Automatic transfer and expansion of application-specific data for display at a website

A method for replicating, on a website in communication with a server, representations of application-specific structured data originating on a client, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining application-specific structured data at the client, where the application-specific structured data can be generated by any of a number of application programs;
• converting the application-specific structured data into an application-independent format to create an application-independent data bundle, wherein
• the converting step includes
• interpreting the application-specific structured data and creating a definition of a meta-design object model of the application-specific structured data;
• and
• packaging all relevant data, including the meta-design object-model and graphics files or other information items, into an application-independent data bundle,
• sending the application-independent data bundle over the communications network to the server;
• expanding the application-independent data bundle into structured data at the server, the structured data at the server specifying representations corresponding to the application-specific structured data that originated on the client, wherein the application-independent format include, back references to the application-specific structured data so that if the original, application-specific structured data is modified, the data that is associated with the corresponding structured data at the server is also appropriately modified;
• and
• generating events to modify the web site in communication with the server to create the specified representations.

A method for replicating, on a website in communication with a server, representations of application-specific structured data originating on a client, the method comprising the steps of:

• activating an Internet connection between the client and the server,
• activating a browser program at the client, the browser program including a GUI;
• sending to the client via the Internet a hypertext document containing information representative of a drop zone displayable on the GUI, for receiving, via a GUI drag-and-drop operation, a file;
• receiving, via the drop zone, an application-specific file containing a data object characteristic of an application program used to create the application-specific file;
• converting the application-specific file into application-independent data, wherein
• the converting step includes
• interpreting the application-specific file and creating a definition of a meta-design object model of the application-specific file;
• and
• packaging all relevant data, including the meta-design object-model and graphics files or other information items, into a bundle of application-independent data;
• sending the bundle of application-independent data over a connection to the server;
• expanding the application-independent data into structured data at the server the structured data at the server specifying an information structure corresponding to information structures specified by the application-specific file;
• and
• generating an event, based on the structured data at the server, to modify the web site in communication with the server to create the specified information structure, wherein the structured data at the server includes back references to the application-specific file so that if the original, application-specific file is modified, the data that is associated with the corresponding information structures at the server is also appropriately modified.

A method for replicating, on a website in communication with a server, representations of application-specific structured data originating on a client, the method comprising the steps of:

• obtaining application-specific structured data at the client;
• passing the application-specific structured data to two or more bidding data processor elements;
• causing each of the bidding processors to interpret the application-specific structured data;
• causing each of the bidding processors to generate a bid representative of the ability of the submitting processor to convert the application-specific structured data into application-independent data;
• selecting, on the basis of the generated bids, one of the bidding processors to convert the application-specific structured data;
• causing the selected bidding component to convert the application-specific structured data into application-independent data, wherein
• converting the application-specific structured data includes
• interpreting the application-specific structured data and creating a definition of a meta-design object model of the application-specific structured data;
• and
• packaging all relevant data, including the meta-design object-model and graphics files or other information items, into a bundle of application-independent data
• sending the application-independent data bundle over a connection to the server;
• expanding the application-independent data into structured data at the server, the structured data at the server specifying representations corresponding to the application-specific structured data originating on the client;
• and
• generating an event, based on the structured data at the server, to modify the web site in communication with the server to create the specified information structure, wherein the application-independent data includes back references to the format of the application-specific structured data so that if the original application-specific structured data is modified, the data that is associated with the corresponding information structures at the server is also appropriately modified.

A method of transferring application-generated structured data from a client to a server, such that information structures specified by the application-generated structured data can be automatically expanded into corresponding information structures displayable by a website in communication with the server, the client having a set of Data Clients, the method including the steps of:

• providing an interface at the client for accepting application-generated structured data,
• selecting a Data Client to process the application-generated structured data;
• converting the accepted application-generated structured data, by the selected Data Client, into a source-independent format, thereby to generate a source dependent data package, wherein
• the converting step includes
• interpreting the application-generated structured data and creating a definition of a meta-design object model of the application-generated structured data;
• and
• packaging all relevant data, including the meta-design object-model and graphics files or other information items, into a source-independent data package,
• transmitting to the server the source-independent data package,
• receiving at the server the source-independent data package, and
• creating or modifying on the server, in accordance with the received source-independent data package, information structures corresponding to the information structures specified by the application-generated structured data, wherein the source-independent data package includes back references to the format of the application-generated structured data so that if the original, application-generated structure data is modified, the data that is associated with the corresponding information structures at the server is also appropriately modified.

A system for transferring application-generated structured data from a client to a server, such that information structures specified by the application-generated structured data can be automatically expanded into corresponding information structures displayable by a website in communication with the server, the system including:

• an interface at the client for accepting application-generated structured data,
• a converter element that converts into a source-independent format the accepted application-generated structured data, thereby to generate a source-independent data package, wherein
• the converting step includes
• interpreting the application-generated structured data and creating a definition of a meta-design object model of the application-generated structure data;
• and
• packaging all relevant data, including the meta-design object-model and graphics files or other information items, into the source-independent data package,
• a communications channel that transmits to the server the source-independent data package,
• elements at the server that receive the source-independent data package, and
• elements that create or modify on the server, in accordance with the received source-independent data package, information structures corresponding to the information structures specified by the application-generated structured data, wherein the source-independent data package includes back reference, to the format of the application-generated structured data so that if the original application-generated structure data is modified, the data that is associated with the corresponding information structures at the server is also appropriately modified.

A method of transferring application-generated structured data from a client to a server, such that information structures specified by the application-generated structured data can be automatically expanded into corresponding information structures displayable by a website in communication with the server, the method including the steps of:

• providing an interface at the client for accepting application-generated structured data,
• converting into a source-independent format the accepted application-generated structured data, thereby to generate a source-independent data package, wherein
• the converting step includes
• definition of a meta-design object model of the application-generated structured data;
• and
• packaging all relevant data, including the meta-design object-model and graphics files or other information items, into the source-independent data package,
• transmitting to the server the source-independent data package,
• receiving at the server the source-independent data package, and
• creating or modifying on the server, in accordance with the received source-independent data package, information structures corresponding to the information structures specified by the application-generated structured data, wherein the information structures at the server include back references to the format of the application-generated structured data so that if the original, application-generated structure data is modified, the data that is associated with the corresponding information structures at the server is also appropriately modified
• wherein the client contains a control that functions as a “drop” target in a Graphical User Interface image presented by the website, and the control functions to accept the “dropped” data.