Abstract: A browser intermediary provides a user interface that displays representations of various types of available web-based content. Selection of a particular web-based content from the browser intermediary causes a web browser application to be launched and the selected web-based content to be loaded in the browser user interface.

Abstract: A shell navigation tool for a personal computer having a multiple page shell user interface and a shell component. The shell user interface utilizes navigation between multiple layers of pages to organize and display links to local and remote documents, programs, web links, tasks, services, devices, and the like. At the top level of the multiple-page shell user interface, a start page provides access via hyperlinks to lower order pages, as well as links to system settings, and a limited number of local and remote documents, web links, and programs. Lower pages in the hierarchy, referred to as “Activity Centers” may be scoped to define activity types or groups (e.g., games, web, photography, personal finance). An Activity Center page provides links to local and remote programs documents, and web links, that are related to the defined activity.

Abstract: A server federation cooperatively interacts to fulfill service requests by communicating using data structures that follow a schema in which the meaning of the communicated data is implied by the schema. Thus, in addition to the data being communicated, the meaning of the data is also communication allowing for intelligent decisions and inferences to be made based on the meaning of the data. Cooperative interaction is facilitated over a wide variety of networks by messaging through a common API that supports multiple transport mechanisms. Also, mid-session transfer between client devices is facilitated by schema and the transport-independent messaging structure. The user interfaces of the client devices will appear consistent even if the client devices have different user interface capabilities.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: The present invention provides a common namespace for Internet and local filesystem objects. In a preferred embodiment, the common namespaces constructed by first accessing a namespace definition table. The namespace definition table contains entries referencing both a filesystem namespace subtree definition module and an Internet namespace subtree definition module. The entry referencing the filesystem namespace subtree definition module is used to access the filesystem namespace subtree definition module in order to define a filesystem namespace subtree that encompasses filesystem addresses. Similarly, the entry referencing the Internet namespace subtree definition module is used to access the Internet namespace subtree definition module to define an Internet namespace subtree that encompasses Internet addresses. The defined filesystem and Internet namespace subtrees are then combined in order to assemble a namespace encompassing both filesystem addresses and Internet addresses.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: Sitemaps are utilized to hold content-related information about hypertext documents stored at a server site. The hypertext documents may be web pages for the World Wide Web portion of the Internet. Each sitemap file may hold a hierarchical index of the web pages that are accessible at the server site. Each sitemap may also hold search results that identify web pages that comply with the search criteria and/or ratings information regarding the content of the web pages at the server site. The sitemaps may also be utilized by web crawler programs to build an index of web pages available at the server site. The sitemap files may be located at a default location of the server site or, alternatively, may be located at a site designated by information held in a specified hypertext document at the server site.

Abstract: The present invention provides a common namespace for Internet and local filesystem objects. In a preferred embodiment, the common namespaces constructed by first accessing a namespace definition table. The namespace definition table contains entries referencing both a filesystem namespace subtree definition module and an Internet namespace subtree definition module. The entry referencing the filesystem namespace subtree definition module is used to access the filesystem namespace subtree definition module in order to define a filesystem namespace subtree that encompasses filesystem addresses. Similarly, the entry referencing the Internet namespace subtree definition module is used to access the Internet namespace subtree definition module to define an Internet namespace subtree that encompasses Internet addresses. The defined filesystem and Internet namespace subtrees are then combined in order to assemble a namespace encompassing both filesystem addresses and Internet addresses.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: Sitemaps are utilized to hold content-related information about hypertext documents stored at a server site. The hypertext documents may be web pages for the World Wide Web portion of the Internet. Each sitemap file may hold a hierarchical index of the web pages that are accessible at the server site. Each sitemap may also hold search results that identify web pages that comply with the search criteria and/or ratings information regarding the content of the web pages at the server site. The sitemaps may also be utilized by web crawler programs to build an index of web pages available at the server site. The sitemap files may be located at a default location of the server site or, alternatively, may be located at a site designated by information held in a specified hypertext document at the server site.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: Sitemaps are utilized to hold content-related information about hypertext documents stored at a server site. The hypertext documents may be web pages for the World Wide Web portion of the Internet. Each sitemap file may hold a hierarchical index of the web pages that are accessible at the server site. Each sitemap may also hold search results that identify web pages that comply with the search criteria and/or ratings information regarding the content of the web pages at the server site. The sitemaps may also be utilized by web crawler programs to build an index of web pages available at the server site. The sitemap files may be located at a default location of the server site or, alternatively, may be located at a site designated by information held in a specified hypertext document at the server site.

Abstract: Searches are automatically initiated to intelligently locate resources, particularly World Wide Web sites, within a distributed environment in response to a user specifying text via a user interface element. In a particular embodiment, a Web browser is enhanced to include a browser search capability. The browser includes a text box allowing the user to enter a URL. Depending on the particular browser used in the embodiment, this text box may be called, among other things, a destination field, location field, or URL field. When the user enters a valid URL, the corresponding web site is accessed. If the user enters text that is not a URL, the system may first try to construct a valid URL from the user-entered text. If a valid URL cannot be constructed, the browser then automatically formats a search engine query using the user-entered text and forwards the query to an Internet search engine. The browser chooses a particular search engine by determining the meaning or category of the user-entered text.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: A taskbar is provided that supplies visual cues, such as buttons, for each application having an active window. These visual cues inform a user of the currently active windows and may be used to display the active windows. The taskbar may also include a start menu button that enables a user to gain access to a menu for launching programs, opening documents and controlling system settings. The taskbar is resizable and may be anchored to different locations on a video display. The taskbar may operate in a mode where it is not obscurable by other windows. The taskbar may also be displayed in a mode where it is not displayed when another window is in a non-minimized state.

Abstract: A method and system for transferring data to common destinations using a common destination list is provided. In a preferred embodiment, a user uses a software facility ("the facility") that is preferably integrated into an operating system to transfer source objects using a list of common transfer destinations. By selecting a source object and issuing a transfer command, the user causes the facility to display in conjunction with the source object a list of common transfer destinations ("common destination list"). When the user selects a destination from the common destination list, the facility initiates a transfer of the source object to the selected destination. The destinations contained in the common destination list are preferably customizable by the user in a straightforward manner.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.

Abstract: An operating system provides extensions through which application developers may extend the capabilities of a shell of the operating system. For example, application developers may add menu items to context menus for objects that are visible within an integrated system name space. In addition, developers may add property sheet pages for such objects. Application developers also have the option of providing per-instance icons for each instance of an object. Application developers may provide data object extension handlers for customizing data sources on a per-object class basis and may provide drop target extension handlers on a per-object class basis to customize drop target behavior. Developers may additionally provide copy-hook handlers to regulate file system operations on objects. Developers may also extend the functionality provided by the shell of the operating system by adding their own custom name spaces to the integrated system name space.