Patent ID: 8464211

Claim:
A computer system for converting a source form definition file designed for execution by a source forms display program on a variety of devices to a target form definition file designed for execution by a target forms display program on a device of a target device type, the source forms display program and the target forms display program being different programs such that the target forms display program does not support one or more elements that are supported by the source display program, the source form definition file being compatible with the source forms display program, the computer system comprising: a memory storing computer-executable instructions of: a component that provides the source form definition file that is designed for execution by the source forms display program on a variety of devices, the source form definition file including a manifest file, a schema file, and a view file, the view file for being applied to data formatted in accordance with the schema file to generate a view of the data and being tailored to characteristics of the device of the target device type, the view file being compatible with the source forms display program, but not being compatible with the target forms display program because of an element not supported by the target forms display program; a component that transforms the view file of the source form definition file to create a transformed view file that is compatible with the target forms display program such that an element of the view file that is not supported by the target forms display program is transformed into an element that is supported by the target forms display program and such that a placeholder control of the view file is replaced with a custom control to provide functionality supported by the target forms display program, but not supported by the source forms display program; a component that generates an information file that records information extracted from the manifest file; and a component that creates a forms package with the transformed view file, the schema file, and the information file as the target form definition file for distribution to a device of the target device type that executes the target forms display program; and a processor that executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory.