Abstract: In a medical information system, a facility is provided so that different application programs can share information about their current state, so that a user of these applications can move more efficiently among them. This facility includes a patient context interface (PCI) that each application can access by means of an application programming interface (API). This API provides mechanisms by which applications can register their identity and their interest in certain types of data and events. The PCI stores data received from applications for sharing with other applications, and the PCI notifies certain applications of events received from other applications. In operation, an application that is used to review data for a patient stores (in the PCI) an identification of the patient whose data is currently being reviewed, and another application retrieves (from the PCI) that patient identification so that it can automatically present that patient's data when the user switches to that application.

Abstract: Apparatus is provided for forming a foreign language file from a native language file so that the display for a given equipment can be rendered in the foreign language rather than the native language. The apparatus is comprised of a native language file containing instructions for the format of the display, words to be translated, and contextual information related to the latter words, a translation tool for reading the native language file and forming an image of the native words to be translated, the size and shape of the space allotted to them and a blank space into which equivalent foreign words can be inserted, means for inserting the foreign words, and means for storing in a file the foreign words and the instructions for the format to be used.