Rule-based grid independent of content

A method of generating formatted content, the formatted content being formatting content in accordance with a grid established by rules that are independent of the content, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining the rules defining the grid, the rules being independent of, and separate from, the content;
• polling the content for minimum and maximum sizing information;
• generating the grid in accordance with the rules, the generating the grid comprising:
• generating automatically sized columns and rows, whose sizing is based on the content;
• and generating fractionally weighted columns and rows, whose sizing is based on grid space left over after establishing fixed sized and automatically sized columns and rows, the generating the fractionally weighted columns and rows comprising:
• determining whether at least one of a grid height and a grid width have been specified;
• generating the fractionally weighted rows by multiplying a normalized fractional height value with a fractional weighting assigned to the fractionally weighted rows if the grid height has not been specified;
• and generating the fractionally weighted columns by multiplying a normalized fractional width value with a fractional weighting assigned to the fractionally weighted columns if the grid width has not been specified;
• and
• generating the formatted content by formatting the content based on the generated grid, the formatting being at least one of:
• aligning a beginning of an element of the content with a coordinate point of the generated grid, aligning an end of the element of the content with the coordinate point of the generated grid, and aligning a center of the element of the content with the coordinate point of the generated grid.

One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions for formatting content in accordance with a grid established by rules that are independent of the content, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:

• obtaining the rules defining the grid, the rules being independent of, and separate from, the content;
• polling the content for minimum and maximum sizing information;
• generating the grid in accordance with the rules, the generating the grid comprising:
• generating fractionally weighted columns and rows, whose sizing is based on grid space left over after establishing fixed sized and automatically sized columns and rows;
• and generating automatically sized columns and rows, whose sizing is based on the content, the generating the automatically sized columns and rows comprising:
• setting an initial width of at least one automatically sized column based on a largest of minimum widths obtained, by the polling, from content in the at least one automatically sized column;
• and growing the at least one automatically sized column, from the established initial width, in increments that are equally applied to other automatically sized columns, so long as the content in the grid is not clipped;
• and
• formatting the content based on the generated grid, the formatting being at least one of:
• aligning a beginning of an element of the content with a coordinate point of the generated grid, aligning an end of the element of the content with the coordinate point of the generated grid, and aligning a center of the element of the content with the coordinate point of the generated grid.