Abstract: A method and system in a computer system for communicating instructions to an application program in response to spoken commands received by a spoken command input facility is provided. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a list of available commands is displayed under the control of the spoken command input facility. Each available command has an instruction associated with it that causes the application program to take some action. The spoken command input facility then determines whether a command spoken by a user is an available command. The spoken command input facility then communicates the instruction associated with the determined available command to the application program. If the spoken command is an available command, the spoken command input facility then revises the displayed list of available commands.

Abstract: A central processing unit (CPU) is coupled to a computer display for displaying graphic and other information. The CPU is further coupled to a pointer control device such as a pen, stylus or mouse that permits the user to selectively position a pointer and activate an action handle on the display associated with a data object. Activation of the action handle signals the CPU of selections associated with the data object. Tapping or clicking on the action handle causes display of a context menu containing at least one command that may be invoked with respect to the data object. Dragging the action handle indicates movement or dragging of the action handle and the corresponding data object for an operation associated with dragging such as drag-and-drop. The use of action handles in association with data objects eliminates ambiguity between actions intended to create digital ink with respect to a pen-based computer system and actions intended to invoke a command or other interaction with the computer system.