A form authoring toolkit

Claim 2

The combination claimed in claim 1, including: means (154) for determining the object type to be created.

Claim 3

The combination claimed in claim 2, wherein said object types include a table (78) and a plurality of geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58).

Claim 4

The combination claimed in claim 3, including: means (156) for creating a table (78) with a default size; and means (166) for creating an object from said plurality of geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58).

Claim 5

The combination claimed in claim 3, wherein said object types further include an arrow, a line (58), a barcode (76), a checkbox (64) and text (60, 68).

Claim 6

The combination claimed in claim 5, including: means (160, 164) for creating an object from the arrow, the line (58), the barcode (76), the checkbox (64) or the text (60, 68).

Claim 7

The combination claimed in claim 3, including: means (130) for editing the object types created on the screen (12) of said display device (14).

Claim 8

The combination claimed in claim 3, including: means (130) for resizing or rotating the object types created on the screen (12) of said display device (14).

Claim 9

The combination claimed in claim 3, including: means (130) for loading or saving the form (70) created from the object types.

Claim 10

The combination claimed in claim 3, including: means (130) for changing the color of the object types created.

Claim 11

The combination claimed in claim 3, including: a printer (15); and means (20) for printing the form (70) created by said object types on said printer (15).

Claim 12

The combination claimed in claim 3, wherein said table (78) is comprised of rows and columns, including: means (322) for moving columns; means (328) for resizing columns; means (326) for inserting a new column; and means (332) for deleting columns.

Claim 13

The combination claimed on claim 12, including: means (342) for adding rows; and means (344) for deleting rows.

Claim 14

The combination claimed in claim 5, including: means (242) for reformatting text.

Claim 15

In apparatus for creating forms, the combination comprising: a display device (14), including a screen (12); a processor (2); an input device (4, 6) for providing commands to said processor (2) to produce indicia on the screen (12) of said display device (14); means for producing a menu (88) of a plurality of functions, including a create function, on the screen (12) of said display device (14) in response to the provision of a predetermined command from said input device (4, 6); means for selecting said create function from said menu (88) in response to a predetermined command from said input device (4, 6), said create function including a list of object types that can be utilized to create a form on the screen (12) of said display device (14), said object types including a table (78) formed of rows and columns, and a plurality of geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58); means (154) for selecting a table (78) or a geometric shape (52, 54, 56, 58) from said list of object types by said input device (4, 6); means (156) for creating a table (78) with a default size if a table (78) is the selected object type; means (166) for creating an object if a geometric shape (52, 54, 56, 58) is the selected object type; and means for producing a form on the screen of said display device comprised of the selected ones of said table (78) and said geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58).

Claim 16

The combination claimed in claim 15, including: means for moving the selected object type to different locations on the screen (12) of said display device (14); and means for resizing (192) and rotating (198) the selected object type on the screen (12) of said display device (14).

Claim 17

The combination claimed in claim 15, wherein said selected object type is a table (78), including: means for moving (322) and resizing (328) columns in said table (78); means for deleting (332) columns and inserting (336) new columns in said table (78); and means for adding (342) and deleting (344) rows in said table (78).

Claim 18

The combination claimed in claim 15, wherein said list of object types further include an arrow, a line (58), a barcode (76) and text (60, 68); means (154) for selecting from said list of object types an arrow, a line (58), a barcode (76) or text (60, 68) by said input device (4, 6); means (162) for producing a form on the screen of said display device comprised of one of the selected ones of said arrow, line (58), barcode (76) or text (60, 68).

Claim 19

The combination claimed in claim 18, wherein text (68) is one of the selcted object types, including: means (242) for editing and reformatting said text (68).

Claim 20

A form authoring toolkit having a designer mode (46) for permitting a designer to create on-screen forms (70) and a user mode (48) for permitting a user to fill information in the created on-screen form (70), the combination comprising: a display device (14), including a screen (12) on which the on-screen forms (70) can be created and filled; a processor (2); an input device (4, 6) to provide commands to said processor (2) for producing information on the screen (12) of said display device (14); said designer mode (46) including: means (130) for producing a plurality of objects on said screen (12), said objects including a table (78) formed of rows and columns, and geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58) and checkboxes (64, 82) and text (60), in response to predetermined commands from said input device (4, 6) to said processor (2); and means (130) for producing said on-screen form (70) comprised of at least one of said table (78) and said geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58) and said checkboxes (64, 82) and said text (60); said user mode (48) including: means (148) for inserting text (68) in said on-screen form (70) in response to predetermined command from said input device (4, 6); and means (152) for changing status in said checkboxes (64, 82).

Claim 22

The method claimed in claim 21, including the steps of: determining (154) the object type to be created.

Claim 23

The method claimed in claim 22, wherein said object types include a table (78) and a plurality of geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58).

Claim 24

The method claimed in claim 23, including the steps of: creating a table (78) with a default size; and creating an object from said plurality of geometric shapes (52, 54, 56, 58).

Claim 25

The method of claim 23, including the steps of: creating a checkbox (64, 82); and changing (152) the status of said checkbox (64, 82).

Claim 26

The method claimed in claim 23, wherein said object types further include an arrow, a line (58), a barcode (76) and text (60).

Claim 27

The method claimed in claim 26, including the step of: creating an object from the arrow, the line (58), the barcode (76) or the text (60, 68).

Claim 28

The method claimed in claim 23, including the step of: editing (130) the object types created on the screen (12) of said display device (14).

Claim 29

The method claimed in claim 23, including the step of: resizing (192) or rotating (198) the object types created on the screen (12) of said display device (14).

Claim 30

The method claimed in claim 23, including the step of: loading or saving (204, 210, 214) the form (70) created from the object types.

Claim 31

The combination claimed in claim 23, including the step of: changing (222) the color of the object types created.

Claim 32

The combination claimed in claim 23, including a printer (15) and the step of: printing (228) the form (70) created by said object types on said printer (15).

Claim 33

The method claimed in claim 23, wherein said table (78) is comprised of rows and columns, including the steps of: moving (322) columns; resizing (328) columns; inserting (336) a new column; and deleting (332) columns.

Claim 34

The method claimed on claim 33, including the steps of: adding rows (342); and deleting (344) rows.

Claim 35

The method claimed in claim 26, including the step of: reformatting (242) text (60, 68).

Claim 37

The method claimed in claim 36, including the steps of: moving the selected object type to different locations on the screen (12) of said display device (14); and resizing (192) and rotating (198) the selected object type on the screen (12) of said display device (14).

Claim 38

The method claimed in claim 36, wherein said selected object type is a table (78), including the steps of: moving (322) and resizing (328) columns in said table (78); deleting (332) columns and inserting (336) new columns in said table (78); and adding (342) and deleting (344) rows in said table.

Claim 39

The method claimed in claim 36, wherein said list of object types further include an arrow, a line (58), a barcode (76), a checkbox (64, 78) and text (60, 68), including the steps of: selecting from said list of object types an arrow, a line (58), a barcode (76), a checkbox (64, 78) or text (60) by said input device (4, 6); producing a form (70) on the screen (12) of said display device (14) comprised of one of the selected ones of said arrow, line (52), barcode (76) or text (60).

Claim 40

The method claimed in claim 39, wherein text (60) is one of the selcted object types, including the step of: editing and reformatting (242) said text (60).