JPH0462548B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Conventionally, two methods have been used to automatically print a document page by page: a method in which the document is divided into a predetermined number of lines and printed as one page; There was a method using a page break mark inserted in advance, but the former method mechanically prints a predetermined number of lines of character strings regardless of the content or structure of the document, so Inconveniences such as tables, text groups, etc. that should be separated and printed across two pages have occurred in some cases. Furthermore, in the latter method, it is necessary to insert a page break symbol after the editing of the document is completed, so there is a problem that the work efficiency is extremely low. In order to solve these conventional problems, the present invention determines the area to be printed on one page according to the hierarchical relationship of each line of a document during printing. This document discloses a document printing method that can prevent this from occurring.

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to control related to printing by a document processing device, and in particular to control when character strings that are continuously stored in a memory are automatically divided into pages and printed. Related.

[Prior Art] Word processors and other document processing devices that automatically separate page-by-page document information consisting of character string information that is continuously stored in memory and print it out continuously. Conventionally, one of the following two methods has been adopted as a means for dividing character strings into pages. One is a method in which when the string of characters to be output for printing reaches a predetermined number of lines, the strings output during that time are processed as one page, and the other is manually. In this method, a control code for a page break is inserted in advance at the position where a page break is desired in a character string, and the device performs a page break by detecting the control code during printing.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Among the conventional page break control methods described above,
In the former method, which prints each specified number of lines as one page, a page break is automatically performed every predetermined number of lines, regardless of the structure or content of the text. A table, etc., that is divided into sections and printed over two pages, a title that should normally be written at the top of the table is left at the end of the page, and only the table is printed at the beginning of the next page, or the table is printed at the beginning of the next page. There was a problem in which only the bottom line of the page was printed on the first line of the next page.

In addition, in the latter method, in which a page break is performed using a control code for a page break inserted in advance in the character string, page divisions are determined manually after editing of the text is completed, and page breaks are made manually. Having to insert control codes for each page is very inefficient, and furthermore, if there are changes or additions to some of the content, the control codes for subsequent page breaks must be reviewed. There were some problems, such as having to do it.

In view of these conventional problems, the present invention eliminates the need to manually insert a control code or the like to instruct a page break in advance, and can completely automatically perform a page break during printing. It is an object of the present invention to provide a control method that prevents tables and the like that are to be printed all on one page from being divided.

[Means for Solving the Problems] According to the present invention, the above object is achieved by storing document information consisting of a string of character information in a memory and automatically dividing it into pages. In a document processing device that performs printing, there is a means for examining the hierarchical relationship between each line of document information and generating hierarchical information for each line, and a means for generating hierarchical information for each line.
Achieved by a document printing device equipped with means for determining the last line when printing a document for pages, and means for printing each page from the start line to the last line determined by the above means as one page. be done.

[Example] Fig. 1 is a diagram explaining an example of an apparatus and control for implementing the present invention, in which 1 is a line information added document that is an input, and 2 is a document that analyzes 1 and outputs it on one page. This is a line number management device that stores a predetermined number of lines in a buffer, and 3 represents one page of documents stored in the buffer. 4 refers to the hierarchy information 5, which is a collection of rules for generating a hierarchical structure from line information using the one-page document 3 as input, and creates links between lines that express the same content as parent-child relationships between lines. Haru is a hierarchy device.
Reference numeral 6 denotes link information of a row representing the same content as the parent-child relationship of each row, and corresponds one-to-one with each row in the buffer. 7 is a device that receives link information 6 as input and determines the last line of one page so as to achieve optimal page division for one page in a buffer, based on links of lines expressing the same content as the parent-child relationship; , 8 is a document determined as one page,
It can be stored in a buffer. 9 is a one page document 8
Or, it is a device that takes input 3 and prints one page of document in the buffer, and 10 represents the printed document.

To explain the operation of this device, first, the line number management device 2 is activated, analyzes the line information added document 1, and
Document information for the number of lines to be output to the printing device is stored in the buffer. If it is the last page, the document in the buffer is directly printed and the process ends. If it is not the last page, the hierarchy device is activated.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the layering device shown at 4 in FIG. It shows. Note that "self" displayed in the rightmost section means that it refers to oneself.

Since line information is added in various ways depending on the document, rules for generating hierarchical relationships from line information are written in the hierarchy information 5, and this is referred to to perform hierarchy between lines. In FIG. 2, two types of hierarchies are provided: a parent-child relationship, as indicated by reference numeral B, and a relationship that represents multiple lines due to constraints of the printed document, that is, a relationship that represents the same content. The operation will be explained using the table (field meaning description) in FIG. 2 as an example. The row information is an ID number indicating what the row represents in this case. Layering information is 5
is a rule that searches for lines with the same contents as parent, child, and siblings by ID number. For example, “ 11 following 10 is
The rule is that the rows have the same content until the next 10.In a table, the rows in the table must have the parent as the title and contain the same content, including the dividing line. As a result, hierarchy is created as in the example of hierarchy information. When the hierarchy of documents in the buffer is completed and the link information 6 is completed, the page final line determining device 7 is activated. Third
The figure is a diagram illustrating the operation of the page final line determining device. This device checks the last line until the last line becomes the most optimal line. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of control for checking the last row. Refer to the hierarchy information and consider the following items.

○ Lines expressing the same content should be printed on the same page whenever possible.

○ Print the parent line and child line on the same page if possible.

Once the optimal last line is determined, the first line to the last line is stored in a buffer, the printing device 9 is activated, and the document is printed. If the entire document is printed, the process is completed; otherwise, the next page is printed with the line following the last line as the first line.

In the example described above, an example is shown in which each line is hierarchically assigned based on the line information generated during structural editing, but in the case where such line information is not added, the text content A method may be adopted in which line information is generated for each line based on the relationship with the character strings of the surrounding lines by analyzing the line information, and based on this, the hierarchy information is further referred to to perform the hierarchy between the lines.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the method of the present invention, control is performed such that the position of the line where a page break is to be made is determined by reflecting the hierarchical relationship of each line of the text to be printed. The inside table may be printed in sections,
This eliminates the inconvenience of tables and their titles and borders being left behind on different pages, and all of these are automatically done without the need for manually inserting control codes for page breaks in advance. It is possible to print various documents efficiently.

Therefore, even if the document is complex and includes tables, figures, etc. and spans many pages, there is an advantage that it is possible to quickly and easily obtain a reasonably well-formed printout.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of a device and control for implementing the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a hierarchy device, FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a page final line determining device, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of last row check control. 1...Line information addition document, 2...Line number management device,
3... One page document, 4... Hierarchy device,
5...Hierarchy information, 6...Link information, 7...
Page last line determining device, 8... document determined as one page, 9... printing device, 10... printed document.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a document processing device that stores document information consisting of a string of character information in a memory and automatically divides it into pages and prints them, the hierarchical relationship between each line of the document information is checked. , means for generating hierarchical information for each line; means for determining the last line when printing one page of a document based on the hierarchical information; 1. A document printing device comprising: means for printing up to the last line of a page as one page.