Patent Application
20150212981
Ensuring that page layout in a document is preserved between desktop client software, web applications in multiple browsers, and printed output on paper may be a complicated challenge. Different browsers may have different core rendering logic, and each browser may lay out a page according to its respective rendering engine. Because of the variations between how browsers render documents, a document may be laid out differently on different browsers. Furthermore, a document may be laid out the same between a specific browser and in a traditional desktop application. However, differences due to rendering may also be manifested in printed content. For example, a document with text and a wrapped image may lay out with the image on the last line in browser A, with the image on the first line of the next page in browser B, and with the image on the second to last line and then a line of text underneath in desktop client A.
One approach to address the discrepancy in rendered or printed content is to create a layout engine that runs in a browser approximating a typically complex layout engine in desktop client software. While this approach may allow multiple browsers to display a document consistently, the approximation may frequently cause the content to lay out differently in the browser than in the desktop client. Additionally, because different browsers may have varying levels of standards support, documents printed from different browsers may lay out differently still.
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 exclusively key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Embodiments are directed to enabling the viewing and editing the printed output of a document consistently in web-based application while a printed output of the document looks the same across different browsers as well as desktop client applications. According to some example embodiments, a server may be used to generate the printed output and display on the web application. The view of the rendered document may be automatically updated on the web application as edits are made. The server may also ensure that the printed output of the document is the same across browsers and desktop clients.
These and other features and advantages will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory and do not restrict aspects as claimed.
As briefly described above, print view of a document handled by a server hosting the web-based application may be generated at the server, updated as edits are made to the document, and provided to a requesting browser or desktop client application such that the print view is consistent across multiple browsers and the client application.
In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustrations specific embodiments or examples. These aspects may be combined, other aspects may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in the limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
While the embodiments will be described in the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction with an application program that runs on an operating system on a personal computer, those skilled in the art will recognize that aspects may also be implemented in combination with other program modules.
Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that embodiments may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and comparable computing devices. Embodiments may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
Embodiments may be implemented as a computer-implemented process (method), a computing system, or as an article of manufacture, such as a computer program product or computer readable media. The computer program product may be a computer storage medium readable by a computer system and encoding a computer program that comprises instructions for causing a computer or computing system to perform example process(es). The computer-readable storage medium is a computer-readable memory device. The computer-readable storage medium can for example be implemented via one or more of a volatile computer memory, a non-volatile memory, a hard drive, a flash drive, a floppy disk, or a compact disk, and comparable media.
Throughout this specification, the term “platform” may be a combination of software and hardware components for a web-based service providing document processing services through client applications such as browsers. Examples of platforms include, but are not limited to, a hosted service executed over a plurality of servers, an application executed on a single computing device, and comparable systems. The term “server” generally refers to a computing device executing one or more software programs typically in a networked environment. However, a server may also be implemented as a virtual server (software programs) executed on one or more computing devices viewed as a server on the network. More detail on these technologies and example operations is provided below.
As demonstrated in diagram 100, a hosted service such as a cloud-based word processing, spreadsheet, or similar service may be provided from one or more servers such as server 102 to client devices such as desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, smart phones, and comparable ones. Tablet 110 is an example for the client devices. Users (or subscribers) of the service may access the service through a variety of applications such as desktop client applications (e.g., full application, mobile application), browsers, and so on.
The hosted service may enable users to view, edit, create, share, and publish different documents such as word processing documents, webpages, spreadsheet documents, presentation documents, emails, and similar one, to name a few. Users may view and edit a document 106 through the user interface 104 of their client application. As mentioned above, display of rendered documents may vary from one client application to another due to differences between rendering capabilities of the applications. Similarly, print views of the documents may also vary among different browsers and/or desktop client applications. In diagram 100, the print view 108 of the example document is shown next to the presented document 106.
A web-based service according to embodiments provides an intermediate step that can interpret a document in a common way across different endpoints (desktop client application, multiple browsers, printer, etc.) to ensure that the document is laid out consistently across each endpoint.
Diagram 200 shows one configuration of presenting a document and corresponding print view, where the print view 206 is displayed adjacent (on right side) of the presented document 204. A user may be enabled to edit the displayed document 204 adding content, removing content, changing existing content such as moving textual content, graphical content, and images around.
Embodiments are not limited to the configuration shown in user interface 202 of
Diagram 200 further includes a page break 208 on the print view 206. The page break 108 may indicate to the user where a page ends and where another begins so that placement of textual content, graphical content, and images in relation to a layout of the page can be visualized by the user.
A user, viewing document 304 on the user interface 302, may edit the document, for example, inserting textual content 310. The edit changes may impact the print view 306 of the document and the print view 306 may be updated by the server hosting the application at regular intervals or by user action, for example, displaying the inserted textual content 312.
For consistent layout of the print view across different browsers and desktop client application, the server may place the inserted content appropriately within a page, for example, moving content before or after the inserted content such that the inserted content is placed at the same location relative to the page layout regardless of what type of application the user employs to view the document (or print).
While textual content is used as example in diagram 300, other forms of content may also be placed, moved, and otherwise modified for consistent print view. For example, a size, a placement of a table, or content around a table may be modified to ensure the table is consistently placed in relation to the page layout across different browsers (and/or printers).
Diagram 400 shows an alternative embodiment, where the print view may be presented to a user through a page break 406 on the edit view of the document 404 of the user interface 402. The page break 406 may allow a user to determine location and placement of content in relation to the layout of the page without the additional display of the print view. The location of the page break, as well as content around it (before and after) may be updated as edit changes are made to the document by the user.
In other embodiments, other indicators such as icons, graphical indicators along the edges of a page, etc. may also be used to visualize print view of a document without actually displaying the print view. Furthermore, print view may be updated at predefined intervals or upon user action at the server and the updated print view may be provided to client applications (e.g., browsers).
The example applications, devices, and modules, depicted in
Client devices 511-513 may be used to access the functionality provided by the hosted service or application. One or more of the servers 514 or server 516 may be used to provide a variety of services as discussed above. Relevant data may be stored in one or more data stores (e.g. data store 519), which may be managed by any one of the servers 514 or by database server 518.
Network(s) 510 may comprise any topology of servers, clients, Internet service providers, and communication media. A system according to embodiments may have a static or dynamic topology. Network(s) 410 may include a secure network such as an enterprise network, an unsecure network such as a wireless open network, or the Internet. Network(s) 510 may also coordinate communication over other networks such as PSTN or cellular networks. Network(s) 510 provides communication between the nodes described herein. By way of example, and not limitation, network(s) 510 may include wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
Many other configurations of computing devices, applications, data sources, and data distribution systems may be employed to enable viewing and editing the printed output of a document consistently in web-based application while a printed output of the document looks the same across different browsers as well as desktop client applications. Furthermore, the networked environments discussed in
The print view module 624 may operate in conjunction with the hosted service or web document application 622 and provide viewing and editing the printed output of a document consistently in web-based application while a printed output of the document looks the same across different browsers as well as desktop client applications. Providing a consistent experience across different browsers and desktop client applications can improve the overall experience for the user by making improving efficiency and/or decreasing the amount of mental or physical exertion required to interact with the interface. Print view module 624 may also update print views in response to edit changes to the underlying document. This basic configuration is illustrated in
Computing device 600 may have additional features or functionality. For example, the computing device 600 may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in
Computing device 600 may also contain communication connections 616 that allow the device to communicate with other devices 618, such as over a wireless network in a distributed computing environment, a satellite link, a cellular link, and comparable mechanisms. Other devices 618 may include computer device(s) that execute communication applications, other directory or policy servers, and comparable devices. Communication connection(s) 616 is one example of communication media. Communication media can include therein 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. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
Example embodiments also include methods. These methods can be implemented in any number of ways, including the structures described in this document. One such way is by machine operations, of devices of the type described in this document.
Another optional way is for one or more of the individual operations of the methods to be performed in conjunction with one or more human operators performing some. These human operators need not be collocated with each other, but each can be only with a machine that performs a portion of the program.
Process 700 may begin with operation 710, where a request for a document may be received at a web-based application from a client application such as a browser or a desktop client application. At operations 720 and 730, the server may generate a print view of the document and provide the print view along with the document to the requesting client application such that the print view can be displayed along with an edit view of the document on a user interface of the client application.
At operation 740, the server may detect a change to the edit view of the document such as insertion, removal, or modification of document content. At operation 750, the server may update the print view in response to the detected change and transmit the updated print view to the client application at operation 760. By generating and updating the print view at the server and providing to requesting client applications, consistent display and/or printing of the document may be enabled.
The operations included in process 700 are for illustration purposes. Providing print view of a document to client applications from a web-based application according to embodiments may be implemented by similar processes with fewer or additional steps, as well as in different order of operations using the principles described herein.
The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the embodiments. 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 and embodiments.
