Abstract: An interface engine provides animated views in a user interface. The interface engine directs the operation of a rendering environment to create an interface in a rendering area. The interface engine includes views, layouts, animators, and constraints. Views identify child views and resources for display in the rendering area. In response to events, such as user inputs, a view modifies itself by calling layouts, animators, and constraints. A layout manages the attributes of a view's child views, including child view position and size. An animator modifies the view's appearance over a specified period of time. A constraint imposes limits on view properties. In one implementation, an Internet site delivers an interface engine to a browser to supply content and a user interface. A presentation server compiles an interface engine description and specified resources into an interface engine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing information by merging of an arbitrarily shaped data source with an arbitrary display hierarchy, including binding data in a source data file to application or content code. In one embodiment, the data source is an XML data file and the application is a rich Internet application provided by a presentation server. The method includes the steps of providing a structured data file; and merging the structured data file with a source file, the source file including at least one display element definition including an expression that refers to an arbitrary position or range within the data file. In another aspect, the invention is an apparatus. The apparatus includes one or more storage devices, and one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices.

Abstract: A server is disclosed that presents content to a client. The server receives a request for particular content. In response to the request, the server accesses data and/or code that describes the particular content. The server compiles that code and/or data to create executable code, and transmits the executable code to the client for execution on the client. In one embodiment, the code describing the particular content is a mark-up language description. In various implementations, the executable code includes a user interface that provides access to the requested content.

Abstract: The present invention provides software developers with the capability to create applications that can access information online and offline without having to program such capabilities into their applications. An application can gather information from various remote data sources via a network or other communication means, and still have access to all or a portion of that information when the computing device running the application is no longer connected to the network. In one embodiment, a client manages information access, caching and synchronization for the application. When connected, information accessed is stored in a local data store on (or near) the computing device. When disconnected, requests are run against the local data store instead of the remote data source. When reconnected, information is synchronized between the local data store and the remote data source.

Abstract: A method for decreasing a computer application's start-up time. In one aspect, the method comprises: creating a serialized representation of application objects in a runtime environment; building an object code file using the serialized representation; and providing the application to a new runtime environment. In another embodiment the method may include the steps of: compiling an application provided in a source language; initializing the application in a runtime environment; and creating a serialized representation of the application.

Abstract: The present invention provides software developers with the capability to create applications that can access information online and offline without having to program such capabilities into their applications. An application can gather information from various remote data sources via a network or other communication means, and still have access to all or a portion of that information when the computing device running the application is no longer connected to the network. In one embodiment, a client manages information access, caching and synchronization for the application. When connected, information accessed is stored in a local data store on (or near) the computing device. When disconnected, requests are run against the local data store instead of the remote data source. When reconnected, information is synchronized between the local data store and the remote data source.

Abstract: Multiple applications are displayed. A request to change a display of a first application is received. A determination is made regarding how displays for one or more other applications should change in response to changing the display of the first application in order to avoid conflict with the display of the first application. The display of the first application is changed. The one or more displays for the one or more other applications are automatically changed in response to changing the display of the first application in order to avoid conflict with the display of the first application.

Abstract: Code for a program is received by a compiler (or other entity). The code includes an expression for a variable and a marker that specifies when the expressions should be evaluated during execution of the program. Example markers can indicate that an expression should be evaluated immediately, once or always. Additional functionality is provided to the code in order to evaluate the expression at the specified time during execution of the program. If the expression is to be evaluated always, then the expression will likely be dependent on a item that can change. Functionality is provided that evaluates the expression when the item changes so that the variable can be updated.

Abstract: The present invention provides software developers with the capability to create applications that can access information online and offline without having to program such capabilities into their applications. An application can gather information from various remote data sources via a network or other communication means, and still have access to all or a portion of that information when the computing device running the application is no longer connected to the network. In one embodiment, a client manages information access, caching and synchronization for the application. When connected, information accessed is stored in a local data store on (or near) the computing device. When disconnected, requests are run against the local data store instead of the remote data source. When reconnected, information is synchronized between the local data store and the remote data source.

Abstract: The present invention provides software developers with the capability to create applications that can access information online and offline without having to program such capabilities into their applications. An application can gather information from various remote data sources via a network or other communication means, and still have access to all or a portion of that information when the computing device running the application is no longer connected to the network. In one embodiment, a client manages information access, caching and synchronization for the application. When connected, information accessed is stored in a local data store on (or near) the computing device. When disconnected, requests are run against the local data store instead of the remote data source. When reconnected, information is synchronized between the local data store and the remote data source.

Abstract: The present invention provides software developers with the capability to create applications that can access information online and offline without having to program such capabilities into their applications. An application can gather information from various remote data sources via a network or other communication means, and still have access to all or a portion of that information when the computing device running the application is no longer connected to the network. In one embodiment, a client manages information access, caching and synchronization for the application. When connected, information accessed is stored in a local data store on (or near) the computing device. When disconnected, requests are run against the local data store instead of the remote data source. When reconnected, information is synchronized between the local data store and the remote data source.

Abstract: An interface engine provides animated views in a user interface. The interface engine directs the operation of a rendering environment to create an interface in a rendering area. The interface engine includes views, layouts, animators, and constraints. Views identify child views and resources for display in the rendering area. In response to events, such as user inputs, a view modifies itself by calling layouts, animators, and constraints. A layout manages the attributes of a view's child views, including child view position and size. An animator modifies the view's appearance over a specified period of time. A constraint imposes limits on view properties. In one implementation, an Internet site delivers an interface engine to a browser to supply content and a user interface. A presentation server compiles an interface engine description and specified resources into an interface engine.