Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: The invention enables the display of application-output data within application-output windows embedded in a web browser window. The application-output windows can be dynamically moved, resized and otherwise manipulated within the web browser window even when the application program providing the source of the application-output data is non-web enabled (e.g., legacy applications). The invention receives window attribute information associated with the application-output windows via a first virtual channel and displays application-output data received via a second virtual channel within the application-output windows, which are formed and/or modified using the window attribute information.

Abstract: The invention enables the display of application-output data within application-output windows embedded in a web browser window. The application-output windows can be dynamically moved, resized and otherwise manipulated within the web browser window even when the application program providing the source of the application-output data is non-web enabled (e.g., legacy applications). The invention receives window attribute information associated with the application-output windows via a first virtual channel and displays application-output data received via a second virtual channel within the application-output windows, which are formed and/or modified using the window attribute information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: The invention enables the display of application-output data within application-output windows embedded in a web browser window. The application-output windows can be dynamically moved, resized and otherwise manipulated within the web browser window even when the application program providing the source of the application-output data is non-web enabled (e.g., legacy applications). The invention receives window attribute information associated with the application-output windows via a first virtual channel and displays application-output data received via a second virtual channel within the application-output windows, which are formed and/or modified using the window attribute information.

Abstract: The invention enables the display of application-output data within application-output windows embedded in a web browser window. The application-output windows can be dynamically moved, resized and otherwise manipulated within the web browser window even when the application program providing the source of the application-output data is non-web enabled (e.g., legacy applications). The invention receives window attribute information associated with the application-output windows via a first virtual channel and displays application-output data received via a second virtual channel within the application-output windows, which are formed and/or modified using the window attribute information.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for determining a program neighborhood of a client node in a client-server network is described. The program neighborhood of the client node includes application programs hosted by application servers on the network. The present invention enables a user of a client node to learn of these application programs. The user is not required to know where to find such applications or to manually establish links to such applications. To make the client node aware of its program neighborhood, a host server collects application-related information corresponding to application programs hosted by the servers in the network. The application-related information can include the application name, the server location of the application, minimum capabilities required of client nodes for executing the application, and those users who are authorized to use that application. User credentials are received from the client system. The user credentials are used to filter the application-related information.

Abstract: A method for displaying an executing application in an HTML page includes the steps of receiving an indication that execution of an application should begin, determining the parameters of a window in which the executing application will be displayed, creating a communication channel to the HTML page using the determined window parameters, and displaying the output of the application, which is executing on a server, in the window via the communications channel. A related apparatus includes a parameter handler and a network executive. The parameter handler determines the parameters of the application window and passes the parameters to a network executive. The network executive uses the parameters to begin execution of the desired applications program on a server and causes the output of the program to be displayed in the window.

Abstract: In a distributed computer system, a method for lossless compression of a graphical line within an application server allows the compressed line data to be transmitted over a low bandwidth transport mechanism to a graphical user interface for display on a workstation. The application server determines, from graphical line data representative of the graphical line, coordinate locations for the endpoints of each sub-path of the graphical line and attributes of each sub-path. The application server generates a compressed line data packet of variable length which includes the coordinate location data and attribute data for each sub-path of the graphical line.

Abstract: In a distributed computer system, a method for lossless compression of a graphical line within an application server allows the compressed line data to be transmitted over a low bandwidth transport mechanism to a graphical user interface for display on a workstation. The application server determines, from graphical line data representative of the graphical line, coordinate locations for the endpoints of each sub-path of the graphical line and attributes of each sub-path. The application server generates a compressed line data packet of variable length which includes the coordinate location data and attribute data for each sub-path of the graphical line.

Abstract: A method for allowing anonymous user login to a computer begins when an application request is received from a client. The next available anonymous user name is determined and assigned to the client's application request. The anonymous user name is authenticated and a new session is created, which invokes the application targeted by the client's application request. When the client terminates execution of the application, the anonymous user name is returned to the anonymous user name pool and is available to be reassigned to the next anonymous user.

Abstract: A graphical user interface, executable on a computer system, includes a first user-selectable icon, displayable on the computer system and representing an object having desired properties within the computer system. A second user-selectable icon, also displayable on the computer system, appears visually distinguishable from the first icon and likewise represents the same object. The second icon has associated therewith at least one of user-selectable command, which enables manipulation of the properties of the object upon selection thereof. The second icon may be located remotely from the first icon on the graphical user interface to provide for convenient manipulation of the object properties without having to access the first icon repeatedly.

Abstract: The foregoing has described a method of providing a template in a computer system graphical user interface by supplying a visual cue which readily identifies the template and by supplying a direct template manipulation feature to increase the ease by which users can create objects. The template visual cue is provided to distinguish an instance of an object from its template form. Any object of any class which contains data and settings can be made into a template by turning on its template setting. When an object becomes a template, the icon which represents it is immediately altered. In particular, its icon becomes miniaturized or scaled down and superimposed on top of a normal size icon which resembles a pad of sheets of paper. This metaphor or visual cue is used to symbolize a stack of objects, of which new objects can be peeled off the top of the stack. With a drag and drop mouse action, a new object can be picked off of a template stack and dropped into any folder.

Abstract: A computer system and method of operation thereof are provided including an improved graphical user interface (GUI). A conditional cascading menuing method and apparatus which shield novice users from being overwhelmed by advanced operations in the desktop which appears on the user's computer screen. The conditional cascading feature provides the user with the ability to select a basic function or action from a main menu on the desktop, in which case the default behavior of the function will be performed, or to conditionally display, by pressing a mini push-button next to the main menu item text, a submenu of all forms of function or action. The default submenu behavior or item is indicated by a checkmark adjacent the default item in the submenu. Each time the user selects a submenu item which is different from the default submenu item, the presently selected submenu item becomes the default item or behavior.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of accessing at least a first of a plurality of object owned windows simultaneously open in a graphic user interface on a computer system. For each object on a computer system, an object list is maintained. The object list includes all opened windows owned by the objects. User inputs to the computer system are monitored for a user request for a window list. Responsive to a user request for the window list, each object list is retrieved and, for objects lists having a single opened window, a window entry to the window list is listed. For object lists having a plurality of opened windows, an object entry and a plurality of window entries are added to the window list. The window list is then displayed. Window names include an owning object identifier and a description of the window.

Abstract: Programs written for an action oriented graphic user interface are transferred to an object oriented graphic user interface. Upon installation of a program the data file types cognizable to the program are recovered from an association table for the program. A template is generated for each data file type and an icon is set on each template. Each template is then placed into an associated templates folder.

Abstract: A method for adjusting elements of a graphical user interface operating system is disclosed. The method includes providing the operating system with a plurality of palette managers; each palette manager includes a plurality of element values. The palette managers are represented on a display device by icons, are accessible via windows and are responsive to a pointer. One of the palette managers is activated via the pointer to provide an activated palette manager window. One of the values of the activated palette manager window is selected via the pointer. The selected value is dragged to an element to be updated and dropped on that element. Dropping the selected value causes the element to be updated to correspond to the selected value.

Abstract: A graphical user interface for a data processing system includes a method of generating a popup menu of actions allowed on an object represented in the graphical user interface. The method includes the steps of interrogating extended attributes for an object and each elder object to the object. Interrogation is for default actions and suppression markers. With each interrogation step the method adds actions linked to the object or to an elder object by another application and removes actions identified by suppression markers by another application from an interim list. After interrogation of the layers for modifications from other applications, the method provides for determining if any user defined actions and suppression markers are present for the object. If yes, the user defined actions are added to the interim list and actions matched by the suppression markers are removed from the interim list. A popup menu is then generated from the interim list.