Abstract: The customized execution of an executable accessed from a web server. Upon receiving a request for the executable, the web server determines a customization to be applied to the executable. For instance, arguments may be parsed from the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the request. The web server then sends a copy of the executable to the client, and provides customization argument(s) in the name of the executable. Thus, the name of the executable may differ, depending on the customization to be applied, although the executable binary itself may be the same. The client receives the executable copy, and interprets its name to determine the customization to be applied. For instance, the client may extract the argument(s) from the name of the executable, and provide those argument(s) to the executable when executed.

Abstract: Dialogs within a user interface. The user interface has one or more selectable elements, the selection of each of which initiating a corresponding action. Each time that any of the elements is selected, and a corresponding action initiated, there is the potential for the user interface to display a dialog associated with the initiated action. The dialogs are displayed so as to be positioned with respect to the element whose selection caused the corresponding action to be initiated.

Abstract: A model for displaying multiple user interface elements such that each control includes a container that includes standard functionality across at least a majority of the user interface elements. For instance, such standard functionality might include a part status indication, a title, a content status indication, a command invocation function, a part resizing function, and so forth. The model may also provide for standardization of resizing of user interface elements. For a given user interface element, there would be a predetermined number of possible size and shapes, each corresponding to a different projection of data. For instance, all of the user interface elements on a screen may fall within the predetermined number of possible size and shapes, thereby allowing more functional layout of the user interface on the display.

Abstract: At least some embodiments described herein refer to the user of a rendering interpreter that receives data object(s) from code executing within a restricted environment container (such as an IFrame). The restricted environment container prevents the code from adversely impacting the performance and consistency of the user interface system as a whole, and also prevents the code from adversely impacting the performance of code running in other restricted environment containers.

Abstract: A user interface that has a canvas that is extendable in an extendable dimension and on which multiple selectable elements may be placed. In this context, when a selecting control is associated with a particular selectable element, and further user gestures are provided, a pan detection mechanism is configured to distinguish between an intent to pan the canvas and an intent to select the particular selectable element. When a selecting control is associated with a particular orthogonally scrollable element, the pan detection mechanism may be distinguish between an intent to pan the canvas and an intent to scroll the orthogonally scrollable element in a direction perpendicular to the extendible dimension of the canvas.

Abstract: The management of application state storage associated with a hierarchical application. The hierarchical application includes multiple parent user interface elements, each of at least some having child user interface elements arranged in a corresponding hierarchy. The user may navigate through the hierarchical application. For instance, by selecting a child user interface element of a first parent user interface element having a first hierarchy of child user interface elements, the user might navigate to (and potentially also create) a second parent user interface element having a second hierarchy of child user interface elements. A hierarchical storage agent manages the state of the hierarchical application. The hierarchical storage agent provides application state to a remote storage over an application program interface in a manner that preserves at least some of the hierarchy of one or more parent user interface elements of the hierarchical application.

Abstract: A user interface that includes a canvas that extends in one direction. An activation mechanism may be used to generate an initial blade in the canvas. A blade is a user interface element that occupies a portion of the canvas in the dimension along which the canvas extends. The blade includes multiple selectable elements that each have a corresponding blade. The user interface includes an extension mechanism configured to present a corresponding subsequent blade on the canvas perhaps adjacent to the prior blade when a selected element from a prior blade is selected, the subsequent blade also including multiple selectable elements that may be hierarchically structured. In this manner, blade chains may be created representative of a journey that the user has taken since initiating the first blade.

Abstract: A hierarchy of controls and parts, that are each in accordance with constraints of a computing executing context. A control is executable code that performs a function and which may impart a visualization. A part is a unit of visualization container that has its own visualization and/or shows visualizations from one or more compliant controls associated with the part.

Abstract: Computing systems in which multiple non-context-sensitive or core commands may be initiated from each of a number of different user interface contexts. There are also multiple context-sensitive mechanism for visualizing the commands depending on which of the multiple possible user interface contexts that the commands appear. At least some embodiments described herein also related to the presentation of dialogs at various stages of the command lifecycle without the system needing to know the underlying operations of the command, and allowing the developer to specify when dialogs are to appear in that lifecycle.

Abstract: A multi-act creation user interface element that is displayed when a user instructs a computing system to initiate creation of a resource that has multiple associated creation processing acts. For each of some or all of the creation processing acts, the multi-act creation user interface element causes a set of one or more controls to appear, which the user may then enter creation information into. The multi-step creation user interface element persists creation information so entered so that the creation information is available for further creation processing acts.