Abstract: An electronic spreadsheet is provided for automatically creating, expanding, and validating lists of cells. A list is created by receiving a user request for selecting a cell range, identifying a list range for the selected cell range, determining a header row for the list range, and generating a border for surrounding the list range. A list is expanded by determining that one or more cells are adjacent to the list and automatically expanding the list to include the new cells. A list is validated by determining a data type of data entered into the list and comparing the data type of the data entered into the list to a list data type. If, as a result of the comparison, the data type of the data entered into the list does not match the list data type, then the data type of the data entered into the list is invalid.

Abstract: Techniques for displaying interactive topic-based summarization are provided. A text to be summarized is segmented. Discrete keyword, key-phrase, n-gram, sentence and other sentence constituent based summaries are generated based on statistical measures for each text segment. Interactive topic-based summaries are displayed with human sensible omitted text indicators such as alternate colors, fonts, sounds, tactile elements or other human sensible display characteristics useful in indicating omitted text. Individual and/or combinations of discrete keyword, key-phrase, n-gram, sentence, noun phrase and sentence constituent based summaries are dynamically displayed to provide an overview of topic and subtopic development within a text. A hierarchical and interactive display of texts based on the use of discrete sentence constituent based summaries which associates expansible and contractible displayed text to provide contextualized access to an interactive topic-based text summary and to an original text.

Abstract: Techniques for placing base and related characters along a path, where the related character is associated with the base character, include determining a position along the path for the base character, the position lying on a segment of the path. An extension of the first segment is defined as extending from and end of the first segment away from the path. The base character is placed at a location corresponding to the position along the path and the related character is placed at a location corresponding to a position along the extension. Placing related characters along the extension maintains a visual relationship between the base and related characters when the base and related characters lie along the path on opposite sides of a corner.