System for locating data elements within originating data sources
Computer-implemented methods and apparatus are provided for recording an indication of a source location at which a data element is stored. One method includes executing a set of programmed instructions to identify the source location comprising a portion of a data structure containing source information, wherein the portion contains the data element; and storing an indication of the source location in electronic file storage. The method may be semi-autimated, such that the programmed instructions preliminarily identify the data element, and a user is prompted to confirm that the identification is accurate. Using the indication of the source location, the data element may be retrieved and/or replicated from the source location to any of multiple output destinations.
1 . A computer-implemented method of recording an indication of a source location at which a data element is stored, the method comprising acts of:
(A) executing a set of programmed instructions to identify the source location, the source location comprising a portion of a data structure containing source information, the portion containing the data element; and
(B) storing an indication of the source location in electronic file storage.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the act (A) further comprises executing a software application to identify the source location, wherein the software application employs a parameter defining a characteristic of the data element.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the parameter is provided in a data structure which is accessed by the software application.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the characteristic comprises text which accompanies the data element within the source location.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the characteristic comprises text which represents the data element.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of programmed instructions identifies the source location by preliminarily identifying the source location, requesting input from a user as to whether the source location is preliminarily identified correctly, and processing the input to identify the source location.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the act of processing the input further comprises updating the characteristic.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of characters including a first character, and the source location is identified by a number of characters from the first character.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first character is at the beginning of the data structure.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of lines of information including a first line of information, and the source location is identified by a number of lines from the first line of information.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first line of information is at the beginning of the data structure.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a grid containing rows and columns, and the source location is identified by a pixel found at an intersection of a row and a column.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising acts of:
(C) receiving a request to retrieve the data element;
(D) in response to the request, identifying the indication of the source location;
(E) employing the indication of the source location to retrieve the data element from within the source information; and
(F) writing the data element to output.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the act (D) further comprises identifying the indication of the source location by retrieving the indication of the source location from the electronic file storage.
15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the act (C) further comprises receiving the request from a user via a graphical user interface (GUI).
16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the act (F) further comprises writing the data element to an output data structure which is displayed via a GUI to a user.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the output data structure is provided in a hypertext markup language (HTML) format.
18 . A computer-readable medium having instructions encoded thereon, which instructions, when executed by a computer system, perform a method of recording an indication of a source location at which a data element is stored, the method comprising acts of:
(A) executing a set of programmed instructions to identify the source location, the source location comprising a portion of a data structure containing source information, the portion containing the data element; and
(B) storing an indication of the source location in electronic file storage.
19 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the act (A) further comprises executing a software application to identify the source location, wherein the software application employs a parameter defining a characteristic of the data element.
20 . The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the parameter is provided in a data structure which is accessed by the software application.
21 . The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the characteristic comprises text which accompanies the data element within the source location.
22 . The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the characteristic comprises text which represents the data element.
23 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the set of programmed instructions identifies the source location by preliminarily identifying the source location, requesting input from a user as to whether the source location is preliminarily identified correctly, and processing the input to identify the source location.
24 . The computer-readable medium of claim 23 , wherein the act of processing the input further comprises updating the characteristic.
25 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of characters including a first character, and the source location is identified by a number of characters from the first character.
26 . The computer-readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the first character is at the beginning of the data structure.
27 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of lines of information including a first line of information, and the source location is identified by a number of lines from the first line of information.
28 . The computer-readable medium of claim 27 , wherein the first line of information is at the beginning of the data structure.
29 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a grid containing rows and columns, and the source location is identified by a pixel found at an intersection of a row and a column.
30 . The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising acts of:
(C) receiving a request to retrieve the data element;
(D) in response to the request, identifying the indication of the source location;
(E) employing the indication of the source location to retrieve the data element from within the source information; and
(F) writing the data element to output.
31 . The computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the act (D) further comprises identifying the indication of the source location by retrieving the indication of the source location from the electronic file storage.
32 . The computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the act (C) further comprises receiving the request from a user via a graphical user interface (GUI).
33 . The computer-readable medium of claim 30 , wherein the act (F) further comprises writing the data element to an output data structure which is displayed via a GUI to a user.
34 . The computer-readable medium of claim 33 , wherein the output data structure is provided in a hypertext markup language (HTML) format.
35 . A system for recording an indication of a source location at which a data element is stored, comprising:
processing means for executing a set of programmed instructions to identify the source location, the source location comprising a portion of a data structure containing source information, the portion containing the data element; and
storage means for storing an indication of the source location in electronic file storage.
36 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the processing means further executes a software application to identify the source location, wherein the software application employs a parameter defining a characteristic of the data element.
37 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the parameter is provided in a data structure which is accessed by the software application.
38 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the characteristic comprises text which accompanies the data element within the source location.
39 . The system of claim 36 , wherein the characteristic comprises text which represents the data element.
40 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the set of programmed instructions identifies the source location by preliminarily identifying the source location, requesting input from a user as to whether the source location is preliminarily identified correctly, and processing the input to identify the source location.
41 . The system of claim 40 , wherein processing the input updates the characteristic.
42 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of characters including a first character, and the source location is identified by a number of characters from the first character.
43 . The system of claim 42 , wherein the first character is at the beginning of the data structure.
44 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of lines of information including a first line of information, and the source location is identified by a number of lines from the first line of information.
45 . The system of claim 42 , wherein the first line of information is at the beginning of the data structure.
46 . The system of claim 35 , wherein the data structure comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in a grid containing rows and columns, and the source location is identified by a pixel found at an intersection of a row and a column.
47 . The system of claim 35 , further comprising:
receipt means for receiving a request to retrieve the data element;
identification means for, in response to the request, identifying the indication of the source location;
retrieval means for employing the indication of the source location to retrieve the data element from within the source information; and
output means for writing the data element to output.
48 . The system of claim 47 , wherein the identification means further identifies the indication of the source location by retrieving the indication of the source location from the electronic file storage.
49 . The system of claim 47 , wherein the receipt means further receives the request from a user via a graphical user interface (GUI).
50 . The system of claim 47 , wherein the output means further writes the data element to an output data structure which is displayed via a GUI to a user.
51 . The system of claim 50 , wherein the output data structure is provided in a hypertext markup language (HTML) format.