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A method and system for application-to-application data exchange which provides data conversion from the format of a source application to the format of a target application upon receipt of data by the target application. To achieve compatibility among applications exchanging data, the preferred sys

A method and system for application-to-application data exchange which provides data conversion from the format of a source application to the format of a target application upon receipt of data by the target application. To achieve compatibility among applications exchanging data, the preferred system uses a standard set of terms and process names for building metadata packets that inform both applications as to their respective data representation. A metadata packet includes a standard name and application specific data format, as well as an optional associated process name. Source metadata provided in connection with source application-specific data enables the conversion of the source form a to the format compatible with the target. This method eliminates data conversion at the source application.

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1. A method of providing data from a source computer application for input to a target computer application comprising:receiving source data from the source computer application at a target system, said source data having an application-specific unconverted file data format of the source computer ap

1. A method of providing data from a source computer application for input to a target computer application comprising:receiving source data from the source computer application at a target system, said source data having an application-specific unconverted file data format of the source computer application, representation of the source data defined by a source metadata packet; receiving the source metadata packet corresponding to the source data at the target system, wherein said source metadata packet includes a source application definition having at least one entry comprising a standard name corresponding to at least one source application-specific name used by the source computer application and a source application-specific data format of said standard name; retrieving a target metadata packet of said target system, wherein said source and target metadata packets each further comprises: a transaction type; and, at least one standard process name selected from a repository of standard process names, wherein said standard name is a user selected term from a list of standard terms based on said transaction type of the source data; converting the source data to a file data format representation compatible with the target computer application for input therein based on mapping said target metadata packet to said source metadata packet; and, determining said transaction type, wherein the retrieving step includes: retrieving a data element from said target metadata packet corresponding to said transaction type; and, wherein said converting step comprises: matching terms of the target metadata packet with the source metadata packet for the transaction type; retrieving source data from a source data file; and, providing said retrieved source data to a target data file using target data representations for that term in said target metadata packet. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of converting comprises examining an entry in the target metadata packet before the corresponding entry in the source metadata packet is examined.3. The method of claim 1 further comprising using default data if there is no source metadata packet entry that corresponds to the target metadata packet entry.4. The method of claim 1 wherein the source metadata packet further comprises at least one process name selected from a repository of standard process names.5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of converting further comprises executing a process corresponding to the process name.6. The method of claim 1 wherein said standard name does not include a synonym.7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method provides source data without changing existing computer applications at the target system.8. A method of converting source data, provided by a source application, for input to a target application comprising:receiving source data from the source application and a source metadata packet, said source metadata packet comprising at least one standard name corresponding to at least one source application-specific name used by the source application and a source application-specific data format of said standard name; retrieving a target metadata packet of said target systems, wherein said source and target metadata packets each further comprises: a transaction type; and, at least one standard process name selected from a repository of standard process names, wherein said standard name is a user selected term from a list of standard terms based on said transaction type of the source data; converting the source data, having an application-specific unconverted file data format, defined by the source metadata packet to a target file data format representation defined by the target metadata packet so as to obtain input data for the target application; determining said transaction type, wherein the retrieving step includes; retrieving a data element from said target metadata packet corresponding to said transaction type; and, wherein said converting step comprises; matching terms of the target metadata packet with the source metadata packet for the transaction type; retrieving source data from a source data file; and, providing said retrieved source data to a target data file using target data representations for that term in said target metadata packet; and if an entry in the target metadata packet does not exist in the source metadata packet, providing default data as part of the input data. 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising executing at least one process identified by a standard process name in the source metadata packet.10. The method of claim 8, wherein the source and target applications are executing on different computers communicating over a network.11. The method of claim 8 wherein the source and target applications are executing on the same computer.12. The method of claim 8 wherein said standard name does not include a synonym.13. The method of claim 8 wherein the method provides source data without changing existing applications at the target system.14. The method of receiving and interpreting source data form input to a target application comprising:receiving unconverted source data from a source application at a target system, said source data having an application-specific unconverted file data format of the source application, representation of the unconverted source data, defined by source metadata; receiving source metadata relating to the unconverted source data, said source metadata comprising at least one standard name corresponding to at least one source application-specific name used by the source application, a source application-specific data format of said standard name and a function of the unconverted source data; retrieving target metadata of said target system in accordance with the function of the unconverted source data, wherein said source and target metadata each further comprises: a transaction type: and, at least one standard process name selected from a repository of standard process names, wherein said standard name is a user selected term from a list of standard terms based on said transaction type of the source data; converting the unconverted source data to target data based on mapping the target metadata to the source metadata for input into the target application; and determining said transaction type, wherein the retrieving step includes: retrieving a data element from said target metadata corresponding to said transaction type; and, wherein said converting step comprises: matching terms of the target metadata with the source metadata for the transaction type; retrieving source data from a source data file; and, providing said retrieved source data to the target data file using target data representations for that term in said target metadata. 15. The method of claim 14 wherein the function is file transfer.16. The method of claim 15 wherein a file formatted in accordance with the target application is generated as a result of the step of converting.17. The method of claim 14 wherein the function is a display of the received data.18. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving the unconverted source data over the internet at a remote computer and displaying the target data at the remote computer.19. The method of claim 14, wherein the function is controlling or initiating a remote process.20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of converting includes generating parameters/task list for input to the target application and wherein the target application is a remote process.21. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of converting includes generating a visual representation of the received application-specific unconverted source data consistent with the target application.22. The method of claim 17 wherein said standard name does not include a synonym.23. The method of claim 17 wherein the method provides source data without changing existing applications at the target system.24. A system of providing data from a source computer application for input to a target computer application comprising:means for receiving at a target system unconverted source data from the source computer application and having an application-specific unconverted file data format of the source computer application, representation of the unconverted source data defined by a source metadata packet; means for receiving the source metadata packet corresponding to the source data at the target system, wherein the metadata packet includes at least one entry comprising a standard name corresponding to at least one name used by the source computer application and a source application-specific data format of said standard name used by the source computer application; means for retrieving a target metadata packet of said target system, wherein said source and target metadata packets each further comprises: a transaction type; and at least one standard process name selected from a repository of standard process names, wherein said standard name is a user selected term from a list of standard terms based on said transaction type of the source data; means for converting the sources data to a representation compatible with a file data format of the target application for input therein based on mapping the target metadata packet to the source metadata packet; and, means for determining said transaction type, wherein the retrieving means includes: means for retrieving a data element from said target metadata packet corresponding to said transaction type; and, wherein said converting means comprises: means for matching terms for the target metadata packet with the source metadata packet for the transaction type; means for retrieving source data from a source data file; and, means for providing said retrieved source data tot eh target data file using target data representations for that term in said target metadata packet. 25. The system of claim 24 wherein the means for converting comprises means for examining an entry in the target metadata packet before the corresponding entry in the source metadata packet is examined.26. The system of claim 24 further comprising means for using default data if there is no source metadata packet entry that corresponds to the target metadata packet entry.27. The system of claim 24 wherein the source metadata packet further comprises at least one process name selected from a repository of standard process names.28. The system of claim 27 wherein the means for converting further comprises means for executing a process corresponding to the process name.29. The system of claim 24 wherein said standard name does not include a synonym.30. The system of claim 24 wherein the system provides source data without changing existing applications at the target system.31. A system of converting source data, provided by a source application, for input to a target application comprising:means for receiving at a target system unconverted source data from the source application and having an application-specific unconverted file data format of the unconverted data defined by a source metadata packet; means for identifying a source metadata packet, comprising at least one standard name; means for retrieving a target metadata packet of said target system, comprising at least one standard name, and, wherein said source and target metadata packets each further comprises: a transaction type: and, at least one standard process name selected from a repository of standard process names, wherein said standard name is a user selected term from a list of standard terms based on said transaction type of the source data; means for converting the unconverted source data having an application-specific unconverted file format defined by the source metadata packet to a target representation having a different file format defined by the target metadata packet so as to obtain input data to the target application, wherein if an entry in the target metadata packet does not exist in the source metadata packet, the means for converting provides default data from said target metadata packet as part of the input data; and, means for determining said transaction type, wherein the retrieving means includes: means for retrieving a data element from said target metadata packet corresponding to said transaction type; and, wherein said converting means comprises: means for matching terms of the target metadata packet with the source metadata packet for the transaction type; means for retrieving source data from the source data file; and, means for providing said retrieved source data to the target data file using target data representations for the that term in said target metadata packet. 32. The system of claim 31 further comprising means for executing at least one process identified by a standard process name in the source metadata packet.33. The system of claim 31 wherein the source and target applications are executing on different computers communicating over a network.34. The system of claim 31 wherein the source and target applications are executing on the same computer.35. The system of claim 31 wherein said standard name does not include a synonym.36. The system of claim 31 wherein the system provides source data without changing existing applications at the target system.37. The system for receiving and interpreting source data from input to a target application comprising:means for receiving at the target system unconverted source data from a source application, said source data having an application-specific unconverted file data format, representation of the unconverted source data defined by source metadata; means for receiving the source metadata relating to the source data, said source metadata having a function of the source data; means for retrieving a target metadata of said target system in accordance with the function of the unconverted source data, wherein said source and target metadata each further comprises: a transaction type; and, at least one standard process name selected from a repository of standard process names, wherein said standard name is a user selected term from a list of standard terms based on said transaction type of the source data; means for converting the source data to target data for input into the target application having a different file data format based on mapping the target metadata to the source metadata; and, means for determining said transaction type, wherein the retrieving means includes: means for retrieving a data element from said target metadata corresponding to said transaction type; and, wherein said converting means comprises: means for matching terms of the target metadata with the source metadata for the transaction type; means for retrieving source data from the source data file; and, means for providing said retrieved source data to the target data file using target data representations for that term in said target metadata. 38. The system of claim 37 wherein the function is file transfer.39. The system of claim 37 wherein the function is a display of the received data.40. The system of claim 37 wherein the function is controlling or initiating a remote process.41. The system of claim 37 further comprising means for receiving the source data over the internet at a remote computer for display at the remote computer.42. The system of claim 37 wherein said standard name does not include a synonym.43. The system of claim 37 wherein the system provides source data without changing existing applications at the target system.