Method of outputting page data in applications programs-integrating environment and an apparatus for the same

A page data output apparatus for outputting page data representing a one-page image in a format of PDL data, said page data output apparatus comprising:

• a one-page image data representing a one-page image generated by a first applications program, said one-page image including a first image part processed by said first applications program and a second image part processed by a second applications program, said one-page image data including link information indicative of a linkage between said second image part and said second applications program;
• first data processing means for generating first parts-describing data, which describe an image of said first image part, from said one-page image data of said first applications program representing said one-page image, and for, when the existence of said second image part in said one-page image data is detected, giving an instruction to said second applications program, through said linkage, to generate second parts-describing data for describing an image of said second image part;
• second data processing means for generating said second parts-describing data describing the image of said second image part in response to the instruction;
• and
• combining means for generating one-page PDL data representing said one-page image based on said first parts-describing data and said second parts-describing data.

A computer program product for processing an image, said computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable medium;
• and
• a first applications program code means stored on said compute readable medium,
• said first applications program code means comprising:
• a one-page image data representing a one-page image generated by a first applications program, said one-page image including a first image part processed by said first applications program and a second image part processed by a second applications program said one-page image data including link information indicative of a linkage between said second image part and said second applications program;
• program code means for causing a computer to generate said one-page image data representing a one-page image, which comprise a first image part generated by said first applications program code means and a second image part generated by second applications program code means;
• program code means for causing said computer to generate first parts-describing data describing said first image part from said one-page image data;
• program code means for causing said computer to detect an image part included in said one-page image data;
• program code means for, when the existence of said second image part in said one-page image data is detected, causing said computer to give an instruction to said second applications program code means, through said linkage to generate parts-describing data describing an image of said second image part;
• and
• program code means for causing said computer to generate page description language-program data representing said one-page image based on second parts-describing data as well as on said first parts-describing data in response to the instruction said second parts-describing data describing the image of said second image part.

A method of outputting page data representing a one-page image described by a page description language, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) preparing one-page image data including a first object created by a first applications program and a second object created by a second applications program, said one-page data further including link information indicating what applications program generated said object;
• (b) generating, by means of said first applications program, first object describing data from said one-page image data, said first object describing data describing a first part of said page data;
• (c) when said first applications program detects the existence of said second object in said one-page image data, giving an instruction to said second applications program to generate second object describing data from said one-page image data, said second object describing data describing second part of said page data;
• and
• (d) combining said first object describing data with said second object describing data and outputting said combined data as said page data representing said one-page image.