JP2003005942A - Different document integration output method, its execution device, and its processing program - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To provide a technology capable of efficiently performing a process of collectively outputting document data of a plurality of different formats. In a different document integrated output method for integrating and outputting a plurality of documents created by different software, an output of a plurality of document data of different formats created by different software is instructed according to a predefined output order. Performing, identifying software corresponding to the designated document data to be output, and activating a print dialog of the identified software, and transmitting a print execution message to the activated print dialog box And sequentially performing output processing of each document data according to the instructed order.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a different document integrated output device for outputting a plurality of different types of documents, and is particularly applied to a different document integrated output device for outputting a plurality of documents created by different software in an integrated manner. And effective technology.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, document editing has been performed using document editing software, spreadsheet software, drawing software, and other software that is good at each object to be edited. Also, past documents may be attached at the end of the document as related materials when creating documents. In order to obtain a printed output of a document created through such a process, the individually created documents, spreadsheets and graphic materials are printed individually by the print function of each software, and finally the printed result Had to be put together manually.

It should be noted that when a plurality of documents and document parts are combined into one document, no complicated work is required.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-22 discloses a text synthesizing apparatus capable of unifying the appearance of the text of the document, for example, unifying the character attributes to make the appearance of the text uniform in the combined document.
It is described in Japanese Patent No. 466.

[0004]

Conventionally, in order to print a plurality of documents, it has been troublesome because software corresponding to each document has to be activated to execute the printing function. In addition, there is a problem that the order is mistaken when manually combining the print functions of the individual software into a single document.

Further, the conventional text synthesizing apparatus described above targets only text data, and description is made for cases other than text data such as sentence data and spreadsheet data created by specific software such as a word processor. Not not.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a technique capable of efficiently performing a process of collectively outputting a plurality of document data of different formats.

[0007]

According to the present invention, in a different document integrated output apparatus for integrating and outputting a plurality of documents created by different software, a print execution message is displayed in a print dialog of software corresponding to each document data. It transmits and outputs the document data.

In the different document integrated output apparatus of the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a group document definition file that defines the printing order of each document file and position information of the input item column of the print dialog of each editing software are managed. The print function of each editing software is externally controlled by using the editing software information data. That is, after the print dialog of the software for editing the document data is activated, a print message is transmitted to the print dialog to perform the print processing of the document data.

At this time, when the output range is defined for the document data, the position information of the input item column in the editing software information data is used to determine the output start page in the print dialog box. After setting the start page and the end page in the input item field of the end page, the print execution message is transmitted.

As described above, according to the different document integrated output apparatus of the present invention, a message of print execution is transmitted to the print dialog of the software corresponding to each document data and the document data is output. It is possible to efficiently perform the processing of collectively outputting the document data of.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A different document integrated output apparatus according to an embodiment for integrating and outputting a plurality of documents created by different software will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the different document integrated output apparatus of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the different document integrated output device according to the present embodiment includes a multiple document integrated output unit 101,
The printing order control unit 103 and the various editing software printing function activation control unit 104 are included.

The multiple document integrated output unit 101 controls the operations of the print order control unit 103 and various editing software print function activation control units 104, and integrates and outputs a plurality of documents created by a plurality of different types of software. It is a processing unit that performs the processing.

The print order control unit 103 is a processing unit for instructing the output of a plurality of document data of different formats created by different software according to a predefined output order. Various editing software print function start control unit 1
04 identifies the software corresponding to the document data instructed to output, activates the print dialog of the identified software, sends a print execution message to the activated print dialog box, It is a processing unit that sequentially performs the output process of each document data according to the instructed order.

A program for causing the different document integrated output device to function as the plural document integrated output unit 101, the print order control unit 103, and the various editing software print function activation control unit 104 is recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or the like. After being stored in a disk or the like, it is supposed to be loaded into a memory and executed. The recording medium for recording the program may be a recording medium other than the CD-ROM. The program may be installed in the information processing apparatus from the recording medium and used, or the recording medium may be accessed through the network to use the program.

The multiple document integrated output unit 101 of this embodiment first reads the group document definition file 102 defined by the user. The group document definition file 102 defines which document files are output in which order. For each document file, which part of the document file is to be output is also defined. This group document definition file 102
Based on the above, the printing order control unit 103 controls the printing order.

Since the editing software has a different printing designation method corresponding to each document file, the user presets the screen information of the dialog box for printing and stores it in the editing software information data 105. Based on the data 105, the various editing software print function activation control unit 104 activates various software print functions. As a result, the multiple document integrated output unit 10
1 outputs each document in the defined order from the output device via the printer driver 106 based on the definition of the group document definition file 102.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the group document definition file 102 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, in the group document definition file 102, output target document files are defined in a record format in the order of output.

The format of one record of the group document definition file 102 is an output sequence 201, an output target document file name 202, and an output target range 203. Output target range 2
In 03, a start page and an end page can be set. In this embodiment, if the start page is not set, the first page is
When the end page is not set, it is assumed that the last page is output, and when both are not set, all pages are output.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the multiple document integrated output processing of this embodiment. When execution of the multiple document integrated output process is started in the present embodiment, the multiple document integrated output unit 101 reads the group document definition file 102, and manages the contents of the read group document definition file 102 in the group document management in the memory. Store in the table (301). After storing the group document definition file 102, the print order control unit 103 reads one record from the group document management table (30
2) The process of activating the print function of the editing program corresponding to the document file and printing is performed by the print process routine of step 303.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the data format of the editing software information data 105 used in the print processing of this embodiment. Editing software information data 1 as shown in FIG.
In 05, the position information of the print start page and the end page of the print dialog of each editing software is defined.

In this embodiment, the relative positions of the start page and end page of the print dialog of each editing software in the dialog box are measured in advance, and this information is stored in the editing software information data file. By using this relative position, it is possible to obtain the IDs assigned by the window system to the input item fields of the start page and the end page of the print dialog box of each editing software.

For example, in FIG. 4, "000505042" is assigned as an ID to the text box 406 which is the input item column of the start page and the end page. After obtaining the assigned ID by using the relative position in the print dialog box, set the start page and end page in the print dialog box by the interface method provided by the window system using this ID as a key. You can In this embodiment, a print range different for each editing software is specified by referring to the editing software information data 105.

This editing software information data 105
Has a record format data structure, and is composed of editing software 401, print dialog name 402, type 403, start position 404, and input format / end position 405. Depending on the type of editing software, there are two types, one for specifying the input position and the end position in one input item column, and one for specifying in the individual input item column. Therefore, in the present embodiment, what is specified in one input item column is treated as T type and what is specified in individual input item column is treated as S type, and the input format / end position in the record of the editing software information data 105 is treated. In 405, the input format is set for the T type, and the coordinates of the input position are set for the S type. In the input format for the T type, the start page is indicated by the symbol% s and the end page is indicated by the symbol% e, and for example, when printing 5 to 12 pages, "5-12" is designated. With editing software,
It is assumed that "% s-% e" is set in the input format / end position 405.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the processing procedure of the print processing routine of this embodiment. The various editing software print function activation control unit 104 first identifies the editing software from the document file name (501). The identification of the editing software differs depending on the window system, but it can be identified by the method of identifying by the file extension or by checking the management information of the file managed by the OS.

Next, the identified software is activated to display its print dialog (502). Here, it is assumed that the identified software has an interface for displaying a print dialog according to an argument specified at the time of startup.

Next, it is judged whether or not the start page or the end page of the output target document of the group document definition file 102 is designated (503). If it is not designated, it is interpreted as printing all pages, and a print execution message is transmitted to the print dialog to cause the software to start printing (506).

When a start page or an end page is specified in the group document definition file 102, the relative position in the dialog box of the editing software information data 105 is used to output the start page and end page in the print dialog box. The ID of the input item column of is acquired (504). Here, it is assumed that the window system that displays the dialog box is provided with an interface that provides the ID of the input item column at the relative position when the relative position in the dialog box is designated.

Next, using the acquired ID, the start page and end page specified in the group document definition file 102 are set in the input item fields for the start page and end page (505). The setting method is as described in the description of the editing software information data 105 in FIG. After setting the start page and end page respectively, send a print execution message to the print dialog box (50
6).

As described above, a document is printed by calling the print function of the editing software by sending a message from the software of this embodiment, and by repeating this in the order defined by the group document definition file 102, Printing of multiple different types of documents can be realized.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to print the print functions of a plurality of different software for each document file without individually activating it, which not only saves the labor of operation but also It is possible to prevent the printing order of the respective documents from being mistaken, and the overlapping order of the individual documents after being output to be wrong.

As described above, according to the different document integrated output apparatus of the present embodiment, since a print execution message is transmitted to the print dialog of the software corresponding to each document data and the document data is output, a plurality of document data are output. It is possible to efficiently perform the process of collectively outputting document data of different formats.

[0033]

According to the present invention, a print execution message is transmitted to the print dialog of the software corresponding to each document data and the document data is output, so that a plurality of document data in different formats are collectively output. Can be performed efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a different document integrated output device of the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a group document definition file 102 according to this embodiment.
It is a figure which shows an example.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of multiple document integrated output processing of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data format of editing software information data 105 used in the print processing of this embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a print processing routine according to this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

102 ... Group document definition file, 105 ... Editing software information data, 106 ... Printer driver, 10
1 ... Multiple document integrated output unit, 103 ... Printing order control unit, 1
04 ... Various editing software print function activation control unit, 20
1 ... Output order, 202 ... Output target document file name, 20
3 ... Output target range, 401 ... Editing software, 402
... print dialog name, 403 ... type, 404 ... start position, 405 ... input format / end position, 406 ... text box.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A different-document integrated output method for integrating and outputting a plurality of documents created by different software, and outputting a plurality of document data of different formats created by different software according to a predefined output order. A step of instructing, identifying software corresponding to the document data instructed to be output, and activating a print dialog of the identified software; and a message of executing printing for the activated print dialog box. A different document integrated output method, comprising the steps of transmitting and sequentially performing an output process of each document data according to the instructed order. 2. When the output range is defined for the document data, the print execution is performed after setting the start page and the end page in the input item fields of the output start page and the end page in the print dialog box. The different document integrated output method according to claim 1, wherein a message is transmitted. 3. The ID assigned to the input item column by the window system is obtained by the relative position of the input item column in the print dialog box, and the interface method using the obtained ID as a key 3. The different document integrated output method according to claim 2, wherein a start page and an end page are set in the input item column. 4. In a different document integrated output device for integrating and outputting a plurality of documents created by different software, outputting a plurality of document data of different formats created by different software according to a predefined output order. A print order control unit for instructing, identifying software corresponding to the document data instructed to output, activating a print dialog of the identified software, and executing a print execution message in the activated print dialog box. A different-document integrated output device comprising: a print function activation control unit that performs transmission and sequentially performs output processing of each document data according to the instructed order. 5. A program for causing a computer to function as a different document integrated output device that integrates and outputs a plurality of documents created by different software, and outputs a plurality of document data of different formats created by different software. A print order control unit for instructing according to a predefined output order, software corresponding to the document data for which the output is instructed, and a print dialog of the identified software is activated to start the activated print dialog. A program that causes a computer to function as a print function activation control unit that sends a print execution message to a box and sequentially performs output processing of each document data according to the instructed order.