Importing and exporting markup language data in a spreadsheet application document
First Claim
1. A method of exporting hierarchical data from a spreadsheet application, comprising:
- selecting a spreadsheet document containing data for exporting, the hierarchical data including a plurality of fields;
selecting an XML data mapping for relating all of the hierarchical data in the spreadsheet document with an XML schema file associated with the spreadsheet document;
creating a generalized instance structure corresponding to the selected XML data mapping, the generalized instance structure representing an XML document with elements and attributes defined by an XML schema;
wherein the generalized instance structure represents a potential hierarchical data structure of the XML document having all potential elements and attributes of the associated XML schema file applied to the XML document;
wherein the generalized instance structure includes a root element and a non-repeating child element having a single value and a repeating child element that has a plurality of values;
matching the selected XML data mapping to the generalized instance structure of the associated XML schema file;
comparing the generalized instance structure and the selected XML data mapping to determine what fields in the plurality of fields have been applied to the spreadsheet document from the associated XML schema file;
parsing through each of a plurality of nodes of the selected XML data mapping to find the location and content of the plurality of fields applied to the spreadsheet document;
populating the generalized instance structure with the plurality of fields applied to the spreadsheet document;
extracting the plurality of fields and any associated user data from the generalized instance structure;
arranging the extracted plurality of fields and any associated user data into a data file according to the generalized instance structure of the associated XML schema file;
using the associated XML schema file to determine when a field is optional and when the field is optional and does not include data then omitting the field from the data file; and
writing the data file to memory for exporting.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
XML data is associated with an XML schema file defining XML data types and data type definitions for applying XML data to the document. An XML data map is prepared that relates that any XML data applied to the document back to corresponding XML elements or attributes defined in the associated schema file. When the document is imported into a spreadsheet application grid, the data map is parsed to find XPATHs in the imported spreadsheet document of XML data and the user entered data. After an imported document has been edited, or after a document is created to include the application of XML data in association with a selected XML schema file, the document may be exported such that the XML data applied to the document is maintained for subsequent import and use of the document.
57 Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A method of exporting hierarchical data from a spreadsheet application, comprising:
-
selecting a spreadsheet document containing data for exporting, the hierarchical data including a plurality of fields; selecting an XML data mapping for relating all of the hierarchical data in the spreadsheet document with an XML schema file associated with the spreadsheet document; creating a generalized instance structure corresponding to the selected XML data mapping, the generalized instance structure representing an XML document with elements and attributes defined by an XML schema;
wherein the generalized instance structure represents a potential hierarchical data structure of the XML document having all potential elements and attributes of the associated XML schema file applied to the XML document;
wherein the generalized instance structure includes a root element and a non-repeating child element having a single value and a repeating child element that has a plurality of values;matching the selected XML data mapping to the generalized instance structure of the associated XML schema file; comparing the generalized instance structure and the selected XML data mapping to determine what fields in the plurality of fields have been applied to the spreadsheet document from the associated XML schema file; parsing through each of a plurality of nodes of the selected XML data mapping to find the location and content of the plurality of fields applied to the spreadsheet document; populating the generalized instance structure with the plurality of fields applied to the spreadsheet document; extracting the plurality of fields and any associated user data from the generalized instance structure; arranging the extracted plurality of fields and any associated user data into a data file according to the generalized instance structure of the associated XML schema file; using the associated XML schema file to determine when a field is optional and when the field is optional and does not include data then omitting the field from the data file; and writing the data file to memory for exporting. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A computer readable medium having computer executable instructions contained thereon which when executed by a computer perform the following steps for exporting hierarchical data from a spreadsheet application:
-
selecting a spreadsheet document containing data for exporting, the hierarchical data including a plurality of fields; selecting an XML data mapping for relating all of the hierarchical data in the spreadsheet document with an XML schema file associated with the spreadsheet document; creating a generalized instance structure corresponding to the selected XML data mapping, the generalized instance structure representing an XML document with elements and attributes defined by an XML schema;
wherein the generalized instance structure represents a potential hierarchical data structure of the XML document having all potential elements and attributes of the associated XML schema file applied to the XML document;
wherein the generalized instance structure includes a root element and a non-repeating child element having a single value and a repeating child element that has a plurality of values;matching the selected XML data mapping to the generalized instance structure of the associated XML schema file; comparing the generalized instance structure and the selected XML data mapping to determine what fields in the plurality of fields have been applied to the spreadsheet document from the associated XML schema file; parsing through each of a plurality of nodes of the selected XML data mapping to find the location and content of the plurality of fields applied to the spreadsheet document; populating the generalized instance structure with the plurality of fields applied to the spreadsheet document; extracting the plurality of fields and any associated user data from the generalized instance structure; arranging the extracted plurality of fields and any associated user data into a data file according to the generalized instance structure of the associated XML schema file; using the associated XML schema file to determine when a field is optional and when the field is optional and does not include data then omitting the field from the data file; and writing the data file to memory for exporting.
-
Specification