Patent ID: 8015217

Claim:
A computerized method for enabling retrieval of user data having one or more user-defined non-standard data types stored on a data storage device of a data system having a centralized processing unit (CPU), memory, an operating system, user interface, and a data management system, using one or more application programs apart from the data system and having program instructions, the method comprising: defining a layout for each user-defined non-standard data type of the user data, the layout providing one or more user data fields having the one or more user-defined non-standard data types, wherein the data system does not include data type definitions and the data system defines the data fields as byte arrays of user-defined sizes, wherein the byte arrays are not defined as types to the data system; defining one or more conversion routines for each user-defined non-standard data type in relation to one or more associated standard data types, wherein the user-defined non-standard data types and the associated standard data types are each a data definition that defines data for interpretation, the user-defined non-standard data types being defined and interpreted differently than the associated standard data types; and providing a coordination call for mapping the one or more conversion routines to the one or more associated standard data types such that in response to the coordination call being called, the one or more conversion routines convert the one or more user-defined non-standard data types of the user data to the one or more associated standard data types, wherein in response to a user access request for the user data, the coordination call is called and the user data is retrieved from the data storage device and converted to the one or more associated standard data types, wherein the one or more application programs interpret the user data.