US 2006/0136825 A1 · Method, system, and computer-readable medium for the layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium are provided for determining a layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart created in a chart application program. User-placed elements in the chart include chart elements that have been moved and/or resized by a user. User-placed elements include chart elements that have been moved and/or resized by a user. Automatically-placed elements include chart elements that have been laid out according to an automatic position and size calculated by the chart application program. The chart application program executes a method including selecting a group of automatically-placed chart elements and user-placed chart elements previously laid out in the chart and automatically laying out the automatically-placed chart elements and the user-placed chart elements according to an automatic position and size calculated by the chart application program. The method further includes reselecting each of the elements from among the automatically laid out elements in the chart, determining whether the selected chart element are user-placed chart elements, and if the selected chart element are user-placed chart elements, then laying out the user-placed chart element in the chart according to a user-specified layout.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for determining a layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart created in a chart application program, comprising:

(a) selecting a plurality of chart elements in the chart, wherein the plurality of chart elements include automatically-placed chart elements and user-placed placed chart elements;
(b) automatically laying out the automatically-placed chart elements and the user-placed chart elements in the chart;
(c) selecting a first chart element from among the automatically laid out elements in the chart as a current chart element;
(d) determining whether the current chart element is a user-placed chart element;
(e) if the current chart element is a user-placed chart element, then laying out the user-placed chart element in the chart according to a user-specified layout;
(f) selecting the next chart element in the chart as the current chart element;
and
(g) repeating the operations (c)-(f) for each of the plurality of chart elements in the chart until all of the user-placed elements are laid out in the chart.

5 more elements

A system for determining a layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart, comprising a client computer operative to execute a chart application program for laying out a plurality of chart elements, the chart application program further operative to:

(a) selecting a plurality of chart elements in the chart, wherein the plurality of chart elements include automatically-placed chart elements and user-placed placed chart elements;
(b) automatically laying out the automatically-placed chart elements and the user-placed chart elements in the chart;
(c) selecting a first chart element from among the automatically laid out elements in the chart as a current chart element;
(d) determining whether the current chart element is a user-placed chart element;
(e) if the current chart element is a user-placed chart element, then laying out the user-placed chart element in the chart according to a user-specified layout;
(f) selecting the next chart element in the chart as the current chart element;
and
(g) repeating the operations (c)-(f) for each of the plurality of chart elements in the chart until all of the user-placed elements are laid out in the chart.

5 more elements

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to perform a method for determining a layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart created in a chart application program, comprising:

(a) selecting a plurality of chart elements in the chart, wherein the plurality of chart elements include automatically-placed chart elements and user-placed placed chart elements;
(b) automatically laying out the automatically-placed chart elements and the user-placed chart elements in the chart;
(c) selecting a first chart element from among the automatically laid out elements in the chart as a current chart element;
(d) determining whether the current chart element is a user-placed chart element;
(e) if the current chart element is a user-placed chart element, then laying out the user-placed chart element in the chart according to a user-specified layout;
(f) selecting the next chart element in the chart as the current chart element;
and
(g) repeating the operations (c)-(f) for each of the plurality of chart elements in the chart until all of the user-placed elements are laid out in the chart.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method, system, and computer-readable medium for the layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart

Life of this patent

Method, system, and computer-readable medium for the layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18