Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for connecting to a first server to retrieve a first web page; presenting the retrieved first web page in a graphical user interface; and after receiving one or more characters in a string of characters entered into an input field of the graphical user interface, and before a submission action is received: identifying a different second web page for the string of characters; connecting to a second server to retrieve a second web page; replacing the presentation of the first web page with the second web page; after replacing the presentation, receiving one or more backspace characters entered into the input field; and in response to receiving the one or more backspace characters, replacing the presentation of the second web page with the presentation of the first web page.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for managing tabs in a graphical user interface. The method includes receiving a first user input that selects a first tab from among a plurality of tabs in a tab area of a tabbed interface. The method further includes expanding a dimension of the first tab and each of a first subset of tabs, from among and including fewer than all of the plurality of tabs, around the first tab in response to receiving the first user input.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for managing tabs in a graphical user interface. The method includes receiving a first user input that selects a first tab from among multiple collapsible tabs in a tab area of a tabbed interface. The method further includes determining that the first user input occurs for at least a threshold amount of time. The method further includes expanding the first tab from a collapsed state to an expanded state in response to determining that the first user input occurs for at least the threshold amount of time. The method further includes collapsing a second tab, from among the multiple collapsible tabs, from the expanded state to the collapsed state in response to determining that the first user input occurs for at least the threshold amount of time.

Abstract: An input of a layout of one or more components in a container component is received and a new cross platform layout of the one or more components in the container component is generated. The cross platform layout includes at least one automatically sized autopad and/or container autopad that defines spacing to properly position the one or more components within the container component. The size of the autopad and/or container autopad is determined upon execution of the cross platform layout on a software platform using a visual guideline for that software platform. In some embodiments, some or all of the components are automatically positioned in the cross platform layout such that a contents of each of the components, such as text, is laid out within the container component along the same baseline.

Abstract: Methods for managing a download area of a browser are provided. A method includes determining whether a user has performed an action on an icon, representing a downloaded object, displayed within the download area in a primary window of the browser. The download area is configured to be active when the primary window is active. The method includes determining whether the user's cursor is positioned outside of the download area for at least a predetermined duration after the user has performed the action on the icon. The method includes automatically closing the download area if the user has performed the action on the icon and if the user's cursor is positioned outside of the download area for at least the predetermined duration.

Abstract: A GUI builder tool in which input of a layout of one or more components in a container component is received and a new cross platform layout of the one or more components in the container component is generated. The cross platform layout includes at least one automatically sized autopad and/or container autopad that defines spacing to properly position the one or more components within the container component. The size of the autopad and/or container autopad is determined upon execution of the cross platform layout on a software platform using a visual guideline for that software platform. In some embodiments, some or all of the components are automatically positioned in the cross platform layout such that a contents of each of the components, such as text, is laid out within the container component along the same baseline.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for sending data from a process to an event dispatch thread for output, where the event dispatch thread handling events may be related to a user interface. The method may include the steps of providing the process. The process and the event dispatch thread executing independent of one another and the process generating a first method call during execution of the process and a final result upon completion of execution, where the first method call includes a partial result generated by the executing process. The method may further include sending the first method call, storing the first method, including coalescing the first method call with an existing method call, retrieving the partial result from the first method call, and outputting the retrieved first method call on the event dispatch thread such that the partial result is displayed to a user.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed that download a vanguard-installation-bundle to a computing platform responsive to a set of platform characteristics of the computing platform. The vanguard-installation-bundle includes executable data that includes a platform-dependent set of executable data and a platform-independent set of executable data. The platform-dependent set of executable data is configured to enable execution of the platform-independent set of executable data by the computing platform. The platform-independent set of executable data includes an application program and a sufficient library. The sufficient library is a subset of a reference library. The platform-dependent set of executable data is also configured to invoke installation of the reference library on the computing platform. The method automatically executes the platform-dependent set of executable data on the computing platform and also automatically invokes installation of the reference library on the computing platform.

Abstract: A browser-independent and automatic apparatus and method for receiving, installing, and launching applications from a browser is described. According to one embodiment, a helper application is registered with a browser for a specified file type. When the browser encounters a link to a metafile of the specified file type, the file is downloaded to the requesting system and the helper application is invoked to process the downloaded file. In the context of a Java™ implementation, the downloaded metafile comprises a short launch file specification for a Java™ application, and specifies a classpath as a set of Universal Resource Identifiers (“URIs”), a Java™ Runtime Environment (“JRE”) version, security considerations, and other relevant information concerning the Java™ application to be executed.

Abstract: According to aspects of the present invention, an original archive file having one or more entries is created, where each entry in the original archive file is itself a file, and where each entry in the archive file may comprise any file type, including an archive file. The original archive file is transmitted to a client computer. Subsequently, a target archive file is created, wherein one or more of the entries in the target archive file are typically expected to be identical to one or more entries in the original archive file. Given the original archive file and the target archive file, a difference archive file is created. The difference archive file comprises an index file describing the changes between the original archive file and the target archive file, and also comprises a set of entries corresponding to the entries in the target archive file that are not contained in the original archive file.