5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the essential data elements are determined based upon elements of a plurality of application-specific data object formats.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the essential data elements are determined based upon elements of a plurality of application-specific data object formats. 6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising: specifying a level of compatibility with a data object format of a first application, wherein the determining the essential data elements facilitates achieving the specified level of compatibility.