JPH05204899A - Document layout device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a layout result to be selected by a user after the layout of a document format set by the user and that of a document constituent from a layout rule are automatically performed. CONSTITUTION:This device is provided with a constituent designation means 1 which designates the graphic elements of a sentence and a drawing, a graph, a chart. and an image, etc., a format setting means 2 which sets the format of a document, a document format 3 set by the format setting means 2, and a layout means 5 which performs the layout according to the layout rule 4 in which the document constituent is arranged. Also, it is equipped with a layout document candidate display means 6 which displays plural candidates on which the layout is performed by the layout means 5, a selection means 7 which selects a desired layout document from the candidates of displayed layout documents, and a print means 8 which prints a selected layout document. Also, it is equipped with a layout rule update means 9 which updates the layout rule 4 of the document constituent from the selection result of the layout document by the selection means 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention, in a document preparation device such as a word processor, automatically creates document components such as sentences (character strings) and graphic elements such as figures, tables, graphs and images according to a layout rule. The present invention relates to a document layout device for laying out a document.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an example of a document layout apparatus, there is one shown in "Automatic Layout System Using Document Structure" (Information Processing Society of Japan Study Group Document Processing and Human Interface 20-3, 1988). FIG. 4 is a block diagram for realizing such a conventional document layout apparatus. In the figure, 1 is a component designating means for designating a document constituent element required for a desired layout, that is, a graphic element such as a sentence (character string) or a figure, a table, a graph, an image, and 2 is a format setting for setting the format of a document. Reference numeral 3 is a document format, 4 is a layout means for laying out document constituent elements, 5 is a layout means for laying out document constituent elements, and 8 is a printing means for outputting a layout document.

The constituent element designating means 1 is composed of a sentence 1a shown in FIG. 6, a figure 1b, a table 1c, a graph 1d and an image 1e.
7 is specified, and the format setting means 2 uses the format shown in FIG.
Page size 2a, column number 2b, inline capital number 2
c and the number of lines in the page 2d are set.

Further, in the layout rule 4, for example, rule1: the graphic element is allocated near the reference position of the text. rule2: The graphic element is allocated within the same column as the reference position of the text. rule3: The graphic element is allocated within the same page as the reference position of the text. rule4: The graphic element is assigned to the beginning of the page next to the reference position in the text. Rules such as are set in advance, and are laid out as shown in FIG. 8, for example.

Next, the operation of the conventional device will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, step S
In step 51, the document element necessary for the desired layout document is specified by the element specifying means 1. For example, when each of the document components is a separate document (document as a unit recorded on the medium), among the document components shown in FIG.
The text 1a, FIG. 1b, and table 1c are designated.

Next, in step S52, items such as the paper size, the number of characters in one line, the number of lines in one page, and the like shown in FIG. 7 are set. Next, in step S53, the document constituent elements are automatically laid out according to the format shown in FIG. 7 and the layout rules of the rules 1 to 4 described above. In the layout rule, there are a plurality of allocation methods for one graphic element. So, apply them in order, and if you find a layoutable rule, adopt it.

Here, if the rule of rule1 cannot be applied, the graphic element is allocated in the same paragraph as the text referring to the graphic element by the rule of rule2. Finally, a layout document as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

[0008]

Since the conventional document layout apparatus has been processed by the above procedure, when the only layout result is not the desired one, it is necessary to go back to the beginning to reset the format, I had to redo the layout.

The layout rules not included in the format setting items, for example, where to allocate graphic elements on the page, are left to the device. In order to reflect the user's request, the user manually writes the document. The control code must be included in the constituent elements, and the efficiency of the automatic layout is halved.

Further, although the rule of arrangement of graphic elements in a document is narrowed to some extent by the user, the rule provided in the apparatus is always adapted in order from the beginning, so that the rule is automatically applied. The layout was inefficient.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and after automatically laying out the document constituent elements from the document format set by the user and the layout rule of the apparatus, the layout document is An object of the present invention is to provide a document layout device that allows a user to select a layout result by displaying a plurality of candidates.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a document layout device which allows a user to obtain a desired layout result by feeding back the layout selection result and automatically updating the layout rule.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, a text layout device according to the present invention is configured to specify a graphic element such as a text, a figure, a graph, a table or an image which is an element constituting a document. Element designating means, format setting means for setting the format of the document, layout means for laying out the document components according to the document format and layout rules for arranging the document components set by the format setting means, and the layout means Layout document candidate display means for displaying a plurality of candidates for laying out the document constituent elements, selection means for selecting a desired layout document from the layout document candidates displayed by the layout document candidate display means, and selection by the selection means. And a printing unit for printing the created layout document.

Further, there is provided a layout rule updating means for updating the layout rule of the document constituent element from the selection result of the layout document by the selecting means.

[0015]

According to the present invention, when a document component is designated and a document format is set, a plurality of layout document candidates are automatically displayed, and when one of them is selected, the layout result is output. To do. Also, the layout rule is automatically updated.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the document layout apparatus according to the present embodiment. The same parts as those in FIG. 4 of the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 1, as a new structure, 6 is a layout document candidate display means for displaying a plurality of candidates for laying out document constituent elements by the layout means 5, and 7 is a desired layout document candidate displayed by the layout document candidate display means 6. Selection means for selecting the layout document, and 9 is a layout rule updating means for updating the layout rule 4 of the document constituent element based on the selection result of the layout document by the selection means 7. In this embodiment, the document constituent element (text , Layouts, figures, tables, graphs, images) and document formats are displayed, multiple layout documents are displayed. You can obtain the desired result by simply selecting from among them, and use automatic layout. Each time the layout rules are updated, the layout document is closer to what you want. It has become way.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to an operation flowchart shown in FIG. 2 and a plurality of layout document candidate display examples shown in FIG. For example, suppose that the sentence 1a, FIG. 1b, and table 1c among the document constituent elements as shown in FIG. 6 are laid out on an A4 size sheet and are to be printed.

First, in step S21 in FIG. 2, the sentence 1a, FIGS. 1b and 1c are designated by the component designating means 1. Next, in step S22, formats such as the paper size, the number of characters in one line, and the number of lines in one page are set as shown in FIG.

Next, in step S23, the document components are laid out according to the document format shown in FIG. 7 and the layout rules of rules 1 to 4 described in the conventional example, and then in step S24, the three layout documents shown in FIG. 5
Display candidates for A, 5B, and 5C.

If, for example, the layout document 5B is selected in the next step S24, this is output as a layout result, and in the next step S26, for example, the position of the graphic element and the text is determined by rule10: the graphic element is the text. Allocate within the same column as the reference position of. rule11: A character string is not poured around the graphic element. And so on, to update the document layout rules.

In the present invention, description has been made assuming that each of the document constituent elements is a separate document (a document as a unit recorded on a medium), but a document in which these are mixed is also a constituent element ( (Sentences, diagrams, graphs, etc., become one document and become the constituent elements of other documents.) The same effect can be obtained.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, if a document constituent element (text, figure, table, graph, image) and a document format are designated, a plurality of layout documents are displayed, and a layout document is selected from them. Only then can the desired result be obtained.
Further, since the layout rule is updated every time the automatic layout is used, there is an effect that the layout document approaches the desired one.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram of a document layout apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a plurality of layout candidates in the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block configuration of a conventional document layout device.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the above conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of document construction personnel.

FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a document format.

FIG. 8 is an exemplary diagram of a layout document in the above conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 constituent element designating means 2 format setting means 3 document format 4 layout rule 5 layout means 6 layout document candidate display means 7 selecting means 8 printing means 9 layout rule updating means.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A constituent element specifying means for specifying a graphic element such as a sentence, a figure, a graph, a table, an image, etc., which is an element constituting a document, a format setting means for setting the format of the document, and the format setting means. Layout means for laying out the document components according to the set document format and layout rules for arranging the document components, layout document candidate display means for displaying a plurality of candidates for laying out the document components by the layout means, and the layout described above. Selecting means for selecting a desired layout document from the layout document candidates displayed by the document candidate display means;
A document automatic layout apparatus comprising: a printing unit that prints the layout document selected by the selecting unit. 2. The document layout apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising layout rule updating means for updating the layout rule of the document constituent element from the selection result of the layout document by the selecting means.