Visual Editor for Dynamic Document Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Businesses face challenges in creating dynamic documents, such as proposals and contracts, that require technical expertise and are time-consuming due to the need for programming knowledge, especially when different information needs to be applied for various customers or products.
Innovation Solution
A web-based visual editor with a drag-and-drop mechanism allows users to generate a markup language version of dynamic documents, which is then converted to a stylesheet version, enabling multiple users to execute the document with different field data instances without requiring technical knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If programming knowledge is required to create dynamic documents, then document functionality and customization are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A visual document designer interface acts as an intermediary between the user and the underlying programming code. The interface provides drag-and-drop components and visual editors that automatically generate the necessary markup language and styling code, eliminating the need for users to directly write or understand code while still enabling sophisticated document customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual coding (mechanical typing and programming) with visual manipulation operations. Users interact with document elements through visual selection, dragging, and dropping rather than writing code, substituting the mechanical act of programming with more intuitive visual operations that automatically translate into the required markup language.
2Adaptability or versatility
If technical specialists are involved in document creation, then document functionality is improved, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The visual document designer enables end-users to create and customize dynamic documents independently without requiring technical specialists. The system provides self-service capabilities through pre-built components, templates, and automatic code generation, allowing business users to directly produce functional documents that previously required programmer intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses templates and reusable document components that can be copied and adapted. Pre-defined markup language templates and styling patterns are replicated and customized through visual editing, enabling rapid document creation without starting from scratch or requiring technical expertise for each new document.
3Adaptability or versatility
If documents are created manually with hand-written information, then flexibility is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-defining document structures, markup language templates, and styling patterns. Common document formats and business rules are prepared in advance as reusable templates, allowing users to quickly generate customized documents by selecting and filling in specific data rather than creating everything from scratch each time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables rapid document generation by allowing users to change parameters such as customer data, product information, and pricing through simple data input rather than manual document rewriting. The underlying document structure and styling remain consistent while specific data parameters are dynamically updated, reducing the time required for document preparation.
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic document generator system and method provides a web-based visual editor which includes a drag-and-drop mechanism structured to facilitate generation of a markup language version of a dynamic document including data indicative of a dynamic field. The markup language version of the dynamic document is then converted to a stylesheet version of the dynamic document. The stylesheet version of the dynamic document is deployed via a wide area network, wherein a plurality of different users are able to execute the deployed stylesheet version of the dynamic document. When one user executes the dynamic document, the dynamic field takes on one value. When another user executes the dynamic document, the dynamic filed takes on another value.