Patent Publication Number: US-9892102-B2

Title: Lossless web-based editor for complex documents

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/049,308, filed Mar. 15, 2008, entitled “Lossless Web-Based Editor For Complex Documents,” which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     It is desirable to be able to access and edit documents over the Internet. This is particularly useful for collaboration among different people so that everyone can have access to the document. Because documents are often written with proprietary word processing programs and because Internet users do not always have this proprietary software, it is desirable to be able to edit documents over the Internet that are formatted according to a given language, for example, with a general purpose markup language, such as the Extensible Markup Language (XML). 
     Often when documents are created according to a given system or language are converted to an editable format for use with another language or format, document content may be lost. For example, when documents created with a proprietary word processing system are converted to web format, for example, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) or some proprietary format, content and features of the documents, such as applied styles and formatting, may be stripped out of the document. For a specific example, a document formatted according to XML that is converted to HTML for use in an Internet-based application may experience content or formatting losses. This is because the software program used during the conversion may not understand how to handle the proprietary features applied to the document by the application used for creating the document. Users are often willing to lose these features because of the advantages of web-based editing. However, the resulting edited document may not have the look and feel of the original. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a system and methods for editing documents over the Internet using a web browser in a manner such that the all the features of the original document are preserved. 
     The above and other problems are solved by lossless web-based editing of documents. According to an embodiment, editing a document over the Internet includes receiving a request on a server over the Internet to edit a document created via a given language, for example, XML. The server extracts content from the document to form a modified version of the document and transmits the modified version of the document to a user over the Internet. The modified version of the document is edited via a web browser editor and changes to the modified version of the document are transmitted to the server. The server merges the original document and the changes made by the user to form an edited version of the document that updates the document with the changes and that leaves the remainder of the document intact, including any attributes such as styles or formatting originally applied to the document. 
     According to an embodiment, a request is received on a server over the Internet to render a document stored on the server. The document is transmitted to a client over the Internet. A request is then received from the client to edit the document. Content is extracted from the document to form a modified version of the document, and the modified version is transmitted to the client over the Internet. The modified version of the document from the server may include extracted content from the document, paragraph identifiers, runs and separator tags that identify the content. If changes to the modified version of the document are received over the Internet, the original document and the changes to the modified version of the document are merged to form an edited version of the document that updates the document with the changes to the modified version of the document and that leaves the remainder of the document intact. 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  shows an example system for editing documents over the Internet. 
         FIG. 2  shows example modules of a web server used to facilitate the editing of documents over the Internet. 
         FIG. 3  shows example modules of a client web browser that are used to view and edit documents. 
         FIG. 4  shows an example viewer used to display documents in a web browser. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example editor used to edit documents in a web browser. 
         FIG. 6  shows a flow chart for an example method of editing documents over the Internet. 
         FIG. 7  shows a flow chart for an example method for editing documents on a client web browser. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present application is directed to editing documents over the Internet in a way in which all features of the original document are preserved after the editing process is completed. Editing in this manner is known as lossless editing. 
       FIG. 1  shows an example computer system  100  that illustrates a system for editing documents over the Internet. The system includes one or more client computers (clients)  102  and a web server  104  all connected to the Internet. The web server  104  stores documents that can be viewed and edited by a client. For example, the documents may be stored in a proprietary file type such as .docx which is a default file type for word processing documents created with certain versions of the WORD word processing application provided by MICROSOFT CORPORATION. As should be appreciated, the .docx file format is for purposes of example only and is not limiting of the vast number of file types associated with documents that may require Internet-based editing as described herein. For example, many other file types, such as .dotx, .docm, .dotm, and others, may be associated with documents requiring Internet-based editing according to embodiments of the invention. 
     In example embodiments, a client  102  can be a personal computing device, such as a desktop or laptop computer, a personal data assistant, or a cellular telephone. A client  102  can include input/output devices, a central processing unit (“CPU”), a data storage device, and a network device. Typical input/output devices include keyboards, mice, displays, microphones, speakers, disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and flash drives. Computer readable media, such as the data storage device, provide for data retention. By way of example, computer readable media can include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Among the plurality of information stored on the data storage device is a client operating system (“OS”) and client applications. The client OS is a program that manages the hardware and software resources of the client system. The client applications utilize the resources of a client  102  to directly perform tasks specified by the user. Other configurations for the clients  102  are possible. 
       FIG. 2  shows modules of an example web server  200  that implements a system for lossless editing of documents over the Internet. The example system  200  includes a web front end module  202 , an extraction module  204  and a merge module  206 . The web front end module  202  receives requests from clients to display and edit documents stored on the web server  200 , transmits the documents to the client and receives edited versions of the document from the client. 
     The extraction module  204  extracts elements from the document that can be edited with a web browser editor, for example, an editor that reads and edits HTML strings or one that understands XML. The extracted elements are predominantly text, but they can also include pictures, tables, fields, character formatting, paragraph formatting, headers and footers, etc. When the web front end module  202  receives a request to edit a document in a first format, for example, .docx format, the extraction module  204  opens the document and extracts the XML part. The XML elements are then searched for paragraphs and for runs within a paragraph. A run is a series of continuous elements, for example, a string of words. Each time the element changes, for example by a formatting change, by having a picture after a string of words, by the insertion of a new object, etc., a new run starts. For example, a series of three consecutive words, the first using bold formatting, the second not using bold formatting and the third using bold formatting would consist of three runs. The use of runs in this manner permits the preservation of formatting changes that a simple text editor does not understand. 
     According to an embodiment, each run is written into a format the receiving web application will understand, for example, a different XML format from the original document, HTML, plain text, or a proprietary format. For example, each run may be written into a string in a standard web markup language, for example, an HTML string. According to one embodiment, content in the web application editor may be mapped to content in the original document, for example, using unique IDs, and the separate content pieces are delineated from each other. For example, paragraphs may be marked with paragraph tags, for example, a custom “docxID” attribute, and the runs may be separated by custom separator tags, for example, &lt;docxRun docxID=“0”&gt;. The paragraph tags and separator tags may be used to identify the edited elements so they can be merged and reinserted into the original document after editing. 
     The example HTML strings are inserted into a modified version of the original document which is transmitted to the client for editing. Because this example modified version of the document contains HTML strings it can be edited with a text editor that does not need to understand the proprietary formatting, fonts and other features of the original document. It should be understood that HTML is used herein as an example language/format into which a given document may be converted. Many other suitable formats or languages, such as XML, plain text, or many proprietary formats may be used in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
     When extracting elements from the original document and inserting these elements into the modified version of the document, the extraction module maps areas of the modified version to the original document. For example, the extraction module may keep a table of indices that identifies where paragraphs and runs are in both the original and modified documents. These indices are used to locate the appropriate paragraph tag and run in the original document when the edited changes are merged into the original document. 
     As should be appreciated, in addition to paragraphs and text runs, may other content types and content attributes may have been edited, and the associated changes may have been uploaded as described herein. For example, other types of content types and content attributes may include tables, pictures, document fields, formatting and style attributes, and the like. For purposes of the present description, the term “paragraphs or runs” should be understood to include any content type or attribute the web editor application is capable of working with. 
     According to one embodiment, one content type applicable to embodiments of the invention includes tables. In the case of tables, a given table may be assigned a unique ID, and table rows and cells within rows each may receive unique IDs for mapping content in tables, rows and cells at the web editor with tables, rows and cells from an original table file. Thus, objects in a table that are changed during an editing session may be reflected back to the document during document merger described below. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the merge module  206  receives document changes from the client and merges these changes into the original document in a way that preserves the original features of the document, so that nothing in the original document is lost. After the client edits the modified version of the original document it uploads the changes to the server but it does not upload the entire document. This is done to save bandwidth and obviates the need to upload the entire document when only a portion of the document has changed. The merge module  206  scans the uploaded changes and identifies the paragraph tags and runs in the document. 
     The merge module  206  then compares these paragraph tags and runs (or other content types or attributes) with the paragraph tags and runs in the original document in order to determine how to merge the client changes and the original document. The end result is to incorporate the client changes into the original document and since nothing else in the original document changed, all the features, look and style of the original document are preserved. 
     Some examples of client edits received by the merge module  206  include editing text within a run, deleting a run, deleting a paragraph, creating a paragraph, splitting a paragraph and combining two paragraphs. Other types of edits are possible. When the merge module  206  of the web server receives these edits it determines what changes to make to the original document. For example, if text is edited within a run, text in the original document is overwritten with the changed text. If the server module  206  determines that there is no content between two run separators, the corresponding run in the original document is deleted. If the server module  206  determines that a paragraph identifier is missing (for example, the sequence is 1, 2, and 4 with 3 missing), the corresponding paragraph is deleted from the original document. If the server module  206  determines that there is a new paragraph (because the user pressed enter at the end or start of an existing paragraph), the new paragraph is inserted in the appropriate area of the original document. If the server module  206  determines that there is a split in an existing paragraph (because the user pressed enter in the middle of a paragraph), run separator tags from the original document may now be contained in two separate paragraphs. For this case, the server module  206  moves the runs from the original paragraph into the new paragraph. If the server module  206  determines that two paragraphs were combined (e.g., because the user pressed delete at the end of a paragraph or the user pressed backspace at the beginning of a paragraph), the server module  206  concatenates the runs from the original paragraph into the combined paragraph and deletes the original paragraph. 
       FIG. 3  shows the modules of an example web browser  300  that includes the functionality to edit web documents over the Internet. Included in the web browser  300  are a viewer module  302  and an editor module  304 . The viewer module includes a viewer used to display a document the user may want to edit. The editor module includes an editor used to edit the document the user wishes to edit. 
     When a user accesses a website that contains a document the user wishes to view and possibly edit and the user selects the document, the document is displayed in a viewer controlled by viewer module  302 .  FIG. 4  shows an example viewer  400  that is called up by the web browser. The example viewer includes a display area  402 , typically an IFrame, in which the document is displayed. The example viewer also includes an upload button  404  and an exit button  406 . The viewer displays the document using software that displays as many features of the document as possible. It will be appreciated that not all features of the document can be displayed because many features are proprietary and not understood by the software. 
     If the user decides to edit the document, the user presses the upload button  404 . This initiates a message to the web server  104  to inform the web server that the document is to be edited. If the user chooses not to edit the document, the user presses the exit button  404 . This closes the viewer. It will be appreciated that the configuration of the viewer  400  shown in  FIG. 4  is only an example. Many other configurations for the viewer are possible. 
       FIG. 5  shows an example editor  500  that displays the document to be edited. As discussed earlier, the document to be edited is a subset of the original document, containing extracted elements of the original document that are in a standard format such as XML or HTML. This modified document is displayed in display area  502  of the example editor  500 . The example editor  500  also includes a save button  504  and a cancel button  506 . After the user finishes editing the document, the save button  502  is pressed to upload the edited document to the web server  104 . If the user decides not to save the edited changes, the cancel button  506  is pressed. It will be appreciated that the configuration of the editor  500  shown in  FIG. 5  is only an example. Many other configurations for the editor are possible. 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart that illustrates an example method for editing a document over the Internet. At operation  602  a request to render a document is received at a web server. This request is typically initiated by a client that visits a website, for example, OFFICE LIVE from MICROSOFT CORPORATION, which contains documents that can be edited. At operation  604 , the web server sends the requested document to the client. Because the document is typically written in and stored on the server in a proprietary format (for example in .docx format), the web server renders the document in a format that is easy for the web browser on the client to view (for example, by using a silverlight format file that can be viewed with a MICROSOFT SILVERLIGHT plug-in on the client&#39;s web browser, by using a Portable Network Graphics (PNG) file, etc.). 
     At operation  606 , if the client decides to edit the document, the web server receives a request to edit the document, typically initiated by the client pressing an edit button on the web browser editor. At operation  608 , in response to the request to edit the document, the web server extracts content from the document and creates a modified version of the document that includes this content. The content extracted is typically text but it can also include, pictures, tables, formatting information, etc. Text that is extracted from the original document is typically converted into a text format such as XML or HTML. For example, text from a .docx document may be converted into HTML strings and stored in the modified document. It will be understood that the text may also be converted into formats other than HTML and XML. 
     When extracting content, the original document is scanned from top to bottom to identify all the paragraph tags and text runs. Each paragraph tag and text run in the original document is identified and mapped to the corresponding paragraph tags and text runs in the modified version of the document. 
     At operation  610 , the modified version of document containing the extracted content from the original document is sent to the client. The client edits the document and at operation  612 , the web server receives the client edits. The client edits are then merged into the original document at operation  614 . When doing the merge at operation  614 , the web server compares the paragraph and run identifiers in the client changes with the paragraph and run identifiers from the original document to determine how to implement the merge. Because the original document is preserved on the web server, once the merge is completed all the content, features and formatting of the original document are preserved. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart that illustrates an example method for editing a document over the Internet using a client web browser. At operation  702 , the client uses its web browser to connect to a shared document web site and initiates a request for a document stored on that web site. At operation  704 , the document is received from the web server and displayed on a viewer that that is part of the web browser. The viewer displays the document and includes in the display as many features of the document that the viewer software can understand. At operation  706 , if the user decides to edit the document, the user initiates an edit request, typically by pressing an edit button on the viewer. This results in the web browser bring up an editor and displaying a modified version of the document in the editor at operation  708 . The modified version of the document includes text strings extracted from the original document and displayed in a web compatible format, such as HTML, Flash, XML or other suitable web compatible format. 
     At operation  710 , the user edits the document displayed in the editor and at operation  712  when editing is complete, the user uploads the changes made to the document to the web server. This is typically done by pressing a button, such as an upload button, on the editor. Alternatively, an automatic save feature may be utilized to automatically push user edits up to the server on a periodic basis. 
     Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.