Abstract: Systems for providing sign-up email addresses are disclosed herein. A user may set up a sign-up email address for receiving emails from a trusted, Internet-based enterprise. The user may set up a dedicated mailbox folder associated with the sign-up email address or enterprise. The email server may automatically direct emails coming from that enterprise into that folder. To “unsubscribe,” the user needs only to delete the folder or the sign-up address. Emails from the enterprise to the sign-up address may be highlighted in the user's main inbox. Thus, the user may be assured that any such email is truly from the enterprise, and not a phishing expedition or spam. Such systems also provide the user with effective tools to recognize phish or spam emails that appear to be from the trusted enterprise and not to act on them.

Abstract: Previews of a target web site or other Internet-accessible resource are displayed in response to cursor control events. The previews are displayed in preview windows, which may have associated toolbars that include functions permitting various manipulations of the content displayed in the preview window. In some cases, the target web site is displayed as an image thereof in the preview window.

Abstract: Providing data bound workflow activities to model messaging between a workflow instance and a workflow host. The workflow author associates a data source with each data bound activity in a workflow without specifying details of the underlying messaging technology. The data bound activity in the workflow instance communicates with a data source service in the workflow host to exchange data.

Abstract: User-initiated or intelligently automated acquisition, extraction and presentation of content such as photos, videos, and/or other content (e.g., news stories, product displays, advertisements, etc.), from a Web site in a full-screen slideshow via client-side software, which may be implemented as a stand-alone application, an extension (a.k.a. plug-in, or add-on), a Web browser feature (a.k.a. function), or as an embedded component associated with the content.

Abstract: A user interface for a computer system includes a repository for indications of Web pages of interest configured as a stack, the stack being rendered on a computer screen as a slideable drawer of thumbnail images and an associated tool bar, the drawer configured to be hidden from view when a user is not interacting with the stack. A tab indicator representing the slideable drawer may be displayed when the slideable drawer itself is hidden from view.

Abstract: Enabling creation of control flow patterns in a workflow via continuations. Each continuation represents an activity execution context for an activity executing in the workflow by a workflow engine virtualizing a managed execution environment. Responsive to a request, the activity execution context is recreated via the continuation and the activity is executed within the recreated context.

Abstract: Declaratively canceling execution of an activity. A state automaton for an activity is defined, and the state automaton includes an executing state, a canceling state, and a closed state and classifies an execution lifetime of the activity. The activity includes work items and organizes the work items in an execution hierarchical structure. The work items are transitioned from the executing state to the closed state indicating a completion of executing the each work item of the activity. Upon having one of the work items being transitioned to the closed state, a cancellation request is transmitted to the work items currently in the executing state. The executing work items are identified as a function of the transmitted cancellation request and the execution hierarchical structure of the defined activity. The execution lifetime of the activity is canceled by transitioning the identified work items from the executing state to the canceling state.

Abstract: Providing a workflow engine for virtualizing a managed execution environment. The workflow engine executes a workflow based on an automaton and methods associated therewith. The workflow engine captures continuations associated with the executing workflow to enable modeling of real-world processes.

Abstract: Asynchronous fault handling for a workflow. A state automaton for an activity in the workflow is defined. The state automaton includes at least an executing state, a faulting state, and a closed state and classifies an execution lifetime of the activity. The activity is defined to include work items and includes an execution hierarchy for the work items. Each work item includes an operation for executing a portion of the activity. Each work item is transitioned to the executing state. The included operation of transitioned work items is executed in the executing state. One or more of the transitioned work items are identified in response to the faulting event as a function of the execution hierarchy and the included operation. The faulting event is asynchronously handled by transitioning the one or more identified work items to the faulting state while executing the included operation of the remaining transitioned work items.

Abstract: Providing data bound workflow activities to model messaging between a workflow instance and a workflow host. The workflow author associates a data source with each data bound activity in a workflow without specifying details of the underlying messaging technology. The data bound activity in the workflow instance communicates with a data source service in the workflow host to exchange data.

Abstract: Workflow debugging. A debug engine integrated with an external development tool debugging framework sets breakpoints directly on workflow activities and stops execution of the workflow at each of the breakpoints. The state of the workflow activity at the breakpoint is displayed. The debug engine extracts source code of the workflow for debugging at the source code level.

Abstract: A user interface for building a componentized workflow model. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via the user interface. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities.

Abstract: Building a componentized workflow model. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities. The workflow may be compiled and executed.

Abstract: Modifying a componentized workflow model during execution of the workflow. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. Metadata is associated with each of the activities in the workflow. During execution of the workflow, the user modifies the metadata to affect execution of the workflow without recompiling the workflow.

Abstract: Building a componentized workflow model via an application programming interface. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via the application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities. Users also compile the workflow via the application programming interface.

Abstract: Visual composition of an activity for re-use in a composite activity or in a workflow. A user declaratively and/or programmatically generates reusable composite activities from existing activities interactively using a visual designer. The activity has one or more configuration properties associated therewith that define the behavior of an aspect of the activity. Depending on the value of the configuration properties, the activity may be, for example, partially configured, fully configured, or minimally configured. A user or developer completes the configuration of the activity during re-use of the activity in a composite activity or in a workflow.

Abstract: Representing a componentized workflow model via a declarative markup language. Each step of the workflow is modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities.

Abstract: An ink-enabled user interface for building a componentized workflow model. A touch screen display device allows each step of the workflow to be modeled as an activity that has metadata to describe design time aspects, compile time aspects, and runtime aspects of the workflow step. A user selects and arranges the activities via the touch screen device to create the workflow via user interfaces or application programming interfaces. The metadata associated with each of the activities in the workflow is collected to create a persistent representation of the workflow. Users extend the workflow model by authoring custom activities.

Abstract: To provide for multi-language compilation, a protocol is established for compilers. Each of at least two compilers implements the protocol. A framework is developed which discovers compilers which have implemented the protocol. The framework allows multi-language compilation using and coordinating the compliant compilers. The framework is extensible. When a new protocol-compliant compiler is discovered, the language compiled by the new compiler can be compiled using the framework and the capabilities of the protocol-compliant compilers. Similarly, a multi-language extensible design tool may be created using protocol-compliant design tools.

Abstract: The present invention enables a user to build user-interfaces and applications based on a policy that contains metadata. The user can build an application through the user-interface, in which the user-interface and the generated computer-executable instructions are consistent with the policy. A user-interface has a toolbox that indicates the discovered components and a design surface that displays applicable stages. The policy determines the stages, where each stage provides a grouping of components having related tasks. The user selects components from the toolbox so that the selected components are associated with the selected stages on the design surface. After the user has completed building an application, a representation of the application may be compiled in order to generate a set of computer-executable instructions. Moreover, the compiler is coupled to the policy so that the set of computer-executable instructions is consistent with the policy.