Patent ID: 7478320

Claim:
A method for processing a structured documents comprising: selecting a predetermined graphical template; analyzing the structure of said predetermined graphical template and identifying at least one content area for setting or editing different contents according to documents to which said predetermined template is applied and at least one common area to be used in common among said documents to which said predetermined template is applied; selecting a first structured document that said predetermined graphical template is to be applied to; analyzing the structure of said first structured document so as to identify various structural components of said first structured document; selecting at least one content area of said predetermined template; selecting a particular structural component of said first structured document to be inserted into each selected content area of said predetermined template; storing an association between template structure information and document structure information for each selected content area and the corresponding selected particular structural component; applying said predetermined structural template to said first structured document so as to insert each said particular structural component into the corresponding selected content area of said predetermined template and to include said at least one common area of said predetermined template into said first structured document; and performing for a plurality of additional documents; selecting a next one of said plurality of additional structured documents; analyzing the structure of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents so as to identify various structural components thereof; using the stored associations between template structure information and document structure information to automatically select a similarly situated structural component of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents to be inserted into each selected content area of said predetermined template; iteratively repeating until insertion is valid from a structural viewpoint for each particular selected structural component: checking whether insertion of said particular structural component selected for the corresponding content area of said predetermined template is valid from a structural viewpoint; and expanding from said selected particular structural component to select a higher structural component based upon the analysis of said structure of said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents if a check indicates that an insertion into its corresponding content area is invalid from a structural viewpoint; and applying said predetermined structural template to said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents so as to insert each validated structural component into the corresponding selected content area of said predetermined template and to include said at least one common area of said predetermined template into said next one of said plurality of additional structured documents.