Structured document bounding language

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer program products, and methods of doing business by using a bounding language to control or restrict the changes that can be made to contents of a structured document (e.g., a document encoded in the Extensible Markup Language, or “XML”), and also includes the bounding language and documents encoded according to the bounding language. A Document Type Definition (“DTD”) is defined as a “bounding DTD”, and one or more structured documents containing editing restrictions are defined according to this DTD. A processing component uses a structured document containing editing restrictions as input, and programmatically determines which fields of another structured document can be edited, which fields should be hidden, and so forth. By restricting the parts of the file that can be edited, users who need to do the editing are shielded from irrelevant details, and can carry out their task with less risk of making errors (and without needing to understand the details of the structured document markup language).

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A software-implemented method for controlling manipulation of contents of a structured document, comprising steps of: 
 processing a bounding file to determine restrictions on how a structured document can be manipulated, wherein the bounding file adheres to a bounding language that is defined according to a second structured markup language definition document that specifies allowable restrictions on how contents of the structured document can be manipulated, wherein the structured document is defined according to a first structured markup language definition document; and    enforcing the determined restrictions on how the structured document can be manipulated.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first structured markup language definition document and the second structured markup language definition document are Document Type Definition (“DTD”) documents.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the structured document is encoded in Extensible Markup Language (“XML”).  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more elements of the structured document that can be edited.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more elements of the structured document that should be hidden from editing.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more parameters of one or more elements of the structured document that can be edited.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more parameters of one or more elements of the structured document that should be hidden from editing.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the enforcing step further comprises the steps of: 
 editing, by a user, the structured document; and    automatically constraining the editing according to the determined restrictions.    
     
     
         9 . A system for controlling manipulation of contents of a structured document, comprising: 
 means for processing a bounding file to determine restrictions on how a structured document can be manipulated, wherein the bounding file adheres to a bounding language that is defined according to a second structured markup language definition document that specifies allowable restrictions on how contents of the structured document can be manipulated, wherein the structured document is defined according to a first structured markup language definition document; and    means for enforcing the determined restrictions on how the structured document can be manipulated.    
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the first structured markup language definition document and the second structured markup language definition document are Document Type Definition (“DTD”) documents.  
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the structured document is encoded in Extensible Markup Language (“XML”).  
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more elements of the structured document that can be edited.  
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more elements of the structured document that should be hidden from editing.  
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more parameters of one or more elements of the structured document that can be edited.  
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more parameters of one or more elements of the structured document that should be hidden from editing.  
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein the means for enforcing further comprises: 
 means for editing, by a user, the structured document; and    means for automatically constraining the editing according to the determined restrictions.    
     
     
         17 . A computer program product for controlling manipulation of contents of a structured document, the computer program product embodied on one or more computer-readable media and comprising: 
 computer-readable program code means for processing a bounding file to determine restrictions on how a structured document can be manipulated, wherein the bounding file adheres to a bounding language that is defined according to a second structured markup language definition document that specifies allowable restrictions on how contents of the structured document can be manipulated, wherein the structured document is defined according to a first structured markup language definition document; and    computer-readable program code means for enforcing the determined restrictions on how the structured document can be manipulated.    
     
     
         18 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the first structured markup language definition document and the second structured markup language definition document are Document Type Definition (“DTD”) documents.  
     
     
         19 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the structured document is encoded in Extensible Markup Language (“XML”).  
     
     
         20 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more elements of the structured document that can be edited.  
     
     
         21 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more elements of the structured document that should be hidden from editing.  
     
     
         22 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more parameters of one or more elements of the structured document that can be edited.  
     
     
         23 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the bounding file specifies one or more parameters of one or more elements of the structured document that should be hidden from editing.  
     
     
         24 . The computer program product according to  claim 17 , wherein the computer-readable program code means for enforcing further comprises: 
 computer-readable program code means for editing, by a user, the structured document; and    computer-readable program code means for automatically constraining the editing according to the determined restrictions.    
     
     
         25 . A method of providing restrictions on how users can edit structured documents, comprising steps of: 
 providing a bounding file that specifies restrictions on how a structured document can be edited, wherein the bounding file adheres to a bounding language that is defined according to a second structured markup language definition document that specifies allowable restrictions on how contents of the structured document can be manipulated, wherein the structured document is defined according to a first structured markup language definition document; and    charging a fee for carrying out the providing step.    
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , further comprising the step of using the provided bounding file to enforce the determined restrictions on how the structured document can be manipulated.  
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , further comprising the step of providing an editing capability that enforces the determined restrictions on how the structured document can be manipulated.  
     
     
         28 . A bounding document encoded in a structured markup language, wherein the bounding document is stored on one or more computer-readable media and comprises: 
 one or more rules on how a structured document can be edited, wherein:    the one or more rules are encoded in the structured markup language, and adhere to a bounding language that is defined according to a bounding language definition document that specifies allowable rules on how contents of the structured document can be manipulated; and    the structured document is defined according to a structured markup language definition document.    
     
     
         29 . The bounding document according to  claim 28 , wherein the one or more rules refer to markup language elements defined in the structured markup language definition document.  
     
     
         30 . The bounding document according to  claim 28 , wherein the one or more rules are restrictions on how the structured document can be edited.