Abstract: In a web application, a user computer that executes a browser presents a help window on a monitor associated with the user computer, simultaneously with displaying portions of a web page obtained by the browser from a server, to enable a user of the user computer to view the help information without interfering with the user's interaction with the web page. The displayed help information pertains not to the browser itself, but to the web page.

Abstract: An enhanced document browsing method and apparatus. A browser at a client interprets a work-frame code, information, a control-frame code, and a control-object function that identifies the control-frame code. When the browser interprets the work-frame and control-frame codes, it divides the browser window into two frames: a work-frame and a control-frame. When the browser interprets the information, the browser displays the information to the user in the work-frame. When the browser interprets the control-object function, the browser displays a control-object in the control-frame associated with the control-frame code. The control-object can allow the user to control the information in the work-frame. Since the control-object is in the control-frame instead of being only in the work-frame, it is always in view and available to the user, regardless of the scrolling position of the page of information within the work-frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method of performing user authentication on web based applications, such as IBM's Network Station Configuration Preference Manager. In particular, the system and method saves and continuously passes user information back and forth between a web client and a web server. The user information can then be used by CGI programs being executed on the web server for authentication purposes. Specifically, each CGI program will examine the user information, determine the authority privileges of the user, run the CGI program under a non-default user mode, return user information back to the web client, and return the CGI job to run in a default user mode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method of workstation configuration that includes a multi-level hierarchy management of preferences which are essentially managed and stored with a file server, rather than with each individual workstation. The invention comprises a computer network that includes workstations that have configurable hardware devices and software applications; a workstation server connected to the workstations that includes hierarchical preference files containing configuration information; and a preference manager for providing a coalesced, or merged, set of configuration parameters to the workstations based on the information in the hierarchical preference files.