US 7,539,940 B2
System and method for converting between text formatting or markup language formatting and outline structure
Mark Yalovsky, Seattle, Wash. (US); Peter P. Baer, Duvall, Wash. (US); and Yevgeniya Sigal, Seattle, Wash. (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US)
Filed on Oct. 09, 2002, as Appl. No. 10/268,150.
Prior Publication US 2004/0070607 A1, Apr. 15, 2004
Int. Cl. G06F 17/00 (2006.01); G06F 17/20 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 715—270  [715/204; 715/234; 715/243; 715/255; 715/256] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for converting data from a non-outline format to an outline format, the method comprising:
accessing a document that is created using a non-outlining application; wherein the document created using the non-outlining application includes lines of text that include indicia of visual structure but are devoid of data that explicitly defines an outline structure that includes level information that defines hierarchical interrelationships between the elements; wherein the indicia of visual structure visually positions the lines of text of the document when displayed on a display; wherein the indicia of visual structure presents the appearance of outline structure; and wherein the indicia of visual structure associated with each lines of text is defined independently from the indicia of visual structure of associated with other lines of text;
copying the lines of text of the document to a clipboard using the non-outlining application;
pasting the lines of text of the document within the clipboard into an outlining application; wherein the outlining application is configured to:
automatically transform the pasted lines of text that are devoid of data that explicitly defines an outline structure into an outline structure by evaluating the visual structure and associating a level with each of the lines of text; wherein the outline structure includes a plurality of levels and wherein each line of the text is associated with only one of the levels after the transformation to the outline structure such that the appearance of the outline structure that the text is transformed is responsive the appearance of outline structure presented by the indicia of visual structure.