Abstract: A computing system includes a viewing screen, user interface means, a plurality of application processes, a data file and agent engine means. The viewing screen displays images. The user interface means enables a user to select and move the images displayed by the viewing screen. Each application process in the plurality of application processes includes command processor means and action processor means. The command processor means receives semantic commands and executes the semantic commands. The action processor means monitors selection and movement of the images on the viewing screen and generates the semantic commands by lexical and syntactical analysis of the selection and movement of the images on the viewing screen. The semantic commands are sent to the command processor for execution. The data file includes first semantic commands executable by a first application process from the plurality of application processes.

Abstract: A computing system includes an application object, a computer based training instruction object ("INSTRUCTION object") and an agent engine. The INSTRUCTION object runs concurrently with the application object. The application objects includes a first action processor and a first command processor. The first action processor receives messages which indicate syntactic actions taken by the user and generates semantic commands based on the syntactic actions. The first command processor receives the semantic commands from the first action processor and executes the semantic commands. The INSTRUCTION object receives input from a user through syntactic actions and displays information on a monitor. The information instructs a user as to operation of the first application. The INSTRUCTION object may include an INSTRUCTION action processor and an INSTRUCTION command processor.

Abstract: An application program includes an action processor which receives messages containing user syntactic actions. These actions are translated into semantic commands. The semantic commands are sent to a command processor for execution.The preferred embodiment of the computing system additionally includes an agent engine. The agent engine may be used to perform many functions. It may be used to receive semantic commands from an application, and to record the semantic commands for later playback. It may be used to send semantic commands from a task language file to an application program for execution by the command processor. It may be used to intercept semantic commands sent from action processor to the command processor. After the command is intercepted, the agent engine may be used to allow the semantic command to be executed, to prevent the semantic command from being executed.

Abstract: A modular compiler is used to compile code for execution by an agent engine and a plurality of application programs. The modular compiler includes a class independent compiler which parses program code which is to be executed by the agent engine. The modular compiler also includes a class dependent parser for each application program. Each class dependent parser parses program code which is to be executed by its respective application program. When an application program is added to the computing system, an associated class dependent parser is added to the modular compiler. When an application program is removed from the computing system, the associated class dependent parser is removed from the modular compiler.