Abstract: A modular ceiling system has uniformly appearing devices supported by a channel or a ceiling in an aesthetically pleasing pattern with a single network and control system. The channel or ceiling has uniform sized and shaped openings into which a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped devices is fitted. The devices share a common communication protocol and power source. Each of the devices is connected to a central control system having the same communication protocol as the devices. A network connects the central control system and all of the devices together allowing communications between the central control system and the devices and among the devices using the common communication protocol.

Abstract: A modular ceiling system has uniformly appearing devices supported by a channel or a ceiling in an aesthetically pleasing pattern with a single network and control system. The channel or ceiling has uniform sized and shaped openings into which a plurality of uniformly sized and shaped devices is fitted. The devices share a common communication protocol and power source. Each of the devices is connected to a central control system having the same communication protocol as the devices. A network connects the central control system and all of the devices together allowing communications between the central control system and the devices and among the devices using the common communication protocol.

Abstract: Methods and systems provide for breaking a computer-generated document into a number of components where the components have explicit relationships with each other. A relationship representation is generated for the components of the document. A user may then navigate the relationships between the components to quickly understand the nature of the document and its components and to locate particular portions of the document that are important to the user. In addition, the user may open, edit and reuse particular components of the document apart from the rest of the document and without having to open or edit the document.

Abstract: A graphical object is generated according to a first application in a document of a second application. The graphical object is constructed as a composite, data-driven object. The graphical object's data is organized so that the semantic data (e.g., relationship among individuals on an organizational chart) is persisted separately from presentation data (e.g., the layout and style of shapes and connectors for visualizing the organizational chart). The semantic data and presentation data are combined to provide the rendered view of the graphical object within the document. The graphical object displays and functions equivalently to when the graphical object is rendered by the first application.

Abstract: A property storage structure is provided that is configured to store properties for a display object. The property storage structure includes a property object that corresponds to a property of the display object. The property storage structure is identified according to a key (e.g., the key identifies the property object as a fill style object that corresponds to a fill style property for the display object). The property object hierarchically includes a value designating what type of object for the property object identified by the key (e.g., the fill style object includes a value that designates the fill style object as a solid color fill type).

Abstract: A hierarchical file format is provided for representing shapes associated with a graphical object. The file format is defined according to a schema. The hierarchical file format includes group properties that are applied to a group of shapes and shape properties that are applied to particular shapes. The hierarchical file format is arranged to provide legacy support for versioning of applications when the applications do not support other graphical object structures. The hierarchical file format may additionally be arranged to represent the shapes when the graphical object is transferred between documents. Also, the hierarchical file format may be arranged to provide representation of the shapes when the other structures for representing the shapes are not currently available.

Abstract: An open file format is used to represent the features and data associated with a presentation application within a document. The file format simplifies the way a presentation application organizes document features and data, and presents a logical model that is easily accessible. The file format is made up of a collection of modular parts that are stored within a container. The content included in the modular parts may include XML. This content allows tools to interrogate a presentation to examine and utilize content and ensure that the file is written correctly. Each modular part is capable of having information extracted from it and copied into another document and reused. Information may also be changed, added, and deleted from each of the modular parts.

Abstract: An undo operation is executed by an application by performing the inverse actions of the do operation to which the undo operation relates. Previous designs simply swapped memory to execute an undo operation according to code that was entirely dissimilar to the code of the do operation. The dissimilarity of the code caused debugging such operations to be difficult. Using the inverse action to undo an action results in the similar code for the do, undo, and redo operations. Also, undo atoms are logged for do, undo, and redo operations so that any exceptions thrown during an operation allows the application to return to a previous, consistent state by operating on the undo atoms.

Abstract: Methods and systems provide for breaking a computer-generated document into a number of components where the components have explicit relationships with each other. A relationship representation is generated for the components of the document. A user may then navigate the relationships between the components to quickly understand the nature of the document and its components and to locate particular portions of the document that are important to the user. In addition, the user may open, edit and reuse particular components of the document apart from the rest of the document and without having to open or edit the document.