Method and system for managing documents for software applications

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

at a document management system, responsive to a request from an application program to store a document, determining if the document is in a format of the document management system;

extracting component data from the document; and

if the document is not in the format of the document management system, then:

converting the extracted component data via a plug-in that is specific to the application program into one or more converted component data files that are in the format of the document management system;

converting access authorization information for the document via the plug-in into converted access authorization information that is in the format of the document management system;

storing the converted component data files in a memory;

storing the converted access authorization information in the memory.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein converting the extracted component data into the converted component data file comprises converting the component data from one of a .doc, .wpd, and .pdf format to a .xml format.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

extracting metadata from the document;

converting the extracted metadata into a converted metadata file that is in the format of the document management system; and

storing the converted metadata file in the memory.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving additional classification information from the application program; and

storing the additional classification information in the memory.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

extracting graphics data from the document;

converting the extracted graphics data into a converted graphics data file that is in the format of the document management system; and

storing the converted graphics data file for each document in the memory separately from the converted component data file that contains text for the document.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

at the document management system, responsive to a request from a retrieving application program for a document in a requested format, determining if the requested format is the format of the document management system; and

if the requested format is not the format of the document management system, then:

converting the stored converted component data files corresponding to the requested document into the requested format;

converting the stored access authorization information corresponding to the requested document into the requested format;

combining the converted component data files into an output document; and

providing the output document to the retrieving application program, wherein the retrieving application program determines if the request for access is appropriate based on the access authorization information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein converting the converted component data file into the requested format comprises converting the converted component data file to one of a .doc, .wpd, and .pdf format.

8. A machine-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

at a document management system, responsive to a request from an application program to store a document, determining if the document is in a format of the document management system;

extracting component data from the document; and

if the document is not in the format of the document management system, then:

converting the extracted component data via a plug-in that is specific to the application program into one or more converted component data files that are in the format of the document management system;

converting access authorization information for the document via the plug-in into converted access authorization information that is in the format of the document management system;

storing the converted component data files in a memory; and

storing the converted access authorization information in the memory.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

extracting metadata from the document;

converting the extracted metadata into a converted metadata file that is in the format of the document management system; and

storing the converted metadata file for each document in the memory separately from the converted data file that contains the-text for the document.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving additional classification information from the application program; and

storing the additional classification information in the memory separately from the converted component data file that contains the-text for the document.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:

extracting graphics data from the document;

converting the extracted graphics data into a converted graphics data file that is in the format of the document management system; and

storing the converted graphics data file for each document in the memory separately from the converted component data file that contains the-text for the document.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:

at the document management system, responsive to receiving a request from a retrieving application program for a document in a requested format, determining if the requested format is the format of the document management system; and

if the requested format is not the format of the document management system, then:

converting the stored converted component data files corresponding to the requested document into the requested format;

converting the stored access authorization information corresponding to the requested document into the requested format;

combining the converted component data files into an output document; and

providing the output document to the retrieving application program, wherein the retrieving application program determines if the request for access is appropriate based on the access authorization information.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

at a document management system, responsive to a request from an application program to retrieve a document in a specified format, determining if the specified format is a format of the document management system; and

if the specified format is not the format of the document management system, then:

retrieving one or more component data files corresponding to the requested document from a memory;

retrieving access authorization information for the component data files from the memory;

converting the component data files to the specified format;

converting the access authorization information to the specified format;

combining the converted component data files into an output document;

providing the output document and the access authorization information to the application program, wherein the application program determines if the request for access is appropriate based on the access authorization information.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein providing the requested document to the first application program further comprises:

retrieving from the memory a metadata file corresponding to the requested document;

converting the retrieved metadata file to the specified format; and

combining the converted metadata file into the output document.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein providing the requested document to the first application program further comprises:

retrieving from the memory a graphics data file corresponding to the requested document;

converting the retrieved graphics data file to the specified format; and

combining the converted graphics file into the output document.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises:

at the document management system, responsive to a request from a second application program to store a second document, determining if the second document is in the format of the document management system;

extracting component data from the second document; and

if the second document is not in the format of the document management system, then:

converting the extracted component data via a plug-in that is specific to the second application program into one or more converted component data files that are in the format of the document management system;

converting access authorization information for the second document via the plug-in into converted access authorization information that is in the format of the document management system;

storing the converted component data files in the memory; and

storing the converted access authorization information in the memory.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:

extracting metadata from the second document;

converting the extracted metadata via the plug-in into a converted metadata file that is in the format of the document management system; and

storing the converted metadata file in the memory.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving additional classification information from the second application program; and

storing the additional classification information in the memory.

19. A machine-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to implement a method comprising:

at a document management system, responsive to a request from an application program to retrieve a document in a specified format, determining if the specified format is a format of the document management system; and

if the specified format is not the format of the document management system, then:

retrieving one or more component data files corresponding to the requested document from a memory;

retrieving access authorization information for the component data files from the memory;

converting the component data files to the specified format;

converting the access authorization information to the specified format;

combining the converted component data files into an output document; and

providing the output document and the access authorization information to the application program, wherein the application program determines if the request for access is appropriate based on the access authorization information.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein providing the requested document to the first application program further comprises:

retrieving from the memory a graphics data file corresponding to the requested document;

converting the retrieved graphics data file to the specified format; and

combining the converted graphics file into the output document.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:

at the document management system, responsive to a request from a second application program to store a second document, determining if the second document is in the format of the document management system;

extracting component data from the second document; and

if the second document is not in the format of the document management system, then:

converting the extracted component data via a plug-in that is specific to the second application program into one or more converted component data files that are in the format of the document management system;

converting access authorization information for the second document via the plug-in into converted access authorization information that is in the format of the document management system;

storing the converted component data files in the memory; and

storing the converted access authorization information in the memory.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 21 , wherein the method further comprises:

extracting metadata from the second document;

converting the extracted metadata via the plug-in into a converted metadata file that is in the format of the document management system; and

storing the converted metadata file in the memory.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving additional classification information from the second application program; and

storing the additional classification information in the memory.