What is claimed is:
1. A method in a data processing system for generating a metadata stream, the method comprising the data processing system implemented step of: receiving calls from an application, wherein the calls are received calls; tracking current application attributes in the received calls; identifying a new section call in the received calls; placing the new section call within the metadata stream to identify a new section in the metadata stream; and placing current application attributes in the metadata stream within the new section identified by the new section call, wherein the new section within the metadata stream may be printed using the current application attributes located within new section.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the new section is located between the new section call for the new section and a new section call for a section immediately following the new section.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the new section call is a new page call and wherein the new section is a new page.
4. A method in a data processing system for generating a metadata stream, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of: receiving an attribute call to set an attribute; querying a first group of attributes to determine whether the attribute call is present in the first group of attributes; updating the first group of attributes in response to the attribute call being absent in the first group of attributes; receiving a primitive call; erasing all attribute calls stored in a second group of attributes in response to the primitive call being a call for a new section; retrieving an attribute call associated with the primitive from the first group of attributes; determining whether the attribute call associated with the primitive is present in a second group of attributes; updating the second group of attributes to include the attribute call associated with the primitive call in response to the attribute call associated with the primitive call being absent in the second group of attributes; placing the attribute call associated with the primitive call in the metadata stream in response to updating the second group of attributes; and placing the primitive call in the metadata stream.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of attributes is located in a current application attributes database.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second group of attributes is located in a current metadata attributes database.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: storing the metadata stream in a storage device.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising: sending the metadata stream to an output device.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the output device is a printer.
10. The method of claim 1, where in the first group of attributes and the second group of attributes are located in a data structure.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data structure is located in a random access memory.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group of attributes is located in a first database and the second group of attributes are located in a second database.
13. A method in a data processing system for processing a metadata stream, the method comprising the data processing system implemented steps of: receiving a metadata stream from a first process, wherein the metadata stream includes a document with a plurality of sections; tracking format data describing a format of the document in the metadata stream to identify current format data in metadata stream; and responsive to a new section in the metadata stream, placing current format data within the metadata stream for the new section such that all format data describing the new section is located within the new section in the metadata stream.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising: responsive to a new command to print a selected section of the metadata stream, locating the selected section of the metadata stream and printing the selected section using current format data within the selected section; and printing the selected section using the current format data within the selected section.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the printing step prints to a file.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the printing step prints to a printer.
17. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sections is a plurality of frames.
18. The method claim 13, wherein the plurality of sections is a plurality of pages.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein a beginning of a page within the plurality of pages is identified within the metadata stream by a new page call.
20. A data processing system for generating a metadata stream, the data processing system comprising: reception means for receiving calls from an application, wherein the calls are received calls; tracking means for tracking current application attributes in the received calls; identification means for identifying a new section call in the received calls; first placement means for placing the new section call within the metadata stream to identify a new section in the metadata stream; and second placement means for placing current application attributes in the metadata stream within the new section identified by the new section call, wherein the new section within the metadata stream may be printed using the current application attributes located within new section.
21. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the new section is located between the new section call for the new section and a new section call for a section immediately following the new section.
22. The data processing system of claim 20, wherein the new section call is a new page call and wherein the new section is a new page.
23. A data processing system for generating a metadata stream, the data processing system comprising: first reception means for receiving an attribute call to set an attribute; first querying means for querying a first group of attributes to determine whether the attribute call is present in the first group of attributes; first updating means for updating the first group of attributes in response to the attribute call being absent in the first group of attributes; second reception means for receiving a primitive call; erasing means for erasing all attribute calls stored in a second group of attributes in response to the primitive call being a call for a new section; retrieving means for retrieving an attribute call associated with the primitive from the first group of attributes; determination means for determining whether the attribute call associated with the primitive is present in a second group of attributes; second updating means for updating the second group of attributes to include the attribute call associated with the primitive call in response to the attribute call associated with the primitive call being absent in the second group of attributes; first placing means for placing the attribute call associated with the primitive call in the metadata stream in response to updating the second group of attributes; and second placing means for placing the primitive call in the metadata stream.
24. The data processing system claim 23, wherein the first group of attributes is located in a current application attributes database.
25. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the second group of attributes is located in a current metadata attributes database.
26. The data processing system of claim 23 further comprising: storing means for storing the metadata stream in a storage device.
27. The data processing system of claim 23 further comprising: an output device; sending means for sending the metadata stream to the output device.
28. The data processing system of claim 27, wherein the output device is a printer.
29. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the first group of attributes and the second group of attributes are located in a data structure.
30. The data processing system of claim 29, wherein the data structure is located in a random access memory.
31. The data processing system of claim 23, wherein the first group of attributes is located in a first database and the second group of attributes is located in a second database.
32. A data processing system for processing a metadata stream, the data processing system comprising: reception means for receiving a metadata stream from a first process, wherein the metadata stream includes a document with a plurality of sections; tracking means for tracking format data describing a format of the document in the metadata stream to identify current format data in metadata stream; and placing means, responsive to a new section in the metadata stream, for placing current format data within the metadata stream for the new section such that all format data describing the new section is located within the new section in the metadata stream.
33. The data processing system of claim 32 further comprising: locating means, responsive to a new command to print a selected section of the metadata stream, for locating the selection section of the metadata stream; and printing means for printing the selected section using the current format data within the selected section.
34. The data processing system of claim 33, wherein the printing means prints to a file.
35. The data processing system of claim 33, wherein the printing means prints to a printer.
36. The data processing system of claim 32, wherein the plurality of sections is a plurality of frames.
37. The data processing system claim 32, wherein the plurality of sections is a plurality of pages.
38. The data processing system of claim 37, wherein a beginning of a page within the plurality of pages is identified within the metadata stream by a new page call.
39. A compute r pro gram product in a computer readable medium for generating a metadata stream, the computer program product comprising: first instructions for receiving calls from an application, wherein the calls are received calls; second instructions for tracking current application attributes in the received calls; third instructions for identifying a new page call in the received calls; fourth instructions for placing the new page call within the metadata stream to identify a new page in the metadata stream; and fifth instructions for placing current application attributes in the metadata stream within the new page identified by the new page call, wherein the new page within the metadata stream may be printed using the current application attributes located within new page, wherein the instructions are embodied within the computer readable medium.
40. A computer program product in a computer readable medium for processing a metadata stream, the computer program product comprising: first instructions for receiving a metadata stream from a first process, wherein the metadata stream includes a document with a plurality of sections; second instructions for tracking format data describing a format of the document in the metadata stream to identify current format data in metadata stream; and fourth instructions, responsive to a new section in the metadata stream, for placing current format data within the metadata stream for the new section such that all format data describing the new section is located within the new section in the metadata stream, wherein the instructions are embodied within the computer readable medium.
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