Abstract: An email client invokes a DocObject-enabled mail note to display an email message and related features of the user interface. The mail note, which is a DocObject container, creates a DocObject server by invoking a DocObject-enabled word processor. The mail note provides a view port in which the word processor displays and edits the body of the email message. The word processor provides its formatting and editing features in the context of the mail note. OLE menu merging provides both email and word processing interoperability while editing the message. Programming interfaces between the mail note and the word processor allow the mail note to translate message data back and forth between the word processor's format and the format imposed by the email client. This ensures that messages created with the word processor can be read by other email clients.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating objects within a computer system are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method aggregates an enclosed object within an enclosing object. The enclosed object has an object management interface and an external interface, while the enclosing object has a controlling object management interface. The controlling object management interface and the external interface of the enclosed object have query function members for receiving an identifier of an interface and for returning a reference to the identified interface. A preferred embodiment creates an instance of an enclosing object and an object to be enclosed. In static aggregation, the controlling object management interface of the enclosing object knows in advance how to return an identifier to the external interface of the enclosed object. In dynamic aggregation, an object to be enclosed is added to the enclosing object after the enclosing object is instantiated.

Abstract: A computer method and system for interacting with a containee object contained within a container object. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container object has a container application with a container window environment that has container resources for interacting with the container object. The containee object has a server application with a server window environment with server resources for interacting with the containee object. The method of the present invention displays the container window environment on a display device. A user then selects the containee object. In response to selecting the containee object, the method integrates a plurality of the server resources with the displayed container window environment. When a user then selects a server resource, the method invokes the server application to process the server resource selection.

Abstract: A computer method and system for interacting with a containee object contained within a container object. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container object has a container application with a container window environment that has container resources for interacting with the container object. The containee object has a server application with a server window environment with server resources for interacting with the containee object. The method of the present invention displays the container window environment on a display device. A user then selects the containee object. In response to selecting the containee object, the method integrates a plurality of the server resources with the displayed container window environment. When a user then selects a server resource, the method invokes the server application to process the server resource selection.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating objects within a computer system are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method aggregates an enclosed object within an enclosing object. The enclosed object has an object management interface and an external interface, while the enclosing object has a controlling object management interface. The controlling object management interface and the external interface of the enclosed object have query function members for receiving an identifier of an interface and for returning a reference to the identified interface. A preferred embodiment creates an instance of an enclosing object and an object to be enclosed. In static aggregation, the controlling object management interface of the enclosing object knows in advance how to return an identifier to the external interface of the enclosed object. In dynamic aggregation, an object to be enclosed is added to the enclosing object after the enclosing object is instantiated.

Abstract: A method and system for aggregating objects within a computer system are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the method aggregates an enclosed object within an enclosing object. The enclosed object has an object management interface and an external interface, while the enclosing object has a controlling object management interface. The controlling object management interface and the external interface of the enclosed object have query function members for receiving an identifier of an interface and for returning a reference to the identified interface. A preferred embodiment creates an instance of an enclosing object and an object to be enclosed. In static aggregation, the controlling object management interface of the enclosing object knows in advance how to return an identifier to the external interface of the enclosed object. In dynamic aggregation, an object to be enclosed is added to the enclosing object after the enclosing object is instantiated.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a merged menu list using a conflict resolution protocol. The conflict resolution (CR) protocol includes container menus of a container application and server menus of a server application. The container application has a container object and a container window environment, and the server application has a containee object which is contained within the container object. The CR protocol displays the container window environment and displays the containee object within the displayed container window environment. When the displayed containee object is selected, the CR protocol merges the container menus and the server menus into a merged menu list. In particular, when a container menu corresponds to a server menu, the CR protocol creates a combined menu and adds the combined menu to the merged menu list.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for logically partitioning a view of a document object from a frame in which the view is displayed. This enables a document object to control the appearance of its view when embedded within a container. The method and system enable a document object to control the page model of the view that it provides. The system may be implemented through "MICROSOFT" OLE 2.0 Interfaces. A view of a document object may be displayed in multiple frames and a frame may be used to display multiple views from different object types.

Abstract: A computer method and system for interacting with a containee object contained within a container object. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container object has a container application with a container window environment that has container resources for interacting with the container object. The containee object has a server application with a server window environment with server resources for interacting with the containee object. The method of the present invention displays the container window environment on a display device. A user then selects the containee object. In response to selecting the containee object, the method integrates a plurality of the server resources with the displayed container window environment. When a user then selects a server resource, the method invokes the server application to process the server resource selection.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving and maintaining presentation data in a presentation cache is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a presentation cache object provides a presentation cache with multiple cache entries. Each entry contains an indication of the format of the presentation data and the presentation data stored in that particular format. In addition, other information, such as the advisees of advisory connections for notification of cache updates, can be maintained. The presentation cache object responds to requests for retrieving source object data by returning presentation data cached within the presentation cache when it is available. In addition, the presentation cache object determines when it should delegate requests to the source object and when it can satisfy them on its own. The presentation cache object can return presentation data to a requesting client program even if the server program implementing the source object is unavailable or not running.

Abstract: A computer method and system for interacting with a containee object contained within a container object. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container object has a container application with a container window environment that has container resources for interacting with the container object. The containee object has a server application with a server window environment with server resources for interacting with the containee object. The method of the present invention displays the container window environment on a display device. A user then selects the containee object. In response to selecting the containee object, the method integrates a plurality of the server resources with the displayed container window environment. When a user then selects a server resource, the method invokes the server application to process the server resource selection.

Abstract: A method and system for retrieving and maintaining presentation data in a presentation cache is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a presentation cache object provides a presentation cache with multiple cache entries. Each entry contains an indication of the format of the presentation data and the presentation data stored in that particular format. In addition, other information, such as the advisees of advisory connections for notification of cache updates, can be maintained. The presentation cache object responds to requests for retrieving source object data by returning presentation data cached within the presentation cache when it is available. In addition, the presentation cache object determines when it should delegate requests to the source object and when it can satisfy them on its own. The presentation cache object can return presentation data to a requesting client program even if the server program implementing the source object is unavailable or not running.

Abstract: A computer method and system for interacting with a containee object contained within a container object. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the container object has a container application with a container window environment that has container resources for interacting with the container object. The containee object has a server application with a server window environment with server resources for interacting with the containee object. The method of the present invention displays the container window environment on a display device. A user then selects the containee object. In response to selecting the containee object, the method integrates a plurality of the server resources with the displayed container window environment. When a user then selects a server resource, the method invokes the server application to process the server resource selection.