Patent ID: 7020667

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of selectively retrieving data from a source file on a public network and automatically collecting retrieved data in a target database, comprising: initializing a data retrieval stage by: selecting the source file; parsing selected data elements in the source file into a list of data elements; selecting at least one of the data elements from the list to be stored in the target database; identifying source locations of the selected at least one of the data elements; selecting the target database and target locations in the target database where the at least one of the data elements is to be stored in the target database; saving the source locations and target locations of the at least one of the parsed data elements in a location file in the target database; setting a schedule frequency for transferring the at least one of the parsed data elements from the source locations to the target locations in the location file in the target database; and automatically, selectively parsing new data elements corresponding to the at least one of the parsed data elements previously selected during the initialization of the data retrieval stage, pursuant to the schedule frequency, by transferring the selectively parsed new data elements from the saved source locations in the source file to the saved target locations in the target database.