and a filter that converts the data obtained by the camera into tiff format are connected as an input device.
The following description assumes that the video data management program is controlled by a video data management program named "o_Data_Server", and that the image data at that time is sent out in response to the command "get_data".

The program memory 10 has programs corresponding to the flowcharts of FIGS. 10 to 11, and includes an external data extraction program 15 and a type name reference program 16. The temporary data memory 30 stores a type name 35 and external data 36.

The flow of processing in the embodiment of the present invention will be explained using FIG. The overall structure is the same as in FIG. 2, but the specific processing procedures and contents are different.

First, in step S1001, document data 21 and entity reference information 22 are created using a document editing program, and the two are associated with each other and stored in the data memory 2.
Store at 0. An example of the document data 21 is shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, the entity reference information 22
In addition to the entity name, the name (agent) that indicates the management source of the external data to be extracted, and the command (request) to extract external data from the management source, it also indicates the data type of the external data to be extracted. Names (hereinafter referred to as types) are described as one set. An example of this entity reference information 22 is shown in FIG.

In the entity reference information shown in FIG. 13, one set of entity reference information consists of the first symbol string "<#"
The character string following represents the entity name, and the next symbol string “<
The character string between “#AGENT” and the symbol “>” represents the agent, and the next symbol string “<#REQUEST”
” to the symbol “>” represents a request, and the next symbol string “<#TYPE” to the symbol “>”
The string between the two represents the type, and at the end, the symbol ">"
” and this group ends. The symbol "<" in the first symbol string "<#" corresponds to the last symbol ">". A plurality of entity reference information may be described in the entity reference information 22.

[0044] In Fig. 13, a set of entity reference information is described, and in this entity reference information, the entity name is "Koramo" and the agent name is "Vid
eo_Data_Server”, the request is “g
et_data”, indicating that the type is “tiff”.

Next, in the entity reference process in step S1002, temporary document data 31 and external data 36 are created using the document data 21 and entity reference information 22 created in step S1001, and are stored in the temporary data memory 30. Store. Temporary document data 31 and external data 36 include document data 21 and entity reference information 22
are related in the same way as they were related. The temporary document data 31 is data that has been changed to a description that allows the entity of the document data 21 to import external data 36 at the stage of correcting the document data. By making an entity reference, the external data 36
This is data that is referenced and input from the outside, and if there are multiple entities, multiple external data 36 also exist.

Here, using FIG. 11, step S10
02 entity reference processing will be explained.

First, in the entity search in step S1101, an entity is searched from the beginning of the document data 21, and if an entity is found, only the entity name of that entity is stored in the temporary data memory 30 as the entity name 32. The portions of the document data 21 until the entity is found are sequentially added to the temporary document data 31 in the temporary data memory 30. When the entity search in step S1102 is performed with respect to the document data in FIG. 12, the contents of the temporary data memory 30 at the time when the entity "& sky pattern;" is found are as shown in FIG.

Next, in step S1102, if an entity is found in the entity search in step S1101, the next step S1103 is executed. If it is not found, it is assumed that the entity reference processing has ended, and the processing ends.

Next, in step S1103, the agent name reference program 11 selects the entity name 3.
The agent name corresponding to 2 is referred to from the entity reference information 22, and the result is set as the agent name 33,
The data is stored in the temporary data memory 30. This agent name reference program is, for example, entity reference information 2.
2, the first entity reference information with an entity name that corresponds to the specified entity name is extracted, and then the character string between "<#AGENT" and the corresponding ">" is extracted from it. This can be achieved using an algorithm. Regarding the entity reference information in FIG.
”.

Next, in step S1104, the request reference program 12 refers to the request corresponding to the entity name 32 from the entity reference information 22, and stores the result as a request 34 in the temporary data memory 30. This request reference program, for example, extracts the first entity reference information having an entity name that corresponds to the specified entity name from the entity reference information 22, and then selects "<#REQUEST" from the entity reference information 22 to correspond to this. This can be achieved using an algorithm that extracts the character string between ">". Regarding the entity reference information in FIG. 13, when the entity name is "Soramo", the referenced request is "get_data".

Next, in step S1105, the type name reference program 16 refers to the type name corresponding to the entity name 32 from the entity reference information 22, sets the result as the type name 35, and stores it in the temporary data memory 30. do. This type name reference program, for example, extracts the first entity reference information having an entity name corresponding to the specified entity name from the entity reference information 22, and then selects "<#T
This can be realized by an algorithm that extracts the character string between "YPE" and the corresponding ">". Regarding the entity reference information in FIG. 13, when the entity name is "sky pattern", the referenced type name is "tiff".

Next, in step S1106, the agent switching program 13 executes step S1104.
In step S1107, the agent specified by the agent name 33 is assigned as the agent for processing the request 34 obtained in step S1107. This agent switching program can be realized, for example, in UNIX by an algorithm that starts a process with an agent name as an external data extraction agent process.

Regarding the entity reference information in FIG. 13,
When the agent is switched in step S1106, “
The control process of ``Video_DB_Server'' is started as an external data extraction agent process.

Next, in step S1107, the external data extraction program 15 performs the following for the external data extraction agent switched in step S1106:
The request 34 is passed as a processing request for external data extraction, and the data obtained thereby is stored in the temporary data memory 30 as external data 36 together with the name of the external data. At the same time, the type name 35 of this external data and the name of the external data are added to the temporary document data 31. For example, in this case, external data is stored as a file, and in order to give this file a unique name, consecutive numbers in the order of the entities found are used as the name of this external data.

In the document data of FIG. 12, the entity "
The name of the external data of the data referenced in "&sky;" becomes "1", and the name of the external data of the data referenced in the next found entity becomes "2". The type name 35 of the external data and the name of the external data added to the temporary document data 31 are, for example, "<" as the external data name start symbol having information indicating the type of the external data, and the type name 35, a symbol composed of ">", the name of the external data, and the end symbol of the external data name: "<", "/", and ">".
” is used.

[0056] Here, when the processing related to the entity "& sky pattern;" found in step S1101 is performed up to the extraction of external data in step S1107, the contents of the temporary document data 31 become as shown in FIG. 15. The contents of the external data 36 whose name is "1" are tiff format image data captured from a video camera. When step S1107 ends, step S1101 is executed again. This concludes the explanation of the entity reference process shown in FIG. 11.

[0057] Here, the contents of the temporary document data 31 when the entity reference processing is completed regarding the document data of FIG. 12 are as shown in FIG. 16. In addition, the external data name “1”
The content of the external data 36 of `` is stored as image data in tiff format depicting the current sky pattern.

Next, in step S1003, the temporary document data 31 and external data 36 are used to cleanse the document data. In the case of outputting to a printer in this embodiment, based on the temporary document data 31, reference data containing special characters other than pointers to reference data containing special characters are sent as character data or control codes. By referring to the type of external data and the name of the external data indicated by the pointer, the external data is printed as data of the indicated type. The same applies when displaying on a display. For example, when the tiff format image data of the current sky pattern stored in the temporary document data 31 and external data 36 in FIG. 16 is cleaned up, the data is printed or displayed as shown in FIG. 17. With this, all the processes shown in FIG. 10 are completed. At the end, all data in the temporary data memory 30 is deleted.

As described above, this embodiment has the advantage that even if the extracted data has a special type, it can be used as part of a document.

Furthermore, the present invention may be realized by a device consisting of a single device, or by a system consisting of a plurality of devices. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is also applicable to cases where functions are achieved by supplying programs to devices or systems.

[0061]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
By providing a function to switch the procedure for importing external data into a document depending on the data format and storage format, it is possible to extract data that is in various management formats or data that changes from moment to moment, and to It has the effect of being able to be used as a part.

Furthermore, regarding data that changes over time, it is possible to determine the content of external data for the first time at the stage of importing it into a document, so it is possible to create a document with high real-time performance. There is an effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of document creation.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of entity reference processing.

FIG. 4 is an example of document data.

FIG. 5 is an example of entity reference information.

[Fig. 6] Example of contents of temporary document data 31,

[Fig. 7] Example of contents of temporary document data 31,

[Fig. 8] Example of contents of temporary document data 31 at the end of entity reference processing,

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of document creation in another embodiment;

[
FIG. 11 is a flowchart of entity reference processing in another embodiment,

FIG. 12: Example of document data of another embodiment,

FIG. 13 is an example of entity reference information according to another embodiment;

FIG. 14 is an example of the content of temporary document data 31 in another embodiment;

FIG. 15 is an example of contents of temporary document data 31 at the end of example 1107 of another embodiment;

FIG. 16 is an example of the contents of temporary document data 31 at the end of entity reference processing in another embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of a fair-printed document according to another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Console 2 CPU 3 Output device 4 Database 5 Computer bus 6 Input device 10 Program memory 11 Agent name reference program 12 Request reference program 13 Agent switching program 14, 15 External data extraction program 16 Type name reference program 20 Data memory 21 Document data 22 Entity reference information 30 Temporary data memory 31 Temporary document data 32 Entity name 33 Agent name 34 Request 35 Type name 36 External data

Claims (4)

[Claims] Claims: 1. A first storage means for storing a document; a detection means for detecting identification information indicating a reference point to other data from the document stored in the first storage means; a second storage means for storing other data reference information, and according to a reference request based on the other data reference information,
a reference means for referencing other data; a determining means for determining a management form of the data to be referenced from the other data reference information; and a control means for controlling the processing procedure of the reference means according to the determination result of the determining means. , a document processing device that expands the data referenced by the reference device and replaces it with the other data reference information. 2. The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising second determining means for determining the format of the data to be referenced from the other data reference information. 3. The document processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the other data is dynamic information specified at the time of reference by the reference means. Claim 4: Identify the other data reference information in the stored document, and when referring to other data according to the reference request from the other data reference information, identify the document to be referenced from the other data reference information. A document processing method characterized by determining a format and a management form, controlling the reference procedure according to the determination result, expanding the referenced data, and replacing it with the other data reference information.