Method for creating from individual reports a consolidated data set with metadata including information about the last presentation format of data within the individual reports

1. A computer-readable medium, comprising a memory storing executable instructions processed by a computer to:

create a repository of individual reports by processing data within a database, wherein said executable instructions to create said repository of individual reports include executable instructions to create individual reports as time stamped instances of data within said database;

analyze a repository of individual reports to generate a consolidated data set, wherein said consolidated data set includes data from a plurality of said individual reports, wherein each individual report includes information structured in accordance with a report schema that specifies the form in which the information should be presented, the report schema specifying a first data group and a second data group positioned underneath the first data group to form a structure to facilitate the matching of a field within a data group of a first individual report with a field within a data group of a second individual report;

augment said consolidated data set with metadata selected from security information, data history and data validity, wherein said metadata includes information about the last presentation format of data within said individual reports; and

insert said consolidated data set and said metadata within an electronic document.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said executable instructions to analyze said repository of individual reports to generate said consolidated data set include executable instructions to generate said consolidated data set based on corresponding data points from individual reports that contain different time stamps.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said executable instructions to analyze include executable instructions to analyze at least one common attribute shared by individual reports within said repository.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said metadata provides information supplying a data context.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said metadata is extensible.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said metadata provides information facilitating a link to an original individual report.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein said metadata provides information to coordinate a refresh request.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising, executable instructions to facilitate copying of said consolidated data set from said electronic document to a secondary electronic document while maintaining said metadata.

9. A method of processing data on a computer, comprising:

creating a repository of individual reports by processing data within a database, wherein creating includes creating individual reports as time stamped instances of data within said database, wherein each individual report includes information structured in accordance with a report schema that specifies the form in which the information should be presented, the report schema specifying a first data group and a second data group positioned underneath the first data group to form a structure to facilitate the matching of a field within a data group of a first individual report with a field within a data group of a second individual report;

analyzing said repository of individual reports to generate a consolidated data set, wherein said consolidated data set includes data from a plurality of said individual reports;

augmenting said consolidated data set with metadata selected from security information, data history and data validity, wherein augmenting includes supplying information about the last presentation format of data within said individual reports; and

inserting said consolidated data set and said metadata within an electronic document.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing includes generating said consolidated data set based on corresponding data points from individual reports that contain different time stamps.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing includes analyzing at least one common attribute shared by individual reports within said repository.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein augmenting includes supplying a data context.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein augmenting includes supplying extensible metadata.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein augmenting includes supplying metadata to facilitate a link to an original individual report.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein augmenting includes supplying metadata to coordinate a refresh request.