Patent ID: 7484170

Claim:
A method for formatting a plurality of source text files each having specific formats to be imported into a single spreadsheet file comprising the steps of: a) selecting a user modifiable file format profile to be associated to each of the plurality of source text files, wherein each source text file comprises a file directly created by a text editor or recognized by a spreadsheet program as a text file, the plurality of file format profiles each including a plurality of identifiers each with a corresponding formatting instruction, wherein each identifier generates a unique action in the spreadsheet file, wherein the file format profile is configured to be used to format the single spreadsheet file; b) creating a source-format link between the plurality of source text files and the selected plurality of file format profiles, wherein the source-format link stores a format action applied to the spreadsheet file after an importing; c) importing the plurality of source text files into the single spreadsheet file after the creating the source-format link; d) creating a location link between the imported plurality of source text files and their locations into the single spreadsheet file after the importing, wherein the location link comprises a directory path of the source text files and contains a related location and a size of each of the imported plurality of source text files; e) storing the location link into a spreadsheet user profile database after the creating; and f) applying the selected plurality of file format profiles to the imported plurality of source text files by using the source-format link and the location link.