Infinite Canvas

Abstract

Providing an infinite or seemingly infinite canvas as a workspace is disclosed. In some embodiments, an ability to add to a displayed canvas and view simultaneously one or more table objects, each of which has associated with it an ability to define the content of a first cell by reference to one or more other cells such that the content of the first cell is updated automatically and without further human intervention if the content of one or more of the one or more other cells is changed, is provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium, comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 provide a workspace in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a first application, wherein the workspace comprises a canvas extending in an x-direction or a y-direction, the canvas comprising an area where one or more objects may be placed;   identify that an initial boundary of the workspace is approached in the GUI; and   when the initial boundary of the workspace is approached, extend the initial boundary to an expanded boundary beyond the initial boundary, such that additional space is made available in the canvas.   
     
     
         2 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 1 , comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 receive a request to add a first object to the canvas; and   in response to the request, add the first object to the canvas.   
     
     
         3 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 2 , wherein the request is received in response to selection of an option type associated with the first object from the GUI of the first application. 
     
     
         4 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 2 , wherein the first object comprises a finite object. 
     
     
         5 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 2 , wherein the first object comprises: a table, text, a chart, a graph, a shape, an image, a photograph, a graphic, an animation, multimedia content, a control, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 2 , wherein content of the first object is configured to update based on a change to external data to the first object that is not part of the first object. 
     
     
         7 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 6 , wherein the external data to the first object is sourced from the first application. 
     
     
         8 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 6 , wherein the external data to the first object is sourced from a second application different than the first application. 
     
     
         9 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the first object is added to the canvas based upon being copied from the second application to the first application. 
     
     
         10 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 9 , comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 in response to the copying of the first object from the second application to the first application, maintain a relationship between the first object added to the first application and the second application;   dynamically update the content of the first object in the first application based upon the maintained relationship.   
     
     
         11 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 2 , comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 add a second object to the canvas, wherein the second object comprises a relationship to the first object;   detect a change to the first object; and   based upon the detected change, modify the second object, in accordance with the relationship.   
     
     
         12 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 2 , comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 receive a request to implement a modification to the first object, wherein the modification comprises formatting, moving, resizing, scaling, or any combination thereof,   in response to the request to implement the modification to the first object, apply the modification to the first object independent of other objects of the first application.   
     
     
         13 . The tangible, non-transitory, machine-readable-medium of  claim 1 , wherein the first application comprises a spreadsheet application, a word processing application, a presentation application, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 an electronic display;   a memory configured to store machine-readable instructions; and   processing circuitry configured to execute the machine-readable instructions, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 display a workspace in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a first application, on the electronic display, wherein the workspace comprises a canvas extending in an x-direction or a y-direction, the canvas comprising an area where one or more objects may be placed; 
 identify that an initial boundary of the workspace is approached in the GUI; and 
 upon identifying that the initial boundary of the workspace is approached, extend the initial boundary to an expanded boundary beyond the initial boundary, such that additional space is made available in the canvas. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein content of the one or more objects is configured to update based on a change to content that is not part of the object. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein content of the one or more objects are individually encapsulated in a corresponding one of the one or more objects. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to:
 add the one or more objects to the canvas via a copy the one or more objects from a second application different than the first application to the first application;   in response to the copying of the one or more objects from the second application to the first application, maintain a relationship between the one or more objects added to the first application and the second application;   detect a change in the second application; and   dynamically update the content of the one or more objects in the first application based upon the maintained relationship, in accordance with the change in the second application.   
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 providing a workspace in a graphical user interface (GUI) of a first application, wherein the workspace comprises a canvas extending in an x-direction or a y-direction, the canvas comprising an area where one or more objects may be placed;   identifying that an initial boundary of the workspace is approached in the GUI;   when the initial boundary of the workspace is approached, extending the initial boundary to an expanded boundary beyond the initial boundary, such that additional space is made available in the canvas; and   adding an object to the canvas.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , comprising:
 copying the object to a second application, generating a copied object in the second application;   receiving a request to add a first object to the canvas; and   in response to the request, adding the first object to the canvas.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , comprising:
 receiving a request to display a paginated view; and   in response to the request, display pagination borders that indicate where printing borders exist within the canvas.