File transforming output engine having a decomposer and multiple writers

A method of converting an input file from a first format to a second format, the method comprising:

• delivering a desired file format and the input file to a decomposer;
• decomposing the input file into a component architecture in the decomposer:;
• and
• generating a new version of the input file in the second format by calling the decomposer multiple times from a writer.

A method of converting an input file having at plurality of pages and formatted in a first format to an output file formatted in a second format, the method comprising:

• receiving a file conversion request from a calling application;
• loading each page of the input file, one page at a time, in a decomposer;
• associating data with one or more of the plurality of pages;
• decomposing objects in each page into a component architecture;
• driving each page to a writer;
• and
• generating the output file by calling a decomposer multiple times from a writer.

A file conversion system comprising:

• a workstation having a source application, an output engine, and a document manager, the output engine including
• a decomposer operable to be called by a calling application and to receive a file and a desired file format from the calling application, the decomposer operable to decompose the file into a component architecture;
• and
• a writer operable to call the decomposer multiple times to retrieve the component architecture of the file and generate a new version of the file in the second format.
• a form data database and a form database, each accessible to the workstation;
• and
• a server accessible to the workstation and having a document control and production engine.