Abstract: A method and apparatus for navigating a concept hierarchy that interrelates a hierarchical presentation of the concepts of the hierarchy with a presentation of the declarations and constraints of those concepts is provided. The method includes the use of an additional computer screen presentation in which the presentation of the concepts and their declarations and restraints are interrelated. The user uses the screen to generate either a dictionary of the terms of all the concepts in the hierarchy, or a dictionary of descriptive terms of all the properties associated with those concepts. Means are provided on the screen for a user to then interrogate the generated dictionary for a desired property or concept. In a search of a dictionary of concept terms, once a desired property concept or property has been located and selected, the screen server provides, for use in continuing the search, a list of the properties that define the selected concept.

Abstract: A user interface is provided that performs much of the work in searching and organizing of search data. It defines search terms and sources ahead of time for subjects that have wide usage, or are suggested by the user. It then organizes collections of search documents pertaining to a selected subject into a book divided into sections according to topics about the subject. Each section of the book is represented by a tab on the book that can be used to select between the various topics in the book. The books can be used to organize information from numerous sources about any number of subjects including companies, products, industries, geographies and people. Standard books can be personalized to fit the users need. For example, the content and organization of a book on a company can be changed depending on whether the user of the book owns the company's stock, competes with the company, or sells products to it.

Abstract: In response to the users actions relative to graphical representations of a multiple inheritance concept hierarchy to delete, add or modify the relationships between the various concepts, property declaration, property constraints and relationships therebetween, this system first, recognizes and disambiguates possible semantic incoherance introduced by the changes; second, suggests alternative procedures to ameliorate any perceived incoherence; third, interactively allows an agent (user or machine) to select from one of the alternatives; and fourth, performs the sequence of necessary operations to resolve semantic incoherence in the modified hierarchy.