1. A method of transmitting data from a first software application to a second software application, the method comprising: receiving a displayed portion of an electronic document associated with the first software application, wherein the displayed portion is displayed on a video display associated with a first computing system, and further wherein the electronic document comprises a bar code; reading the bar code into bar coded data; decoding the bar coded data into information; and using the information to populate a data field associated with the second software application executing on a second computing system.