Software settings management tool

A data processing system comprising:

• a bus;
• a storage device or memory device connected to the bus, wherein the storage device or memory device includes computer usable program code;
• a display connected to the bus;
• and
• a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer usable program code to:
• execute a pre-defined utility to convert one or more files of a proprietary format into one or more markup language files,
• wherein each file of a proprietary format includes data representing one or more software settings that control the way a software program looks or functions or both, and
• wherein each markup language file includes data representing one or more abstracted settings that correlate to one or more software settings contained in one or more of the files of a proprietary format;
• execute a routine that combines the data from the one or more markup language files with data from a template file to create a single combination of data,
• wherein the template file includes data representing one or more abstracted settings, and
• wherein the template file includes, for at least one abstracted setting, path data that indicates a feature or setting that controls a graphical user interface related to the software program;
• and
• display, via a user interface that communicates with the display, the single combination of data to a user.

A computer implemented method for managing software settings, the method comprising:

• displaying, via a display coupled to a computer, a user interface that allows a user to select a first one or more files of a proprietary format,
• wherein each of the first one or more files of a proprietary format includes data representing one or more software settings that control the way a software program looks or functions or both;
• executing, on the computer, a pre-defined utility to convert the first one or more files of a proprietary format into one or more markup language files,
• wherein each markup language file includes data representing one or more abstracted settings that correlate to one or more software settings contained in the one or more of the files of a proprietary format;
• executing, on the computer, a routine that combines the data from the one or more markup language files to create a single combination of data;
• executing, on the computer, a routine that saves the single combination of data to a snapshot file that is stored on a memory device;
• displaying, via a display coupled to the computer, a user interface that allows a user to select the snapshot file;
• and
• executing, on the computer, a pre-defined utility to convert data from the snapshot file into a second one or more files of a proprietary format.