Computer system integrating different data types into a single environment

In a computer system, a system for integrating different data types into a single document, said system comprising:

• a first dataset including a plurality of data items of a common type, said common type being graphics, spreadsheet, or database, said first dataset including functions for manipulating and editing said data items of said first dataset;
• a first frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said plurality of data items of said first dataset using said functions in said first dataset, said first frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and being associated with a first data item of said plurality of data items within said first dataset;
• a second dataset including a plurality of data items of a common type, said common type being graphics, text, spreadsheet, or database, said plurality of data items of said first dataset being different from said plurality of data items of said second dataset, said second dataset including functions for manipulating and editing said data items of said second dataset;
• a second frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said data items of said second dataset using said functions in said second dataset, said second frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and being associated with a second data item of said plurality of data items within said second dataset;
• and
• a third frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said plurality of data items of said first dataset using said functions in said first dataset, said third frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and also being associated with said first data item of said plurality of data items within said first dataset, said region of said third frame being different from said region of said first frame, at least a portion of said first data item being viewable concurrently within said first frame and said third frame, said data item being modifiable from either said first frame or said third frame,
• wherein a single document contains said first dataset, said first frame, said second dataset, said second frame, and said third frame, said single document residing in a single file.

In a computer system, a process for integrating different data types into a single document, said single document being created and maintained in a single file by an integrated application, said process comprising the steps of:

• providing a first dataset including a plurality of data items of a common type, said common type being graphics, spreadsheet, or database, said first dataset including functions for manipulating and editing said data items;
• providing a first frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said plurality of data items of said first dataset using said functions of said first dataset, said first frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and being associated with a first data item of said plurality of data items within said first dataset;
• providing a second dataset including a plurality of data items of a common type, said common type being graphics, text, spreadsheet, or database, said plurality of data items of said first dataset being different from said plurality of data items of said second dataset, said second dataset including functions for manipulating and editing said data items of said second dataset;
• providing a second frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said data items of said second dataset using said functions of said second dataset, said second frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and being associated with a second data item of said plurality of data items within said second dataset;
• and
• providing a third frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said plurality of data items of said first dataset using said functions of said first dataset, said third frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and also being associated with said first data item of said plurality of data items within said first dataset, said region of said third frame being different from said region of said first frame, at least a portion of said first data item being viewable concurrently within said first frame and said third frame, said data item being modifiable from either said first frame or said third frame,
• wherein a single document contains said first dataset, said first frame, said second dataset, said second frame, and said third frame, said document residing in a single file.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer usable mass storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a processing means to integrate different data types into a single document, said single document being created and maintained in a single file by an integrated application, said computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising computer readable program code for causing said processing means to:

• provide a first dataset including a plurality of data items of a common type, said common type being graphics, spreadsheet, or database, said first dataset including functions for manipulating and editing said data items;
• provide a first frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said plurality of data items of said first dataset using said functions of said first dataset, said first frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and being associated with a first data item of said plurality of data items within said first dataset;
• provide a second dataset including a plurality of data items of a common type, said common type being graphics, text, spreadsheet, or database, said plurality of data items of said first dataset being different from said plurality of data items of said second dataset, said second dataset including functions for manipulating and editing said data items of said second dataset;
• provide a second frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said data items of said second dataset using said functions of said second dataset, said second frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and being associated with a second data item of said plurality of data items within said second dataset;
• and
• provide a third frame for viewing, manipulating and editing said plurality of data items of said first dataset using said functions of said first dataset, said third frame defining a two dimensional viewable region and also being associated with said first data item of said plurality of data items within said first dataset, said region of said third frame being different from said region of said first frame, at least a portion of said first data item being viewable concurrently within said first frame and said third frame, said data item being modifiable from either said first frame or said third frame,
• wherein a single document contains said first dataset, said first frame, said second dataset, said second frame, and said third frame, said document residing in a single file.

A method for integrating different data types into a single document comprising:

• creating a dataset containing a plurality of data items of a common data type, processing logic for viewing, manipulating and editing said data items, and a plurality of frames, each frame defining a two-dimensional viewable region for at least one data item in said dataset;
• storing a plurality of datasets in a single file to create said single document, said plurality of datasets including a graphics dataset and a text dataset;
• and
• defining a window for displaying at least one of said plurality of frames from said plurality of datasets in said single document, wherein activation of said frame in said window invokes said processing logic in the one of the plurality of datasets that contains said frame to enable viewing, manipulating and editing said data item in said frame.