Method And Apparatus For Structured Documents

Abstract

Methods and systems for organizing information in a grid. Aspects of this grid may be easily manipulated via user interface operations. This grid may be easily manipulated to create or edit a hierarchy. Grid elements may be expanded or collapsed alternatively to show or hide hidden elements. A canvas may contain objects that may be easily moved and/or repositioned via user interface operations.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method of text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
 storing within a memory a data structure representing multiple cells, some cells of the multiple cells comprising a sequence of characters of human-readable text, wherein the multiple cells are visibly represented on the graphical user interface, one or more cells displaying the sequence of characters of human-readable text, wherein the multiple cells include a source cell having a source sequence of characters of human-readable text;   displaying on the graphical user interface a visual representation of the source cell comprising a first cursor for user input from a character input device, the first cursor having a position relative to the visual representation of the source cell on the graphical user interface;   receiving a first user input signal selected from the group consisting of: (a) selecting via a gesture or a pointing device an area on the graphical user interface; and (b) pressing a simultaneous combination of one or more keys, buttons, or switches on a user input device;   in response to the receiving the first user input signal, removing a first plurality of characters from the source cell, the first plurality of characters being selected from the source sequence of characters and having fewer characters than the source sequence of characters, the first plurality of characters being determined in part by the position of the first cursor relative to the visual representation of the source cell; and   in response to the receiving the first user input signal, adding the first plurality of characters to a target cell of the multiple cells.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the target cell is created in response to the receiving the first user input signal. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data structure represents a canvas comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the data structure represents a grid comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising in response to receiving the first user input signal, adding a digital association to the data structure between the source cell and the target cell, the digital association having a visual representation associating the source cell and the target cell on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the data structure represents a canvas comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the multiple cells include a third cell having a third sequence of characters of human-readable text; and
 wherein, immediately prior to receiving the first user input signal, the source cell and the third cell are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as being adjacent to each other, and   wherein, in response to receiving the first user input signal, the source cell and the third cell are no longer represented on the graphical user interface as being adjacent to each other, and the source cell and the target cell are visibly represented on the graphical user interface as being adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the data structure represents a grid comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         29 . A method of text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
 storing within a memory a data structure representing multiple cells, some cells of the multiple cells comprising a sequence of characters of human-readable text, wherein the multiple cells are visibly represented on the graphical user interface, one or more cells displaying the sequence of characters of human-readable text, wherein the multiple cells include a source cell having a source sequence of characters of human-readable text;   receiving a first user input signal;   in response to the receiving the first user input signal, removing a first plurality of characters from the source cell, the first plurality of characters being selected from the source sequence of characters and having fewer characters than the source sequence of characters;   in response to the receiving the first user input signal, adding the first plurality of characters to a target cell of the multiple cells; and   in response to the receiving the first user input signal, displaying a first visual element associating visual representations of the source cell and the target cell on the graphical user interface.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein immediately prior to receiving the first user input signal, the first visual element is not being displayed. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first visual element comprises a line associating visual representations of the source cell and the target cell on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the target cell is created in response to the receiving the first user input signal. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the data structure represents a canvas comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the data structure represents a grid comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first user input signal comprises dragging the first plurality of characters from one location to another on the graphical user interface. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the data structure further represents a first group of cells, the first group of cells comprising the source cell and the target cell, and the method further comprising:
 displaying on the graphical user interface a user-selectable visual element associated with the first group of cells, in response to a first selecting the user-selectable visual element, expanding the first group of cells and displaying visual representations of the source cell and the target cell on the graphical user interface, and   wherein, immediately prior to the first selecting the user-selectable visual element, the first group of cells is not expanded, and at least one of the visual representations of the source cell and the target cell is not displayed on the graphical user interface.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the data structure represents a canvas comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         38 . A method of text processing by a graphical user interface generated by a computer system, the method comprising:
 storing within a memory a data structure representing multiple cells, some cells of the multiple cells comprising a sequence of characters of human-readable text, wherein the multiple cells are visibly represented on the graphical user interface, one or more cells displaying the sequence of characters of human-readable text, wherein the multiple cells include a first cell and a second cell, the first cell having a first sequence of characters of human-readable text, and the second cell having a second sequence of characters of human-readable text;   receiving a first user input signal;   in response to the receiving the first user input signal, displaying on the graphical user interface a first edit area having an intermediate sequence of characters comprising the first sequence of characters from the first cell and the second sequence of characters from the second cell;   changing the sequence of characters of the first edit area to comprise a third sequence of characters and a fourth sequence of characters, the third sequence of characters being different from the first sequence of characters and the fourth sequence of characters being different from the second sequence of characters;   receiving a second user input signal; and   in response to the receiving the second user input signal, replacing the first sequence of characters of the first cell with the third sequence of characters from the first edit area, and replacing the second sequence of characters of the second cell with the fourth sequence of characters from the first edit area.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the data structure represents a canvas comprising the multiple cells. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the data structure represents a grid comprising the multiple cells.