1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to setting tabs. More specifically, this invention relates to changing the location of one set tab and causing a change in the location of following set tabs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, the setting and clearing of tabs, and the handling of text, including columns, relative to set tabs, have been accomplished in numerous ways. For example, on the IBM Mag Card II and the IBM Memory Typewriter, tabs are automatically set every five units upon power "on." The operator can then escape the carrier and clear the set tabs and set other tabs. The locations of the set tabs are stored in a random access memory. Text codes and tab codes are then keyed and stored in an included electronic dynamic shift register memory. Upon playout of the text from the stored text and tab codes in the shift register memory, the text is properly aligned relative to the set tabs.
Other known art includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,625,335; 3,812,945; 3,832,697; and 3,885,663. These patents were developed during a patentability search in the U.S. Pat. and Trademark Office. From a review of these patents, no disclosure appears which is particularly pertinent to this invention. That is, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,335 there is disclosed apparatus for inhibiting printing and causing backspacing for keyed characters from a tabulation position. The characters are stored during keying. Upon release, there is a justified printout of the stored characters against a tabulation position. U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,945, as far as tabulation is concerned, discloses a system for aligning a column of numbers with respect to decimal points. U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,697 deals with handling digits within a column. A tabulating system is disclosed in which the number of digits to be printed out in respective columns can be set in order that information stored in a register can be tabulated. U.S. Pat. No. 3,885,663 deals with vertically aligning columnar text relative to set tabs.
An important point to note with respect to the above is that the resetting or repositioning of one set tab will in no way affect any other set tab. With this invention, not only will the resetting of one tab affect other set tabs, the relative spacing of following set tabs will be maintained upon the resetting of a tab.