Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing data used by a business application consistent with the present invention may include receiving electronic form data comprising layout data and representations of interactive elements, combining the electronic form data with customer specific data from a database to generate an intermediate form document in a data format capable of being output to a printer as a blank form without further modification, and converting the intermediate form document into a third document in a data format for display to a customer by a browser. The third document displayed to the customer looks the same as the blank form, receiving customer input data received from a customer via the third document, and associating the customer input data with the customer specific data in the business application.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for providing within edited shell documents contextual information associated with a referenced object. The methods and systems may receive a request from an author to insert a reference to a fragment object into a shell document reflecting content to be displayed and generate response data including a reference to the fragment object and a first property reflecting contextual information associated with the fragment object. The shell document may be modified by inserting the response data into the shell document. The methods and system may also render the modified shell document including the response data such that the response data conveys a user-ascertainable characteristic of the fragment object based on the first property.

Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for generating, managing, and publishing documents based on document level objects and software level objects . In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for managing documents in a computing system environment. The method may include identifying a placeholder object included in a document having a document level object, the placeholder object having metadata corresponding to a software level object. Further, the method includes generating a query message based on the placeholder object and identifying software level object content based on the query message. The software level object content may be in a first format based on a first set of constraints. The method may also include providing a response message including the software level object content and transforming the format of the software level object content included in the response message to a second format based on a second set of constraints.

Abstract: Methods and systems, including computer program products, implementing techniques for configuring data structures. The techniques include receiving a description of a logical structure of a data model, the logical structure comprising a first set of elements; displaying a first display structure in a graphical user interface (GUI), the first display structure being a graphical representation of the description of the logical structure, the first display structure comprising visual representations of the elements of the logical structure; generating a data structure based on one or more user-selected visual representations of the elements of the logical structure, the data structure comprising a second set of elements; and displaying a second display structure in the GUI, the second display structure being a graphical representation of the data structure, the second display structure comprising visual representations of the elements of the data structure.

Abstract: A system and a method of maintaining extensible markup language (XML) document includes splitting an XML document into fragments according to rules stored in a configuration file, binding each of the fragments to an object in a content management system, and providing a reference between the XML document and the fragments.

Abstract: An interactive computer system (901/902/903) feeds (31) customer input data (Z) into a business application (202). A first computer (901) designs a visual document appearance and thereby provides layout data (X) with interactive elements in a first document. A second computer (902) processes the first document by adding (102, 12) customer specific data (Y) from the business application (202), thereby provides a second document (302), and codes the second document (302, 312) into markup language having representations for the interactive elements. A third computer (903) with a browser displays a visual representation of the second document (302, 312) to a customer as designed and prompts the customer for input data (Z) through the interactive elements. The third computer (903) forwards (33) the input data (Z) to the second computer (902) through a third document (323) and the second computer (902) relates (104) the customer input data (Z) with customer specific data (Y) in the business application (202).

Abstract: A form with a plurality of layout items for data presentation by a business application is defined by—simultaneously and one a single screen—providing (410) a tree view with tree nodes to represent the layout items, wherein the view visualizes structure information, a processing order, a selected tree node to represent a selected layout item; providing (420) a property view to display properties of the selected layout item; providing (430) a layout view to display items, wherein the selected layout item is highlighted; modifying (440) the selected layout item and the processing order through interaction with a user; and creating (450) a form definition document. The compatibility of layout items and processing order with a predefined data interface of the business application is verified as well.