Method and system for file conversion

Abstract

A method for searching content a page description language (PDL) file that was converted from an original file includes: receiving a search request specifying a description of graphics object in the original file; identifying, in response to the search request, a location of the description in an invisible layer of the PDL file; and displaying a portion of a visible layer of the PDL file that includes the image object in response to the portion of the visible layer overlapping the location. The PDL file includes an image object converted from the graphics object, object composition metadata for the image object generated based on a composition rule corresponding to a type of the graphics object and formatting attribute of the graphics object included in the original file, a visible layer comprising the image object, and an invisible layer comprising the object composition metadata for the image object.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for searching a content of a page description language (PDL) file having been converted from an original file, wherein the PDL file comprises an image object having been converted from a graphics object in the original file and object composition metadata for the image object having been generated based on a composition rule corresponding to a type of the graphics object and formatting attribute of the graphics object included in the original file, wherein the object composition metadata comprises a description of the graphics object in the original file, wherein the PDL file comprises a visible layer comprising the image object and an invisible layer comprising the object composition metadata for the image object, and wherein the image object in the visible layer and the description for the image object in the invisible layer overlap, the method comprising:
 receiving a search request specifying the description of the graphics object;   identifying, in response to the search request, a location of the description in the invisible layer of the PDL file; and   displaying a portion of the visible layer comprising the image object in response to the portion of the visible layer overlapping the location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the description in the object composition metadata comprises the type of the graphics object, wherein the type of the graphics object has been extracted from the original file. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invisible layer comprising the object composition metadata is above the visible layer comprising the image object. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 searching, in response to the search request, in a plurality of PDL files comprising the PDL file, for the object composition metadata comprising the description specified in the search request; and   returning an identifier of the PDL file in response to the PDL file comprising the object composition metadata comprising the description.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object composition metadata comprises a plurality of synonyms for the description. 
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) storing computer readable program code therein for searching a content of a page description language (PDL) file having been converted from an original file, wherein the PDL file comprises an image object having been converted from a graphics object in the original file and object composition metadata for the image object having been generated based on a composition rule corresponding to a type of the graphics object and formatting attribute of the graphics object included in the original file, wherein the object composition metadata comprises a description of the graphics object in the original file, wherein the PDL file comprises a visible layer comprising the image object and an invisible layer comprising the object composition metadata for the image object, and wherein the image object in the visible layer and the description for the image object in the invisible layer overlap, the computer readable program code, when executed by a processor:
 receives a search request specifying the description of the graphics object;   identifies, in response to the search request, a location of the description in the invisible layer of the PDL file; and   displays a portion of the visible layer comprising the image object in response to the portion of the visible layer overlapping the location.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory CRM of  claim 6 , wherein the description in the object composition metadata comprises the type of the graphics object, wherein the type of the graphics object has been extracted from the original file. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory CRM of  claim 6 , wherein the invisible layer comprising the object composition metadata is above the visible layer comprising the image object. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory CRM of  claim 6 , further storing computer readable program code therein that:
 searches, in response to the search request, in a plurality of PDL files comprising the PDL file, for the object composition metadata comprising the description specified in the search request; and   returns an identifier of the PDL file in response to the PDL file comprising the object composition metadata comprising the description.   
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory CRM of  claim 6 , wherein the object composition metadata comprises a plurality of synonyms for the description.