Patent ID: 8180809

Claim:
A method for constructing a digraph from a plurality of source-to-target traversals, the method comprising: representing in a graph a one-to-many transformation of electronic data from a source data format into a plurality of target data formats, wherein said one-to-many transformation is represented in said graph by a node representing said source data format, a plurality of nodes representing said target data formats, and a node that is identified as a decomposition node representing a one-to-many transformation, wherein said node representing said source data format is connected to said decomposition node by an arc having an associated non-zero cost representing a cost of said one-to-many transformation, and wherein said decomposition node is connected to said plurality of nodes representing said target data formats by a corresponding plurality of arcs having an associated zero cost per arc; representing in said graph a many-to-one transformation of electronic data from a plurality of source data formats into a target data format, wherein said many-to-one transformation is represented in said graph by a plurality of nodes representing said source data formats, a node representing said target data format, and a node that is identified as a composition node representing a many-to-one transformation, wherein said plurality of nodes representing said source data formats are connected to said composition node by a corresponding plurality of arcs having an associated zero cost per arc, wherein said composition node is connected to said node representing said target data format by an arc having an associated non-zero cost representing a cost of said many-to-one transformation and that is traversable only after all of said arcs from said source data formats to said composition node are traversed, and wherein said nodes representing said source data formats and said nodes representing said target data formats are identifiably distinguishable from said composition node and said decomposition node, wherein said composition node is identifiably distinguishable from said decomposition node, and wherein said representing steps are embodied in any of a) computer hardware, and b) computer software embodied in a non-transitory, computer-readable medium.