Abstract: A system and method for providing help contents uses a framework for unified help access that provides a single point of entry through which a user may access help contents relating to all system software and hardware components. The help contents from different sources are organized into a taxonomy structure that allows a user to navigate easily to locate relevant help topics. The contents of the help topics may reside locally or be accessible over the Internet, and may contain static as well as active components. The unified help framework is extensible, allowing the help topics and the taxonomy to be updated by means of update packages. The application for providing the unified presentation of help topics may be launched by a user as well as from programs.

Abstract: Described is a system and method for searching multiple disparate search engines. More particularly, a search system provides search engine manager that operates to provide a standard interface with which one or more search engines may be queried through a search client. The search system being extensible, allows for the addition of search engines beyond the time of the initial construction of the search system. Each search engine, being wrapped around a COM (component object model) object, first registers with the search system through the wrapper, the wrapper providing communication between the search engine manager and the search engine. When initiated by a client, a query is transmitted to the search engines in series, the search engines execute the query in parallel, and the results are returned asynchronously to the client.

Abstract: A system manages version information for a group of software components by maintaining a version repository containing version information for all of the components. The system determines a baseline for the components, modifies data in the repository in connection with updating software components, and accesses the data in the repository to determine version information for the components. The system described herein also determines if a group of software components correspond to a particular baseline by maintaining baseline information in the version repository. The system obtains the particular baseline for the group of components, compares the version information for each of the components with a corresponding minimum version provided in connection with the baseline, and determines whether a group of software components correspond to the particular baseline.

Abstract: A URI is received and includes an indication of an item of content. A determination is made as to whether there is access to a help server. If there is access, then a version of the item of content is retrieved from the help server. If there is no access, then a version of the item of content is retrieved from a local client content store.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of providing security in a help system includes receiving a call from a calling application to access active content. A determination is made, based on predetermined criteria, which execution mode to use to access the active content. The active content is then accessed in the determined execution mode.

Abstract: Flexible information appearance and behavior can be achieved with an extensible multi-phase transform engine. The transform engine can apply a series of transforms to markup language content. In a help service embodiment, application creators can specify a Uniform Resource Indicator (URI) for help content, and a collection of transforms and/or executable code for formatting and presenting the help content. The transforms may be custom transforms registered with the help service, or may be selected from a set of stock pre-registered transforms. The transforms can be applied by the engine to the help content. Custom transforms and transform selection may be used to control content appearance and engine output format. Transform operation may also trigger custom executable code to accomplish desired help behaviors.

Abstract: A system for presentation of help files on a computer with an operating system and a display is provided. Presentation-independent information associated with an application is stored on the computer. A help application is adapted to access the presentation-independent information based on user interactions and automatically to select between available rendering applications at runtime for displaying the presentation-independent information on the display.

Abstract: Periodic updating of content and metadata on a client computer is enabled through the transmission of a patch, rather than redeployment of the entire content and metadata. The patch contains difference information detailing the differences between the client's version of the content and metadata and a current version. The content and metadata are updated consistent with the patch. Any associated information with the content and metadata, such as a full text index or a data store, will then also be updated or recreated. Because the patch is smaller than information needed to redeploy the content, metadata, and associated information, it can be sent with greater frequency and security. Additionally, because the patch is based on the client's version of the content and metadata and a current version, where a number of current versions exist (e.g. for localization) the correct patch may be sent out without requiring the transmission of extraneous content or metadata.

Abstract: Content including links to behaviors (code which can be executed and return supplemental content for insertion, or can modify existing content) is stored, and at run-time, the links to behaviors are followed and the supplemental content or the modifications to existing comment are used to create a final version of content which will be presented to the user. Security enhancements including a security check ensure that only behaviors which are secure will be run. Default content may be provided, which may be inserted if the security check is not passed, or if the content returned from the behavior is unusable for some reason.

Abstract: A content author marks content semantically, rather than providing presentational indications in the content. The markings conform to a semantic schema, which define different semantic elements which may occur in the content. The resulting semantically-marked content is optionally combined with other semantically-marked content to form combined semantically-marked content. The final presentationally-marked content is transformed with a presentation transform indicating how semantic content should be displayed. The result is presentation data. The presentation data contains the content with presentational indications, including presentational markings or code references or fragments. These presentational indications indicate how content should be displayed. In this way, uniformity in presenting data authored by different content authors or at different times can be achieved.

Abstract: A content author provides content to be displayed, including some content elements for which display is conditional on the state of the machine in which the content will be viewed. The conditional statements controlling the display of these content elements, in one embodiment refer to states provided by a state monitor. The state may refer to the state of any aspect of the viewing environment, including hardware, software, firmware, user preferences, software operating modes, and any other detectable state. The resulting content is optionally combined with other similar content via a structural transform. This content is transformed with a presentation transform. One of the transforms checks the states and resolves the conditional statements included by the content author. The result of the transforms is presentation data. A display of this presentation data includes the content which, according to the conditional statements and the state of the viewing environment is appropriate for display.

Abstract: The present invention manages information about support incidents on a computer. The invention gathers information about a support incident, associates the support incident with a support channel, and collects current and historical information from the computer. Implementations of the invention may also package and send the gathered and collected information to a support vendor. The invention comprises methods of performing these tasks, systems that perform them, computer-readable media that contain computer-executable instructions that when executed perform the methods or provide the systems, and data structures stored on computer-readable media having fields that represent software objects useful in performing the methods or providing the systems.

Abstract: Described is a system and method for searching multiple disparate search engines. More particularly, a search system provides search engine manager that operates to provide a standard interface with which one or more search engines may be queried through a search client. The search system being extensible, allows for the addition of search engines beyond the time of the initial construction of the search system. Each search engine, being wrapped around a COM (component object model) object, first registers with the search system through the wrapper, the wrapper providing communication between the search engine manager and the search engine. When initiated by a client, a query is transmitted to the search engines in series, the search engines execute the query in parallel, and the results are returned asynchronously to the client.