Abstract: An improved method to access software components on a server network, such as enterprise beans according to the Enterprise JavaBeans architecture, by using a wrapper called an Access Bean. Access Beans hide the home and remote interface methods of an Enterprise JavaBeans server from a client program so that the task of consuming an enterprise bean is one of consuming a standard Java bean. The home interface method of the enterprise bean is mapped to appropriate constructors in the Access Bean; and the remote interface method of the enterprise bean is mapped to Java Beans methods which in turn call the corresponding business methods on the enterprise bean. More than one type of Access Bean permits caching of attributes of the enterprise bean and indexing the cache so that a plurality of instances of an enterprise bean can be efficiently supported.

Abstract: A method and a system for providing content on a computer having a memory, a display having at least a viewable position and networking capabilities for communicating with other computers in a networked system is provided. A storepath establishes the relationship amongst related stores having various marketing assets. Each marketing asset has its display attributes as defined by a global marketing campaign. When viewing a store profile, marketing assets are displayed in the viewable position on the display in accordance with those attributes.

Abstract: A method for managing commerce contexts between a direct commerce context and a temporary commerce context in a client session. Commerce context parameters are associated with the direct and temporary commerce contexts. The commerce context associated with a client request is determined according to the commerce context parameters associated with the client request.

Abstract: An electronic commerce system supports web sites including on-line stores that are accessible by a set of customers and organizations to which stores may belong. Organizations may be defined in accordance with a tree structure. Users accessing a web site are provided with access roles for organizations. The access roles for a user define the portions of the web site for which the user has access privileges. The tree structure of the web site is used to define security domains for users. Users may have access roles of registered customer or administrator. Users without any roles in a security domain are accorded guest privileges within that domain.

Abstract: A method of accessing information relating to various commerce assets such as products or services offered at virtual stores participating in a virtual marketplace is disclosed. The commerce assets in each store are related by storepath relationships correlating asset types among related stores. The method uses the storepath relationships to retrieve information about commerce asset types available from a store.

Abstract: In electronic commerce (e-commerce) sites that are executed on a single e-commerce application, a user's session is only associated with a single user identity for e-commerce site domain. Acting under a single identity across the site may not be desired. There may be requirements to associate an individual user with one or more separate identities within parts of the site. Aspects of the invention provide a method, system and computer program product for managing multiple user identities for a user of an electronic commerce (e-commerce) site.

Abstract: An electronic commerce system supports on-line stores that are accessible by a set of buyers. Each buyer is associated with one of a set of one or more organizations. The electronic commerce system includes the ability to define a base trading agreement with terms and conditions for associated buyers and on-line stores, store settings with terms and conditions associated with one of the on-line stores, and customer preferences trading agreements, associated with organizations. The system includes an application interface for returning a set of governing terms and conditions for a buyer-store electronic commerce session, based on the associated base, store settings and customer preferences trading agreements.

Abstract: A method for providing catalog information for presentation to a user of an electronic store in an electronic commerce system including: storing first and second portions of the catalog information in the store and in a profile store, respectively, to share the second portion of the catalog information between the store and a second store; and storing path information defining a sequential relationship between the store and profile store for retrieving the catalog information for the store.

Abstract: A method for hosting an electronic store in an electronic commerce system, including deploying a hosting contract to create the electronic store; the hosting contract specifying terms and conditions for the electronic store; and, the hosting contract having a selectable contract state.

Abstract: This invention discloses a system and method for archiving files in an archive file that provides customized entry names for the archived files. The system and method comprise: receiving into a memory a byte representation of a file from an archive file and an entry name of the file from the archive file; and creating a meta-object for the file including the byte representation of the file and the entry name of the file.

Abstract: The invention described herein provides a method, apparatus, and software for implementing a unified trading structure for use in a computerized trading system that implements trading relationship mechanisms for participant roles, including: selecting a set of characteristics which are common to a plurality of trading relationship mechanisms; the characteristics including: identifying participants for each participant role, terms and conditions that apply to all or selected participants, a description of the relationship, storing the characteristics. Preferably the method may include at least one attachment, which is stored, storing the characteristics, and the at least one attachment. The characteristics of the attachment may include Uniform Resource Information: mime type; and optional content.

Abstract: This invention relates to the loading of classes in programming environments, and in particular, Java programming environments. This invention discloses a system and method that permits dynamic loading of classes during the execution of Java programs. This invention allows for classes to be loaded despite the fact that such classes may not reside in the current path or working directory within a Java programming environment. This invention also discloses a system and method for archiving files in an archive file that provides customized entry names for the archived files.