Abstract: A system is disclosed for remotely accessing database management systems (5130) and performing guided iterative queries of knowledge bases (110) over a communication circuit such as the Internet (5124). The system includes a Web browser (5120) having a Java™ runtime environment (4015), and executable content client (5121) that may be downloaded from a remote location (103). A Krakatoa proxy server (5128), socket (5021), and tunnel (5129) establish a mechanism for remote procedure calls through firewalls (5126) via an HTTP server (5127). Guardrail counts (750) are preferably displayed to the remote searcher to facilitate guided iterative queries of the remote knowledge base (110). A configurable graphical action region (700) is preferably provided to the remote searcher via a graphical user interface to provide powerful navigation and linking of diverse useful information which varies based upon contexts selected by the remote searcher.

Abstract: The present invention is an improvement upon an object oriented database management system and provides a method and apparatus for a user to visually compare attribute values of instances retrieved in a search in a way that highlights attribute values that do not match or are not equal. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining which of the attributes are not equal or do not match, and which attribute values are the same for all of the instances that are retrieved by a search. A method and apparatus is provided for visually indicating such determinations in a way that is immediately understandable by a user.

Abstract: A dynamically selectable language display system for object oriented database management systems is disclosed. Class objects are provided having international string parameters that include a pointer to an international string list, the international string list including a language handle structure linked to a plurality of character strings in different languages. A handle manager is provided which is operative to select a character string corresponding to one of said plurality of character strings for display which corresponds to a dynamically selectable user specified language handle, whereby a representation of said class object may be simultaneously displayed to a plurality of users in different languages based upon a language handle individually selectable by each of said plurality of users.