Generating page-oriented data for printing dynamic documents

A computer system for generating, from variable data stored in a data store, page-oriented data output for printing dynamic documents, the system comprising

• a data input module,
• a plurality of data processing modules connected in series, and
• a layout module;
• the layout module being linked in series with the data processing modules to the data input module;
• the data input module being configured to load a part of the variable data from the data store into local memory, and to pass the variable data by reference through the data processing modules to the layout module, using in each case a pointer to the part of the variable data loaded in the local memory;
• each respective data processing module being assigned to read an assigned data field from the variable data in the local memory;
• each data processing module is configured to determine whether the pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field and to read the data field if the received pointer references an assigned data field, to generate and store in the local memory pre-processed variable data from the variable data of the read data field, to pass a pointer to the pre-processed variable data in the local memory to the layout module if the pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field, and to pass the pointer received from the data input module to the la out module if the received pointer does not refer to an assigned data field;
• and
• the layout module being further configured to generate the page-oriented data output from pre-processed variable data and variable data loaded by the data input module using the pointers received from the data processing modules linked to the layout module.

A computer program product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code means, the computer program code means being configured to control one or more processors of a computer system such that the computer system:

• links in the computer system a layout module in series with a plurality of data processing modules to a data input module the plurality of data processing modules being connected in series,
• loads for the data input module a part of variable data from a data store into local memory;
• passes the variable data by reference from the data input module through the data processing modules to the layout module using a pointer to the part of variable data loaded in the local memory;
• assigns a data field to each data processing module;
• in each data processing module, determines whether a pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field;
• with each data processing module, reads, pre-processes and stores in the local memory pre-processed variable data of an assigned data field;
• from each data processing module, passes a pointer to the data field if the pointer received from the data input module does not refer to an assigned data field and passes a pointer to the pre-processed variable data if the pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field;
• and
• generates, for printing dynamic documents, page-oriented data output for the layout module from pre-processed variable data and variable data loaded for the data input module using the pointers from the data processing modules linked to the layout module.

A computer system for generating, from variable data stored in a data store, page-oriented data output for printing dynamic documents, the system comprising

• a data input module,
• a plurality of data processing modules connected in series,
• a layout module, and
• an output module;
• the layout module being linked in series with the data processing modules to the data input module;
• the data input module being configured to load a part of the variable data from the data store into local memory, and to pass the variable data by reference through the data processing modules to the layout module, using a pointer to the part of the variable data loaded in the local memory;
• each respective data processing module being assigned to read an assigned data field from the variable data in the local memory;
• each data processing module is configured to determine whether the pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field and to read the data field if the received pointer references an assigned data field, to generate and store in the local memory pre-processed variable data from the variable data of the read data field, to pass a pointer to the pre-processed variable data in the local memory to the layout module if the pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field, and to pass the pointer received from the data input module to the layout module if the received pointer does not refer to an assigned data field;
• the layout module being further configured to generate the page-oriented data output from pre-processed variable data and variable data loaded by the data input module using the pointers received from the data processing modules linked to the layout module;
• and the output module being configured to output at least one dynamic document based on the page-oriented data output to at least one of a printer and a display.

A computer program product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code means, the computer program code means being configured to control one or more processors of a computer system such that the computer system

• links in the computer system a layout module in series with a plurality of data processing modules to a data input module the data processing modules being connected in series,
• loads for the data input module a part of variable data from a data store into local memory;
• passes the variable data by reference from the data input module through the data processing modules to the layout module using a pointer to the part of variable data loaded in the local memory;
• assigns a data field to each data processing module;
• in each data processing module, determines whether a pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field;
• with each data processing module, reads, pre-processes and stores in the local memory pre-processed variable data of an assigned data field;
• from each data processing module, passes a pointer to the data field if the pointer received from the data input module does not refer to an assigned data field and passes a pointer to the pre-processed variable data if the pointer received from the data input module refers to an assigned data field,
• generates, for printing dynamic documents, page-oriented data output for the layout module from pre-processed variable data and variable data loaded for the data input module using the pointers from the data processing modules linked to the layout module;
• and
• outputs at least one dynamic document based on the page-oriented data output to at least one of a printer and a display.

A computer-implemented method of generating, from variable data stored in a data store, page-oriented data output for printing dynamic documents, the method comprising:

• providing a series of serially connected data processing modules,
• linking in a computer a layout module to a data input module through the series of serially connected data processing modules;
• assigning to the serially connected data processing modules a specification of one or more data fields to be processed by each respective data processing module;
• loading a part of the variable data by the data input module from the data store into local memory of the computer;
• passing a pointer to the variable data loaded by the data input module from the data input module to a first data processing module in the serially connected data processing modules linked to the data input module;
• determining by the first data processing module linked to the data input module whether a first data field from the variable data in the local memory is assigned to be pre-processed by the first data processing module;
• passing the pointer received from the data input module to a second data processing module in the series of serially connected data processing modules if the first data processing module determines that the first data field is not assigned to be processed by the first data processing module;
• reading and pre-processing the first data field, storing the pre-processed first data field in the local memory and passing a pointed to the pre-processed first data field to the second data processing module by the first data processing module if the first data processing module determines that the first data field is assigned to be pre-processed only by the first data processing module;
• receiving by the layout module pointers to the variable data and to pre-processed variable data from the data processing modules linked to the layout module,
• generating the page-oriented data output by the layout module from pre-processed variable data and variable data loaded by the data input module, using the pointers;
• outputting at least one dynamic document based on the page-oriented data output to at least one of a printer and a display.