Abstract: A persistent object service (POS) that interfaces to a set of one or more relational database management systems. A persistent object is mapped to one or more tables in a relational database based on the object's attribute types and the object's relationships with other objects. If the object inherits from another object, the mapping creates multiple tables, a top level table for base attributes, and a set of one or more child tables that contain extended attributes of the inherited objects. A routine for storing an object converts persistent object operations to a sequence of SQL statements for storing the object in the relational database.

Abstract: A method of controlling how a Web document is presented for display on a browser of a Web appliance. The Web appliance typically includes a television class monitor associated therewith. The Web document typically is formatted according to a markup language such as HTML. The method uses a client side HTTP caching proxy to intercept the Web document and then dynamically rewrite the document before it is displayed on the browser of the Web appliance. In particular, as the Web document is received from the server, the HTML is parsed to identify the format of the document and the information therein. A filter mechanism is then used to reformat the Web document according to some given protocol, and the re-formatted Web document is then passed to the browser for display on the monitor. Dynamic alteration of the HTML in this manner enables control of the “look and feel” of the browser display irrespective of the monitor resolution and/or quality.