XML Template Merge Application for Cross-Platform Document Generation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for creating electronic documents from templates are restricted by being specific to particular applications, making them obsolete if the application changes and limiting cross-application use.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a merge application to create documents from master and slave templates in an XML format, with data stored in a database, allowing for independence from specific applications and enabling use across multiple platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If templates are created using application-specific formats, then document creation is simplified within that application, but the templates become obsolete and unusable if the application changes or becomes obsolete
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by creating templates in XML format that are not bound to any specific application. The merge application can process XML templates and generate documents in multiple formats (Word, PDF, HTML, etc.), making the templates universally usable across different applications and platforms, thereby resolving the obsolescence problem while maintaining ease of template creation.
2Productivity
If templates are tied to a specific application, then the document creation process is streamlined, but the system lacks flexibility and cannot be used across multiple platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary merge application that acts as a mediator between XML templates and various document output formats. This intermediary layer enables templates to be created once in XML format and then converted to multiple document formats through the merge application, maintaining both efficiency and cross-platform versatility without requiring application-specific templates.
3Ease of operation
If application-specific templates are used, then document formatting is automatically handled, but the system becomes rigid and cannot adapt to different document formats or platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the document output format flexible and changeable. The XML templates contain dynamic formatting instructions that can be adapted to produce different document formats (Word, PDF, HTML, etc.) based on the requirements. The merge application dynamically processes these templates and generates the appropriate output format, maintaining automatic formatting while providing format flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A merge application creates a particular set of documents for a particular matter. The merge application receives a selection of a particular master template corresponding to the particular set of documents, where the selected master template specifies a plurality of slave templates, and also receives a selection of a data structure from a database with data relating to the particular matter. The selected master template and the selected data structure are employed to produce the set of documents for the particular matter in an electronic form, where a corresponding document of the set is produced for each specified slave template in the selected master template. Each corresponding document is produced according to common content in the slave template and data in the selected data structure in the database referred to by placeholders in the slave template.