Method and apparatus for form automatic layout
A method and apparatus are provided for determining the layout of a form automatically to accommodate text in the form. Under the method and apparatus, a set of parameters define the sizing and alignment of elements of the form. Sizing and positioning instructions that are separate from the sizing and alignment parameters set the sizing and positioning of elements of the form based on the sizing and alignment parameters. The instructions determine the minimum size for the form, based in part on text in the form. The difference between the minimum size for the form and a desired size for the form is then distributed across the form to size and position the elements in the form.
1. A tangible computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a computing device to perform operations comprising:
determining a minimum size of a form based on text entries to be displayed in respective elements in the form;
determining a difference between the minimum size of the form and a requested size of the form;
dividing the difference into blocks of space; and
setting, according to the blocks of space, respective sizes of the respective elements in the form and respective positions of the respective elements in the form.
2. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the determining the minimum size of the form includes evaluating a language of the text entries.
3. The medium of claim 2 , wherein the determining the minimum size of the form includes determining a maximum size of an element of the respective elements corresponding to the language.
4. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the setting the respective sizes of the respective elements in the form and the respective positions of the respective elements in the form includes distributing the blocks of space between the respective elements in the form.
5. The medium of claim 1 , wherein the setting the respective sizes of the respective elements in the form and the respective positions of the respective elements in the form comprises distributing the blocks of space approximately evenly between the respective elements in the form.
6. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
distributing the blocks of space substantially evenly between the respective elements.
7. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
distributing the blocks of space substantially around a periphery of the form.
8. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
displaying the text entries in the respective elements in the form.
9. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
distributing the difference substantially toward at least one of a left side of the form or a right side of the form.
10. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
distributing the difference substantially toward at least one of a bottom of the form or a top of the form.
11. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
distributing the difference substantially toward a bottom of the form and a right side of the form.
12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
distributing the difference substantially around a periphery of the form.
13. A method, comprising:
determining a minimum size of a form based on objects to be displayed in respective elements in the form;
determining a difference between the minimum size of the form and a requested size of the form;
dividing the difference into blocks of space; and
determining respective sizes of the respective elements in the form and respective positions of the respective elements in the form based on the blocks of space.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining the respective sizes of the respective elements in the form and the respective positions of the respective elements in the form includes distributing the blocks of space approximately evenly between the respective elements in the form.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the determining the minimum size includes determining a maximum size of the objects to be displayed in the respective elements in the form.
16. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one computing device configured to:
compute a size constraint of a form based on objects to be displayed in respective elements in the form;
compute a difference between the size constraint and a target size of the form;
divide the difference into segments; and
determine, based on the segments, sizes of the respective elements and positions of the respective elements in the form.
17. A method, comprising:
determining respective minimum sizes of elements to be displayed, via a device, on a form based on respective sizes of texts to be displayed on the elements;
selecting a maximum value of the respective minimum sizes;
selecting a minimum size of the form based on the maximum value of the respective minimum sizes;
calculating a difference between a target size of the form and the minimum size of the form to determine an amount of excess space; and
determining, based on the amount of excess space, respective sizes of the elements and respective positions of the elements in the form.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
distributing the amount of excess space on the form between the elements.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
laying out the elements to be displayed on the form based on the amount of excess space.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
distributing the amount of excess space on the form substantially evenly between the elements.
21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
distributing the amount of excess space on the form substantially around a periphery of the form.
22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
distributing the amount of excess space substantially toward at least one of a left side of the form or a right side of the form.
23. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
distributing the amount of excess space substantially toward at least one of a bottom of the form or a top of the form.
24. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
distributing the amount of excess space substantially toward a bottom of the form and a right side of the form.
25. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
displaying, via the device, the elements on the form.
26. A method, comprising:
for a language in which a form is to be displayed:
determining respective minimum required sizes of elements to be displayed on the form based on respective sizes of texts to be displayed on the elements;
selecting a largest form size constraint based on the respective minimum required sizes of the elements;
calculating a difference between the largest form size constraint and a target form size; and
dividing the difference into blocks of space.
27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
laying out the elements to be displayed on the form based on distributing the difference among the elements.
28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the distributing further comprises distributing the difference substantially evenly between the elements to be displayed on the form.
29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the distributing includes distributing the difference substantially around a periphery of the form.
30. The method of claim 26 , further comprising:
distributing the difference among the elements.