Markup language visual mapping

A method for mapping markup language data to a spreadsheet application document, comprising:

• associating a schema file with a spreadsheet application document defining permissible data definitions for any XML data in the document;
• parsing the schema file to determine data definitions required for valid XML data according to the associated schema file;
• building an instance structure of the associated schema file representing all available elements, attributes or simple data content of the associated schema file that are applicable to the spreadsheet application document;
• displaying a tree view of the instance structure for providing a visual representation of the instance structure of the associated schema file whereby the tree view contains hierarchically-structured nodes visually representing elements and attributes and simple data content of the markup language defined by the associated schema file that are applicable to the spreadsheet document according to the associated schema file;
• applying an element or attribute selected from the tree view to a target location in the document;
• and
• writing a pointer to the target location for pointing the target location to the selected element or attribute in the associated schema file, wherein the steps of associating, parsing, building, displaying, applying, and writing establish a relationship between the markup language and the spreadsheet application document so that the instance structure is maintained when the markup language is imported to the spreadsheet application document.

A computer readable medium containing instructions which when executed by a computer perform the steps of:

• associating an XML schema file with a spreadsheet application document defining permissible data definitions for the document;
• building an instance structure of the associated XML schema file representing all available nodes defined by the associated schema file that are applicable to the document and representing a relationship of the available nodes to one another as defined by the associated schema file;
• displaying a tree view of the instance structure for providing a visual representation of the instance structure of the associated XML schema file whereby the tree view contains hierarchically-structured nodes visually representing elements and attributes of the markup language defined by the associated schema file that are applicable to the document according to the associated schema file;
• applying an element or attribute selected from the tree view to a target location in the document;
• writing an XPATH pointer to the target location for pointing the target location to the selected element or attribute in the associated schema file via the instance structure;
• creating a mapping between the document and the associated schema file including building a collection of XPATH pointers associated with all selected elements or attributes that are applied to the document for pointing markup language nodes applied to the document to corresponding nodes in the associated schema file for defining each element and attribute applied to the document;
• providing a visual indication in the tree view of any elements or attributes that have been applied to the document;
• and
• providing a visual indication in the target location that a selected element or attribute has been applied to the target location.

A method for mapping eXtensible Markup Language (XML) data to a spreadsheet application document, comprising:

• associating an XML schema file with a spreadsheet application document defining permissible data definitions for the document;
• building an instance structure of the associated XML schema file representing all available nodes defined by the associated schema file that are applicable to the document and representing a relationship of the available nodes to one another as defined by the associated schema file;
• displaying a tree view of the instance structure for providing a visual representation of the instance structure of the associated XML schema file whereby the tree view contains hierarchically-structured nodes visually representing XML nodes defined by the associated schema file that are applicable to the document according to the associated schema file;
• applying an element or attribute selected from the tree view to a target location in the document;
• writing an XPATH pointer to the target location for pointing the target location to the selected element or attribute in the associated schema file via the instance structure;
• creating a mapping between the document and the associated schema file including building a collection of XPATH pointers associated with all selected elements or attributes that are applied to the document for pointing XML nodes applied to the document to corresponding nodes in the associated schema file for defining each element and attribute applied to the document;
• providing a visual indication in the tree view of any elements or attributes that have been applied to the document;
• and
• providing a visual indication in the target location that a selected element or attribute has been applied to the target location, wherein the steps of associating, building, displaying, applying, writing, creating, providing a visual indication in the tree view, and providing a visual application in the target location establish a relationship between the XML nodes and the spreadsheet application document so that the instance structure is maintained when the XML nodes are imported to the spreadsheet application document.