Patent ID: 7555710

Claim:
A layout adjustment method for determining a layout of a page, comprising: a first setting step of setting a first link to link small partial areas to each other, each of the small partial areas inserting data, and each of the small partial areas contained in a first big partial area laid out in the page; a second setting step of setting second links to link big partial areas, including the first big partial area, to each other, each of the big partial areas laid out in the page; a first deciding step of deciding a size of the first big partial area based on the first link and the amount of data which is inserted to each of the small partial areas contained in the big partial area; a changing step of changing a size of the first big partial area decided in the first deciding step so that a sum of a length of the horizontal direction of the big partial areas laid out in the horizontal direction and a length of the second link that links the big partial areas laid out in the horizontal direction is shorter than a length of the page in the horizontal direction, and a sum of a length of the vertical direction of the big partial areas laid out in the vertical direction and a length of the second link that links the big partial areas laid out in the vertical direction is shorter than a length of the page in the vertical direction; a second deciding step of deciding a size of one of the small partial areas based on the amount of data which is inserted to each of the small partial areas in the first big partial area and the first link so that the small partial areas are laid out within the first big partial area changed in the changing step; and a displaying step of displaying the page on a display, on which the big partial area that includes the small partial areas is laid out.