Patent ID: 7421646

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for mapping payload data in a markup language format to spreadsheet lists to generate a spreadsheet populated with said payload data, the method comprising the steps of: receiving spreadsheet data including at least one spreadsheet list, wherein said at least one spreadsheet list describes a spreadsheet structure including one or more fields included in a row of a spreadsheet and includes at least one path associated with one of the fields; receiving payload data, wherein said payload data is associated with said spreadsheet data; mapping said payload data to said at least one spreadsheet list independent of any schema associated with the payload data by: generating a set of parent paths for said at least one path; determining a longest parent path of said set of parent paths; designating a parent path of said set of parent paths as a bottom path; and generating a set of nodes from said payload data, wherein said set of nodes is generated by evaluating said bottom path on said payload data; mapping a node of said set of nodes to a row of said at least one spreadsheet list; and retrieving a value of said field within said row by tracing said bottom path to said at least one path associated with said field within said spreadsheet data; and causing the spreadsheet to be presented to a user via an output device wherein the spreadsheet manifests the spreadsheet structure populated with the payload data.