Method and computer program product for implementing web based document printing
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing web based document printing. A print index is obtained. User selected uniform resource locators (URLs) in the print index are identified. The URLs in the print index are sequentially printed. The print index stores a list of user selected uniform resource locators (URLs) to be printed. A web based printing program utilizes the stored print index for printing a document including the list of user selected uniform resource locators (URLs).
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The present invention relates generally to the data processing field, and more particularly, relates to a method, apparatus and computer program product for implementing web based document printing.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ARTThere is no easy way to efficiently control the printing of documents that are stored on the Web. Often sections of a desired document have different URLs, and one section references other sections using hypertext links. Neither the originator or author of the document or a user can prepare the document for easy printing when the document has several URL segments. A mechanism is needed to easily combine a set of URLs into one contiguous printout for a user selected document.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved method, apparatus and computer program product for implementing internet web based document printing. Other important objects of the present invention are to provide such internet web based document printing method, apparatus and computer program product that efficiently and effectively facilitates printing particular internet web pages; to provide such internet web based document printing method, apparatus and computer program product substantially without negative effect; and provide such internet web based document printing method, apparatus and computer program product that overcome many of the disadvantages of prior art arrangements.
In brief, a method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for implementing web based document printing. A print index is obtained. User selected uniform resource locators (URLS) are identified in the print index. The URLs in the print index are sequentially printed.
In accordance with features of the invention, the print index stores a list of user selected uniform resource locators (URLs) to be printed. A web based printing program utilizes the stored print index for printing a document including the list of user selected uniform resource locators (URLs).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe present invention together with the above and other objects and advantages may best be understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings, wherein:
Having reference now to the drawings, in
As shown in
Various commercially available computers can be used for computer system 100, for example, an IBM personal computer. CPU 102 is suitably programmed by the web document printing program 132 to generate display screen, for example as shown in
The document print index 134 is explicitly specified by the document originator, and stored in the document root from which the other URLs in the document are linked. A simple example of a specification of the document print index 134 to print five URLs follows in TABLE 1:
In accordance with features of the invention, another way to print is via a scattered print specification 138 of one or more URL print functions 140 with HTML tags. Here, the document owner scatters the print commands within the separate URLs that link to other document segments. The anchor HTML element is extended to include a print function 140. For example, <A HREF=“[URL 1]”>[text for link]</A>, is extended to specify that this URL is to be printed, such as: <A PRINT=“YES” HREF=“[URL 1]”>[text for link]</A>.
When the document is printed, each anchor tag with PRINT=Yes will cause that URL to print, while anchor tags that do not have PRINT=Yes will not print that URL. When a URL to be printed is downloaded at print time, it is searched for URLs included within the downloaded URL to be printed, thus propagating the print through as many branches as needed.
Using either the document print index 134 or the scattered print specification 138, at print time the URLs to be printed are compiled into the final document, where pagination, section heading numbers, lists, cross references, tables of contents, and the like are applied to the entire document spanning all the URLs to be printed.
In accordance with features of the invention, based upon the document print index 134 and the scattered print specification 138, several functions are provided in the method of the preferred embodiment. For the document print index 134, a window can be provided for user access and control. For example, in the following window presentation in TABLE 2, the user may click URLs 1, 3, and 5 to specify that only these URLs are to be printed on this printout.
The document owner can define print index sub-sets of the document to be selected with a single button. For example, for a particular report, clicking summary could automatically select 25 URLs for a 450 page printout. Or, clicking detailed report could select 100 URLs for 2800 pages of the complete report. After generating the sub-set, the user can still access the Print Index to de-select unwanted portions of the sub-set.
Dynamic creation of print index 134 can be used two ways. First, the user has browsed several URLs and wants to print them as a unit. He clicks an option to begin print, at which time the automatic Print Index function is called. Then the user navigates in sequence the desired URLs to be printed. As each URL is navigated it is automatically added to the print index 134. The user can then click a print function and print the navigated pages, with or without ever seeing the system generated print index 134. Second, the document is designed to be printed using the scattered method. As the URLs are gathered to be printed, a print index 134 is generated by the system. Before printing, the system can open an options window for the print index 134, and the user can then deselect/rearrange URLs, save this print index 134 for later use and the like.
The new HTML print control tags 140 of the preferred embodiment include a root URL tag 144. The root URL tag 144 defines the current URL to be the root of the document, serving as the anchor from which other portions of the document are linked, and in which the author's print index 134 is found. A pointer to root URL tag 146 is used to identify hypertext links that point to the Root URL document. In this way, when on any page that belongs to the Root document, the print function can orient to the root URL/print Index and print a cohesive document. Print Index sub-sets tags 148 are used by the document owner to define sub-set printings of the document. For example, to define a summary sub-set under which given URLs will print when this sub-set 148 is selected by the user, insert <Print sub-set> Summary </Print sub-set> into these URLs. There is no restriction that one URL belong to only one sub-set 148. A print order number 150 and a print order control 152 together define the order in which to print a URL in relation to other URLs in the document layout for the scattered method of printing. Two print order controls 152 are defined as a simple control 154 and a hierarchical control 156. With the simple print order control 154, the print order numbers 150 are a simple sequence. A URL assigned a print order number of 50 would print before URL with print order number of 60, and so on. It is assumed that the document originator has knowledge of all URLs in his document and assigns print order numbers 150 accordingly.
With the hierarchical print order control 156, a hierarchy scheme is applied to the whole document, with print order numbers 150 assigned to each URL segment in a hierarchical fashion, such as 1, 1.1, 2, 2.1. The Print Order Control HTML tag, as illustrated under kind of multi-print in
An override function allows override of HTML print tags that control the order of printing. For example, the user may want the summary portion of the document printed first instead of last. This may be done by dragging and dropping URLs in the Print Index window to re-order URLs for printing.
Auxiliary uses of the print index 134 are enabled by the grouping of URLs into one index 134 that can be applied to other functions besides printing: For example, a find option can be used with the print index 134 to search a set of URLs in one operation. The print index 134 can easily provide functions including a FIND, span all and a FIND, span scoped. The FIND, span all option in a print index 134 drop down searches text in all URLs in the print index 134, whether or not the URLs are selected for printing. The FIND-span scoped option searches text in only those URLs in the print index 134 selected for printing. This provides an easy way to control the scope of a Find whether or not you actually print the selected URLs. Spell check and other document-wide functions can in like manner span the URLs of the print index 134. Sharing of Print Indexes can be provided once a fine tuned print index 134, mechanisms can be used to share with others. For example, services can provide dedicated sites that contain useful print indexes 134, to be linked by related sites.
Referring now to
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A sequence of program instructions or a logical assembly of one or more interrelated modules defined by the recorded program means 804, 806, 808, 810, direct the computer system 100 for implementing web based document printing of the preferred embodiment.
While the present invention has been described with reference to the details of the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawing, these details are not intended to limit the scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A method for implementing web based document printing comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a print index; said print index explicitly specified by a web based document originator; and
- identifying uniform resource locators (URLs) in said print index; and
- printing said URLs in said print index.
2. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 1 further includes the step of checking for a user selection of confirm print index option, and responsive to identifying said user selection of confirm print index option, performing a display and edit print index routine.
3. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining said print index includes the steps of checking for a user selection of whole print option, and responsive to identifying said user selection of whole print option, checking for a root tag present in the current page.
4. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 3 includes the steps of responsive to identifying said root tag present in the current page, switching to said root tag for printing.
5. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining said print index includes the steps of obtaining a kind of multi print to perform.
6. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 5 includes the steps of checking for a user selection of honor HTML, responsive to identifying said user selection of honor HTML, checking for a print index in the current page.
7. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 6 includes the steps of responsive to identifying said print index in the current page, returning said print index.
8. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 6 includes the steps of checking for a user selection of print equal yes and anchor tags present in the current page, and responsive to identifying said user selection of print equal yes and anchor tags present in the current page returning scattered print.
9. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 8 includes the steps of responsive to not identifying said user selection of print equal yes and anchor tags present in the current page returning only current page print.
10. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 6 includes the steps of responsive to not identifying said user selection of honor HTML, checking for a user selection of print index.
11-12. (canceled)
13. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 10 includes the steps responsive to identifying said user selection of print index, checking for a print index present in the current page, and responsive to identifying said print index present in the current page, returning only current page print.
14-19. (canceled)
20. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 1 includes the steps of identifying a user selection of level first and creating a print index to print highest level orders first.
21. The method for implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 1 includes the steps of identifying a user selection of branch first and creating a print index to sequentially print each branch.
22-24. (canceled)
25. A computer program product implementing web based document definition comprising:
- a recording medium;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for storing a print index, said print index explicitly specified by a web based document originator; said print index including a list of user selected uniform resource locators (URLs) to be printed;
- means, recorded on the recording medium, for obtaining said print index and for displaying a window for user access and control of said print index including said list of user selected uniform resource locators (URLs).
26. The computer program product implementing web based document printing as recited in claim 25 includes means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying a user selected scattered print specification and means, recorded on the recording medium, for identifying URLs with HTML elements having anchor tags of a user selection of print equals yes and for printing a document including said URLs with HTML elements having anchor tags of said user selection of print equals yes.
27. A method for implementing web based document definition comprising the steps of:
- obtaining a print index; said print index explicitly specified by a web based document originator; and
- identifying uniform resource locators (URLs) in said print index; and
- performing a display and edit print index routine to enable a user to deselect and rearrange URLs.
28. A method for implementing web based document definition as recited in claim 27 wherein the step of obtaining said print index includes the steps of obtaining a kind of multi print to perform.
29. A method for implementing web based document definition as recited in claim 28 includes the steps of identifying a user selection of honor HTML, checking for a print index in the current page.
30. A method for implementing web based document definition as recited in claim 29 includes the steps responsive to identifying said print index in the current page, of returning said print index.
31. A method for implementing web based document definition as recited in claim 27 includes the steps of searching a set of URLs included in said print index.
Type: Application
Filed: May 3, 2005
Publication Date: Sep 8, 2005
Applicant:
Inventors: Cary Bates (Rochester, MN), Paul Day (Rochester, MN)
Application Number: 11/121,225