Abstract: Operating an application in response to spatial status of objects within a physical environment in which the application operates. A system detects the spatial status (e.g., orientation, movement, position, and so forth) of multiple environmental objects that operate within a physical environment from which input is provided to, and to which output is provided from, an application. The relationship between at least some different environmental objects result in altered a behavior of the application. The spatial status of at least some of the environmental objects is subject to change. Thus, a mechanism is described that allows an application to adjust in a manner that is highly responsive to the physical environment in which the application interfaces.

Abstract: Operating an application in response to spatial status of objects within a physical environment in which the application operates. A system detects the spatial status (e.g., orientation, movement, position, and so forth) of multiple environmental objects that operate within a physical environment from which input is provided to, and to which output is provided from, an application. The relationship between at least some different environmental objects result in altered a behavior of the application. The spatial status of at least some of the environmental objects is subject to change. Thus, a mechanism is described that allows an application to adjust in a manner that is highly responsive to the physical environment in which the application interfaces.

Abstract: A system for presentation of help files on a computer with an operating system and a display is provided. Presentation-independent information associated with an application is stored on the computer. A help application is adapted to access the presentation-independent information based on user interactions and automatically to select between available rendering applications at runtime for displaying the presentation-independent information on the display.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing security in a help system includes receiving a call from a calling application to access active content. A determination is made, based on predetermined criteria, which execution mode to use to access the active content. The active content is then accessed in the determined execution mode.

Abstract: Flexible information appearance and behavior can be achieved with an extensible multi-phase transform engine. The transform engine can apply a series of transforms to markup language content. In a help service embodiment, application creators can specify a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) for help content, and a collection of transforms and/or executable code for formatting and presenting the help content. The transforms may be custom transforms registered with the help service, or may be selected from a set of stock pre-registered transforms. The transforms can be applied by the engine to the help content. Custom transforms and transform selection may be used to control content appearance and engine output format. Transform operation may also trigger custom executable code to accomplish desired help behaviors.

Abstract: A system for presentation of help files on a computer with an operating system and a display is provided. Presentation-independent information associated with an application is stored on the computer. A help application is adapted to access the presentation-independent information based on user interactions and automatically to select between available rendering applications at runtime for displaying the presentation-independent information on the display.

Abstract: A content author marks content semantically, rather than providing presentational indications in the content. The markings conform to a semantic schema, which define different semantic elements which may occur in the content. The resulting semantically-marked content is optionally combined with other semantically-marked content to form combined semantically-marked content. The final presentationally-marked content is transformed with a presentation transform indicating how semantic content should be displayed. The result is presentation data. The presentation data contains the content with presentational indications, including presentational markings or code references or fragments. These presentational indications indicate how content should be displayed. In this way, uniformity in presenting data authored by different content authors or at different times can be achieved.

Abstract: Content including links to behaviors (code which can be executed and return supplemental content for insertion, or can modify existing content) is stored, and at run-time, the links to behaviors are followed and the supplemental content or the modifications to existing comment are used to create a final version of content which will be presented to the user. Security enhancements including a security check ensure that only behaviors which are secure will be run. Default content may be provided, which may be inserted if the security check is not passed, or if the content returned from the behavior is unusable for some reason.

Abstract: A content author provides content to be displayed, including some content elements for which display is conditional on the state of the machine in which the content will be viewed. The conditional statements controlling the display of these content elements, in one embodiment refer to states provided by a state monitor. The state may refer to the state of any aspect of the viewing environment, including hardware, software, firmware, user preferences, software operating modes, and any other detectable state. The resulting content is optionally combined with other similar content via a structural transform. This content is transformed with a presentation transform. One of the transforms checks the states and resolves the conditional statements included by the content author. The result of the transforms is presentation data. A display of this presentation data includes the content which, according to the conditional statements and the state of the viewing environment is appropriate for display.