Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating user configurable interactive display, wherein a control area is invoked in order to display representations of at least one operating environment. The operating environment contains user interactive components corresponding to information resources which may be selected for use by the user. A scratch pad is invoked onto the display allowing a user to select components from the operating environment to be placed onto the scratch pad. Once the interactive components from one or more operating environments are placed onto the scratch pad, a user interactive display area is generated comprising a display of user selected components.

Abstract: A power search tool that enables a user to search an electronic program guide and other information resources with one search. A search tool window is displayed that enables a user to select filter elements used to search. Alternately, in one embodiment, the filter elements are automatically selected from predetermined program elements, such as title or subject, of a selected program in the electronic program guide. The search tool performs a search of the electronic program guide and information resource and modifies the display of the electronic program guide to identify those programs that are filtered from the search. Similarly, a window displays information indicating those portions of the information resource that have been filtered during the search. Preferably the information resource is the world wide web and the URLs of the web sites that include information relative to the filter elements are displayed.