Patent ID: 6871187

Claim:
A method for translating a data structure for providing a catalog from a manufacturer to a customer from a first file to a second file format so as to enable a customer to perform an automated order entry process, the first file format and the second file format being encoded on compute readable media, the method comprising: translating a catalog header portion from the first file format to a corresponding set of elements in the second file format; translating a system identification portion from the first file format to a corresponding set of elements it the second file form a, the system identification portion including a system type indicator, the system type indicator inhabiting weather a system is a bundled system or a custom system; a system effective date element, the system effective date element indicating an effective date that a particular configuration is allowed to be purchased; a system discontinue data element, the system discontinue date element indicating a data by which a system is to be discouraged; and, translating a system option portion from the firs file format to a corresponding set of elements in the second file format.