Method for avoiding creation of duplicate keyword objects representing user entered data on a machine readable form

摘要

A method for maintaining the uniqueness of user entered data in a system for processing machine readable forms. Use of such a method in a system for processing machine readable forms facilitates forms reuse by creating keyword objects for new instances of user entered data, thus avoiding the creation of duplicate data. When user entered data is encountered in a machine readable form, the user entered data is compared to keyword objects of previously encountered user entered data. If no match is found, a new keyword object is created for the user entered data. Otherwise, it is assumed that the user entered data is a copy of previously entered data.