Patent ID: 7222128

Claim:
A method of converting data stored in a file from a first format used by a first software application, to a new file in a second format used by a second software application, said file having one or more records, each of said records having one or more fields having one or more data elements, each of said records being associated with a first data map corresponding to said first format and a second data map corresponding to said second format, the method comprising: (a) accessing a selected record from said file, said selected record being one of said one or more records of said file; (b) initializing a new record; (c) for each field of said selected record, using said first data map associated with said selected record and said second data map associated with said selected record to determine whether said field is present in said second format, and if said field is not present in said second format, discarding said one or more data elements of said field from said selected record, and if said field is present in said second format, copying said one or more data elements of said field to said new record at a field location for said field set forth in said second data map associated with said selected record; (d) repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) for each of a remaining one or more of said records of said file; and (e) saving said new records as said new file in said second format for use by said second software application.