Text Editing Across Hierarchical Content Blocks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In traditional computer workspaces, editing and deleting text across multiple content blocks in a hierarchical block data model is challenging due to the complexity of the block structure, where a parent block's deletion requires moving child blocks within the hierarchical tree, making the process inefficient and unintuitive.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enables text editing across multiple content blocks by identifying the content blocks within a text selection range, updating the text value fields, and moving child blocks outside the selection range to maintain the hierarchical structure, allowing for seamless editing and deletion across a plurality of blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If text editing is implemented across multiple content blocks in a hierarchical block data model, then text editing capability is improved, but the complexity of handling text selection and deletion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments text content across multiple content blocks, each with its own text value field. The text selection range is divided into portions within individual blocks and portions spanning across blocks. This segmentation allows the system to handle text editing at the block level while maintaining awareness of cross-block selections, resolving the complexity of managing text across hierarchical structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary text selection range definition mechanism that operates between the user interface and the hierarchical block structure. By defining selection ranges in terms of start and end positions that can span multiple blocks, the intermediary layer abstracts the complexity of hierarchical navigation from the editing operations, enabling seamless text editing across blocks.
2Ease of operation
If conventional deletion method is applied to text in block data model, then deletion operation is simplified, but empty content blocks are left in the workspace
Solution Approach 1:
The deletion operation is enhanced to be self-service by automatically detecting and removing empty content blocks after text deletion. When text is deleted from a content block and the block becomes empty, the system automatically removes the block from the workspace hierarchy, preventing the accumulation of empty blocks and maintaining workspace integrity without requiring additional user actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback in the deletion process by monitoring the state of content blocks after text removal. When a deletion operation results in an empty block, the system provides feedback by automatically triggering the removal of that block, ensuring the workspace structure remains clean and free of empty elements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If child blocks are moved during parent block deletion, then hierarchical structure is maintained, but the deletion process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by identifying and relocating child blocks before the parent block deletion is finalized. When a parent block is selected for deletion, the system proactively moves its child blocks to appropriate parent blocks in advance, ensuring the hierarchical structure is preserved before the parent block is removed, thus avoiding structural issues during the deletion process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by preventing the hierarchical structure breakdown that would occur during parent block deletion. By preemptively relocating child blocks to maintain proper parent-child relationships, the system counteracts the potential harm of structure disruption before it can occur, making the deletion process smoother despite the added complexity of child block management.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure describes a system, method, and computer program for enabling text editing across multiple content blocks in a system. The system renders a workspace page including a plurality of content blocks in a user interface of a client application. The workspace page is rendered according to a hierarchical tree derived from the parent and child attributes of the content blocks on the workspace page. The system maintains an in-memory selection state for text selection in the client application. The system receives a user selection of text on the workspace page across a plurality of content blocks. The system updates the in-memory selection state to include a text selection range. The system receives a user edit to the selected text. The system identifies the plurality of content blocks within the text selection range. The system applies the user edit to the content blocks within the text selection range.