1. A method for generating at least one application specific input file for applications that require input files in varying file formats, where data for specifying industrial equipment are stored in a database of a computer system as XML-formatted files based on a class model, and an automated modular transformation into said at least one application-specific input file takes place in one or more phases, said method comprising the steps of: (a) loading one or more of said XML formatted files into a memory of said computer system, said loaded one or more XML formatted files decoded and subjected to semantics and consistency verification to produce in the absence of a detected error one or more verified XML files; (b) generating, by means of an interface containing descriptions of the respective applications, specifications of objects of said industrial equipment in XML format based on said one or more verified XML files; and (c) generating said at least one application-specific input file using a canonical transformation from said generated object specifications in XML format.