Abstract: A system and method provides each networked computer user with a user interface displaying visual representations of selected other computer users, generally of those workers in the user's workgroup, and further provides communication mechanisms for efficiently and easily contacting any of the displayed workers. The visual representations of the other users are frequently updated to indicate the activity level of these users. These activity level cues help users predict if the other users are likely to be available for an interaction. The user interface also includes a display portion and mechanism for storing data files and the like so that all workgroup members may accumulate a set data files commonly used by the workgroup, and may transfer files in this manner to other workgroup members. The data files may be stored in association with specific interactive discussion windows, known as chat rooms, or directly in the user interface.

Abstract: In a window and notification based computer system, a browser class, a browser item layout class, a browser item data cell layout class and a browser item class are provided to the window object class hierarchy for applications to provide collection browsers on a display. An application provides a collection browser by creating a browser item layout object, zero or more browser item data cell layout objects, a browser object, and zero or more browser item objects as class instances of the four enumerated classes, and providing procedures for servicing events generated by a user interacting with the objects presented in the collection browser using a cursor control device and/or a keyboard. As a result applications may provide collection browsers in a more efficient and consistent manner.

Abstract: In a computer system where applications and data manipulated by the applications are implemented in an object oriented manner, an object type and its deriving attribute are stored as an entry in a table having an identifier. The object type table is in turn stored in a database. Similarly, the object type and its attribute values having corresponding attribute identifiers are stored as an entry in a table having an identifier. The object type attribute table is in turn also stored in a database. An object type deriving manager and an object type attribute values obtaining manager corresponding to the object type table and the object type attribute table are provided for deriving object type and obtaining object type attribute values respectively. A row getting interface routine and a column getting interface routine are provided for invoking the functions of the object type deriving manager and the functions of the object type attribute values obtaining manager.