Method and apparatus for formatting paragraphs

A method for displaying text in a pen-based computer system comprising the steps of:

• entering a word comprising at least one character into a pen-based computer system by a stylus means;
• displaying said word on a screen of said computer system;
• automatically incorporating said word into an associated paragraph if said word is contacting or is closely proximate said associated paragraph, wherein said word is incorporated into said paragraph without receiving an explicit command to incorporate said word;
• and
• creating a new paragraph with said word if said word is not contacting or closely proximate to said paragraph.

A pen-based word processing system comprising:

• a CPU;
• screen means coupled to said CPU;
• tablet means coupled to said CPU for receiving at least one stroke from a stylus means;
• means for displaying said at least one stroke from said stylus on said screen means;
• means for interpreting said at least one stroke as a word comprising at least one character;
• means for determining whether said word belongs with an associated paragraph displayed on said screen means without receiving an explicit command from a user to associate said word with said paragraph;
• and
• means for adding said word to said associated paragraph.

A method for formatting paragraphs on a screen of a computer system comprising the steps of:

• entering a word on a screen of a computer system using a pointing device of said computer system;
• automatically finding an associated paragraph, if any, that the word is to be associated with, wherein said associated paragraph is automatically found without receiving an explicit command to associate said word with said paragraph, said associated paragraph being found by determining whether said word contacts an existing paragraph on said screen by comparing the amount of overlap of a bounding box of said word with the bounding boxes of existing paragraphs on said screen;
• automatically adding the word to said associated paragraph, if one exists, wherein said word is automatically added to said paragraph without receiving an explicit command to add said word, wherein text within said associated paragraph is repositioned after said word is added, including reflowing words within said associated paragraph in accordance with a left margin and a right margin of said associated paragraph;
• and
• starting a new paragraph with said word when no associated paragraph exists, wherein said steps of finding an associated paragraph, adding a word, and starting a new paragraph are performed by a computer system.