Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium are provided for managing specific types of content in an electronic document. A user interface is provided for displaying a specific type of content in a predefined area of and electronic document. The user interface includes a content region for receiving the specific type of content and displaying the specific type of content within a predefined boundary. The user interface also includes a selection region for receiving a selection of content for insertion into the content region. The user interface validates the content received in the content region based on the specific type of content defined for the content region and based on a predefined content limit. The specific type of content received in the content region may be formatted according to a predetermined format and may also be bound to a data source external to the electronic document.

Abstract: A data store is provided for storing, relating and for allowing use of data associated with a computer-generated document. Data for structuring information associated with a document, such as document metadata, is maintained in the data store where relationships between different pieces of data are maintained in a location distinct from the surface level view of a document. The data store exposes interfaces to the various pieces of data in the data store for allowing different applications to access and operate on one or more of the data pieces. The pieces of data may be structured according to a markup language such as the Extensible Markup Language (XML), and XML schemas may be associated with each piece of data for allowing the data store to validate the structure applied to the data based on an XML schema associated with a given piece of data.

Abstract: An application has its own namespace or namespaces and a schema, or a set of schemas, which can be used by applications to generate and/or validate documents in a unique format. The application can uniquely define the format (and properties) of content in a document such that the document is represented in a native format. The document can be stored externally as a markup language file in accordance with the schema of the application. When the format is stored in a markup language, other applications can validate the document stored in accordance with the native format. The other applications can represent the lists in accordance to the degree to which they are aware of the unique properties of the application used to generate the document.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for separating the data of a structured document from markup structure applied to the document and for linking the separately maintained data with associated markup structure applied to the document. The data stream in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) represented document is moved outside of the document structure into a data file that is linked to the document structure. The data file and the XML-represented document structure are maintained in association with a single file (e.g., document), but in separate object models. Links are established between XML elements applied to the document and data ranges of the data file. Each of the XML structure file and the data file may be accessed and edited separately without affecting the structure or data of the other file until the two files are merged for presenting the associated document.

Abstract: An XML schema is provided allowing data to be stored in a separate location from the presentation surface of an application. By way of the schema, users of the application can establish links (or bindings) between the contents of the data and the presentation surface as part of an XML document format. Methods, systems, and computer-readable medium are described implementing the schema.

Abstract: An open file format is used to structure the features and data within a document associated with a word processing application. The file format simplifies the way a word processing 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 are XML that is based on ASCII. The XML schema provides a definitional framework for how the modular parts relate. This content allows tools to interrogate a word processing document to examine and utilize content and ensure that the file is written correctly. Each of the modular parts is capable of being interrogated separately regardless of whether the application that created the document is running. Information may also be changed, added, and deleted from each of the modular parts.

Abstract: Portions of an Extensible Markup Language document, such as individual paragraphs or groups of paragraphs or fragments of text, are provided self-describing properties such as styles, fonts, list types, and the like. If such a portion of a document is subsequently copied or moved to a second document or to a different location in the first document, the self-describing properties provided for the portion travel with the portion to the second document or to the different location in the first document.

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: The present invention represents header and footer structures in a markup language (ML) document. The ML document may be parsed by applications that understand ML other than the application that generated the ML document. The ML document may be manipulated on a server or anywhere even when the application creating the ML document is not present. The header or footer originally used in the ML document may be manipulated when the ML document is parsed by other applications. Header and footer information (i.e., properties) are saved in a markup language (ML) document without data loss, while allowing the header and footer structures to be parsed by ML-aware applications and to be read by ML programmers.

Abstract: The present invention represents non-structured features that are common with word-processors such that these elements can be recognized and parsed separately from other elements within an XML document. Empty tags are used to mark the start and end of a feature that may span other features.

Abstract: A word processor including a native XML file format is provided. The well formed XML file fully represents the word-processor document, and fully supports 100% of word-processor's rich formatting. There are no feature losses when saving the word-processor documents as XML. A published XSD file defines all the rules behind the word-processor's XML file format. Hints may be provided within the XML associated files providing applications that understand XML a shortcut to understanding some of the features provided by the word-processor. The word-processing document is stored in a single XML file. Additionally, manipulation of word-processing documents may be done on computing devices that do not include the word-processor itself.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling elements of computing systems including operating systems, software applications and different versions of software applications to better facilitate cross-application and cross-version collaboration of files. Elements within a computing system, for example, operating systems, applications, or particular versions of an application, are reconfigured at application start time or document start time so that individual elements may interact with existing files of an otherwise different computing system or such that individual elements may generate or edit files targeted at otherwise different computing systems.

Abstract: An application has its own namespace or namespaces and a schema, or a set of schemas, which can be used by applications to generate and/or validate documents in a unique format. The application can uniquely define the format (and properties) of styles of data in a document such that the document is represented in a native format. The document can be stored externally as a markup language file in accordance with the schema of the application. When the format is stored in a markup language, other applications can validate the document stored in accordance with the native format. The other applications can represent the styles in accordance to the degree to which they are aware of the unique properties of the application used to generate the document.

Abstract: The present invention provides markers for spelling and grammar errors and the proofing state of a word-processing document stored as an XML file. The markers are used to show where a spelling or grammar error has occurred within the document. The proof state indicates whether the document been fully checked for spelling or grammatical errors.

Abstract: At an interface between a text engine and a first client application, text and first client application properties associated with the text may be received from the first client application. Then the interface may map the first client application properties associated with the text to text engine properties associated with the text. Next, the interface may provide the text and the text engine properties associated with the text to the text engine. The text engine may process the text. Next, the text engine may provide the processed text and the text engine properties associated with the processed text to the interface. The interface may then map the text engine properties associated with the processed text to the first client application properties associated with the processed text. The interface may then provide the processed text and the first client application properties associated with the processed text to the first client application.

Abstract: A programming object can comprise an executable method for loading a state of the object and an executable method for saving the object's state. The programming object can be an instance of a programmer-defined class. The executable method of the object for loading the state of the object can load the object's state as markup language text, and the executable method of the object for saving the object's state can save the object's state as markup language text.

Abstract: An application can use native field structures, which can store information such as “Creation Date of the Document”, “Formula”, a specially formatted number, a reference to text in another part of the document. Fields are commonly used for document automation, so that the application itself can include certain information among the contents of the document, with possibly no extra user intervention required. Thus a way can be provided to save this field definition information in a markup language (ML) document without data loss. When the format is stored in a markup language, other applications can validate the document stored in accordance with the native format. The other applications can represent the information in accordance to the degree to which they are aware of the unique properties of the application used to generate the document.

Abstract: A table styles inference engine determines the optimal body pattern to describe a user-created table. Optimal uniform, row banding, and column banding body patterns are determined. The user-defined table is analyzed assuming different uniform, different row banding, and/or different column banding body patterns. The optimal uniform body pattern is then determined by determining the uniform body pattern that most closely matches the user-defined table. The optimal row banding body pattern is then determined by determining the row banding body pattern that most closely matches the user-defined table. The optimal column banding body pattern is then determined by determining the column banding body pattern that most closely matches the user-defined table. From these optimal body patterns, the closest match to the user-defined table is determined to be the overall optimal body pattern. The overall optimal body pattern is then saved as a table style.

Abstract: A word processor including a native XML file format is provided. The well formed XML file fully represents the word-processor document, and fully supports 100% of word-processor's rich formatting. There are no feature losses when saving the word-processor documents as XML. A published XSD file defines all the rules behind the word-processor's XML file format. Hints may be provided within the XML associated files providing applications that understand XML a shortcut to understanding some of the features provided by the word-processor. The word-processing document is stored in a single XML file. Additionally, manipulation of word-processing documents may be done on computing devices that do not include the word-processor itself.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for allowing software applications capable of reading and saving Extensible Markup Language (XML) representations of documents to quickly and efficiently detect the presence of executable code contained in a given document being read or saved by the software applications. Examples of executable code include, but are not limited to macros, VBA macros, OLE code, OCX or ActiveX controls, embedded executable objects, and the like.