Method for importing and exporting data of hierarchic structure

Abstract

A method and computer-readable medium are provided for selectively importing and exporting data in an electronic document. An import application program interface (API) may be implemented to import content from a hierarchically structured document, such an XML file. The import API works in conjunction with a parser to scan the document and extract content from selected elements, nodes, attributes, and text. The import API also utilizes a callback component for processing the extracted content. An export API may also be implemented to export data to create a hierarchically structured document, such as an XML file. The export API works in conjunction with a writer to receive data and export the data as elements, nodes, attributes, and text in the hierarchically structured document.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to methods and computer readable media for importing and exporting hierarchically structured data. Background technique [0002] Computer software applications allow users to generate documents containing data organized into hierarchical structures such as spreadsheets, calendars, bank statements, product lists, outlines, etc. to exchange with other users on a computer network such as the Internet. For example, users can use Extensible Markup Language (XML) programs to generate documents to exchange hierarchical data between computer systems using different formats. XML documents have user-definable descriptive tags adjacent to the data contained therein, making the data understandable by a wide variety of computers. Data can be imported from documentation and made visible to users by simply parsing markup with descriptions. After viewing the data, the user can export the data to a new or edited hierarchically formatted ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

That is, there is no easy way to selectively search a document for specific tags or sections containing data of interest to the user without having to search the entire document with an event analysis-based program such as SAX, or with a program such as DOM. Tree-based parsers traverse the tree while consuming considerable time and memory resources

[0005] Also, while tree-based parsers such as DOM (which store the entire document in memory) are capable of exporting subtrees or other hierarchical data, such parsers are limited by their inherently considerable use of time and memory resources

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