Patent ID: 8386953

Claim:
A method of utilizing data records with both predefined fields and custom fields, performed at a client computer with one or more processors and memory, the method comprising: accessing a data record comprising a fixed set of predefined fields and a set of custom fields, wherein each predefined field comprises a predefined field name and a field value, and each custom field comprises a user-specified field name and a field value; displaying the data record in a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including data entry controls for user specification of a field name and a field value; receiving input from a user that includes a user-specified field name in the data entry controls; when the user-specified field name matches a field name of a respective predefined field of the plurality of predefined fields, storing a user-supplied value in the respective predefined field; and when the user-specified field name does not match the field name of any of the plurality of predefined fields, storing the user-specified field name and the user-supplied value in an allocated custom field.