Abstract: A document management apparatus minimizes the busy time of a cursor by using asynchronous servicing of responses from repositories, and by executing the cursor control process during time intervals between receiving responses. Also during these time intervals, other processes can be launched in response to actions using the cursor and commands initiated by the user. The apparatus has a find tool to transmit a first search request for a category of documents; processing a first response to the first request, the first response having a list of documents found in the category; and transmitting a search request for selected attribute value pairs for each document in the list. The apparatus has a display comprising: a document display for displaying a blank document screen object for each document in the list; updating a screen object corresponding to a document whose attribute is received by the apparatus, the update occurring in response to receipt of a message carrying the attribute and corresponding value.

Abstract: An information processing system is disclosed, having documents consisting of attributes. Each attribute contains a name and a value. The value of an attribute may be executable script. When a specified event occurs, an interpreter evaluates the script and executes the resulting object code on a microprocessor. Examples of the specified event are the document being referenced by a user or the document being received by a remote node. The script itself within the value of an attribute may be written by the user, or selected by the user from a pre-packaged system library of script routines. When the script is executed, it causes certain events to occur.

Abstract: A system for displaying documents on a computer controlled display device is disclosed. The system displays documents either in a completely free-form, user controlled configuration or as strands, such that documents in a strand follow a strand path. The strand path is a two dimensional line through a three dimensional display space. The documents displayed on the strand are known as child documents, and each strand also has a parent document. Various constraints defining the strand are associated with the parent document, including a strand function defining the strand path, minimum and maximum separation constraints defining the distance between the child documents on the strand, and an origin constraint defining the positional relationship of the strand path to the screen object of the parent document.