JPH03108574A - Data printing method and device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a data printing method and apparatus for storing tabular data in a computer system and printing the data on a printing device as needed.

Conventional technology: High-capacity auxiliary storage devices and high-quality printing devices have become readily available, allowing computer systems to store a large amount of multimedia data such as character strings, figures, and images, and as needed. Data printing devices that print these data according to the requirements are widely used. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional data printing device. In the figure, reference numeral 501 denotes an object storage unit that stores objects including actual data including at least one of a character string, a figure, an image, and a link to another object, and procedural information for processing the actual data. It is something that exists. For example, a magnetic disk is used as the object storage section 501, and a print data creation section 502 stores therein a first object, which is one of the objects stored in the object storage section 501. Print out the actual data of the first object according to the procedure information (here, procedure information (information for interpreting the actual data and converting the character strings, figures, and images that make up the actual data into print data) 503 is a print output unit, and print data creation unit 502
Although it outputs the print data created by the above to a printing device, it actually requires various other components. The specific operation of the conventional data printing device will be described below.

(1) The print data creation unit 502 is the object storage unit 5
01 Acquisition Reads the first object, which is one of the objects stored in the object storage unit 501. Interprets and executes the procedure information stored inside the first object, and stores the actual data in the first object. However, the links inside the object are not expanded, and the link portion remains blank. Figure 6 shows the link. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a print image created by the print data creation unit 502.

(2) Next The print output section 503 is the print data creation section 50
2. (End) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional data printing method and its device, as explained in the above-mentioned specific example. The content of the actual data inside the object pointed to by the link is not printed, and the original information is lost when printing. to the real data in the first object and the real data in the second object pointed to by the link in the real data, so that the information of both the former and latter real data can be printed together. By developing the actual data of the first object into a print image, the layout on the print screen is determined so that the information will not overlap and be hidden on the print image of the first object's actual data, and the layout result is determined. It is an object of the present invention to provide a data printing method and apparatus that can combine and print data as one actual data.

Means for Solving the Problems Present Invention 41 To achieve the above object Character strings
an object storage unit that stores objects that include real data including at least one of figures, images, and links to other objects, and procedural information for processing the real data; Based on the expansion specification link information that specifies the link to be expanded that exists in the actual data of the first object, which is one of the objects being expanded, the actual data inside the second object pointed to by the specified link is a link content expansion unit that expands the data content according to the procedure information in the second object; and a link content expansion unit that expands the data content according to the procedure information in the second object; and and a print layout section that determines the arrangement of the actual data on the print result, considers the arrangement result as the actual data of the first object, and inputs it to the link content expansion section. Operation The data printing device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, and converts the actual data of the first object, which is one of the objects stored in the object storage unit, into a print image according to the procedure information stored inside the object. Based on the expansion specification link information, the actual data contents in the second object pointed to by the expansion specification link existing in the actual data in the first object are expanded according to the procedure information in that object, and then by the print layout section. The printing layout of the expanded actual data of the second object and the actual data other than the specified link in the first object is determined, and by printing the layout result, the actual data inside the second object pointed to by the link is printed. It is possible to develop data into a print image and to print without hiding the actual data information of both the first and second objects.

Embodiment Hereinafter, one embodiment of the data printing apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. An object storage unit 101 stores objects including actual data including at least one of character strings, figures, images, and links to other objects, and procedural information for processing the actual data. It is. As the object storage unit 101, a magnetic disk or the like is used, for example. Reference numeral 102 denotes a link content expansion unit, which also includes expansion specification link information 105 that specifies links to be expanded that exist in the actual data in the first object, which is one of the objects stored in the object storage unit 1 inch. Particularly, the actual data contents inside the second object pointed to by the specified link are expanded according to the procedure information in the second object.

103 is a print layout section, and the link content expansion section 1
02, determines the printing arrangement of the expanded actual data of the second object expanded in step 02 and the actual data other than the specified link in the first object, and prints out the layout result as print data in the print output unit 104. A print output unit 1041t outputs the print data whose layout has been determined by the print layout unit 103 to the printing device. In reality, various configurations other than those described above are required, but are omitted as they are not the main focus of the present invention. 1) First, object storage unit 1
01 stores objects, one of which is referred to as a first object. Expanding designation link information exists as information that specifies which links in the first object should be expanded for printing. Figure 2 (mu) is a schematic diagram showing the information of the first object. Figure 5 enclosed in parentheses in the figure shows a link. When such a first object exists, the link content Expansion unit 102c;L Reads the actual data in the second object stored in the object storage unit 101 pointed to by the link specified by the expansion specification link information 105 corresponding to the first object and stores it inside the second object. It interprets and executes the procedural information (here, procedural information is information for interpreting actual data and printing links to strings, figures, images, and other objects that make up the actual data). The actual data in the second object is expanded to create a print image. This expansion result is temporarily stored in the internal buffer of the link content expansion unit 102. It is a schematic diagram showing an example of an image.

(2) The print layout unit 103 searches for actual data excluding the specified link data specified by the expansion specification link information 105 from the actual data in the first object. When printing, the print layout unit 103 uses this actual data and the link content expansion unit 102. The arrangement is determined so that the respective pieces of information with the developed actual data of the second object temporarily stored in the internal buffer of the second object do not overlap and be hidden. Furthermore, the print layout section 103 passes this arrangement result to the print output section 104 as print data. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a print image of print data.

(3) Finally, the print output unit 104 prints the print data. However, the real data of the first and second objects whose layout was determined by the print layout unit 103 and merged as one real data in the process of (3) are considered as the first object again. (2) The following operations It is also possible to execute repeatedly.

(End) As mentioned above, the data printing device of this embodiment can print both real data and the real data inside the object pointed to by the link in the real data, and the information of both the former and latter real data can be hidden. Although it is possible to determine the layout on the printing paper so that the information is not printed, and to combine the layout results as one piece of actual data and print it, it is possible to avoid situations where the information pointed to by the link is not printed. By printing the pointing information and automatically laying out a part of the former actual data without hiding it, you do not have to do the layout yourself. Also, depending on the specified information, the latter actual data is included in the former actual data. can be fused and printed, allowing for good hypertext document printing.

Effects of the Invention In the data printing method and apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to print the actual data and the actual data inside the object pointed to by the link in the actual data, and to prevent the information of both the former and latter actual data from being hidden. The placement on the print result is determined, and the placement results can be combined and printed as one actual data, so the practical effect is as follows:

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a data printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing first object information handled in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing first object information handled in an embodiment of the present invention. A schematic diagram showing an example of the developed real data image of the second object @ Fig. 4 shows the first and second objects fused as one real data in the data printing device of this embodiment.
A schematic diagram showing an example of a print image when printing real data of an object. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a conventional data printing device. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing first object information handled in an embodiment of the conventional invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a printing image of actual data in a conventional data printing device. 101... Object memory starvation 102... Link content expansion question 103... Print layout @ 10
4... Print output @ 105... Expansion specification link information 501... Object memory chant 502...
...Print data creation section 503...Print output section

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A first object that is one of objects that includes real data including at least one of a character string, a figure, an image, and a link to another object, and procedural information for processing the real data. When given, the first
Based on the expansion specification link information that specifies the link to be expanded that exists in the actual data of the object of execute a link content expansion step to expand according to the link content expansion step, and further print the expanded actual data of the second object expanded in the link content expansion step and the actual data other than the specified link in the first object. The method is characterized in that a print layout step is executed to determine the arrangement of the print layout step, and thereafter, the actual data resulting from the execution of the print layout step is regarded as the actual data of the first object, and the steps after the actual link content development step are repeatedly executed. Data printing method. (2) an object storage unit storing objects including real data including at least one of a character string, a figure, an image, and a link to another object, and procedural information for processing the real data; The link pointed to by the link specified for expansion is based on the expansion specification link information that specifies the link to be expanded that exists in the actual data of the first object, which is one of the objects stored in the object storage unit. a link content expansion unit that expands the actual data contents inside the second object according to the procedure information in the second object; and a link content expansion unit that expands the actual data contents of the second object expanded by the link content expansion unit, and and a print layout unit that determines the arrangement of the actual data other than the designated link on the print result, and considers the arrangement result as the actual data of the first object and inputs it to the link content expansion unit. A data printing device characterized by