Apple Inc.

Danny L Dishon

Benjamin W Sharpe

Kenneth E Victor

Peter E Alley

Scott C Collins

A method of creating an editor that is executed on a first computer system is disclosed in which the editor is arranged to facilitate the editing of data from a first application program executed on a second computer system without requiting that the first application program run on the first computer system. The method includes the steps of creating a display info array that identifies the data fields that may be displayed in a data browser window portion of the editor and creating an edit info array that identifies the data fields may be edited in a detail window portion of the editor. In a preferred embodiment, validation scripts that define the types of data that may be accepted in each of the data fields that is set forth in the edit info array are identified, with the validations scripts forming a portion of the edit info array. This arrangement facilitates editing data using a foreign computer system. Initially, a meta database is created on the first computer system and the meta database is synchronized with a database on the second computer system. An overview browser window of records in the meta database is then displayed on a screen of the first computer system when the meta database is selected. When a user selects a particular record for editing, a detail editing widow of a selected meta database record is displayed on the screen of the first computer system. Thereafter edits inputted into the first computer system are received and the records in the meta database are changed accordingly. Finally, the meta database is resynchronized with the database on the second computer system to transfer the edits to the first computer system.

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Danny L Dishon