Abstract: A GUI interface on a computer display where contextual help on menu item is accessible, and displayable immediately adjacent menu item on which help is sought. A user is enabled to select a menu item for help data. An implementation links each of the plurality of menu items to a respective source of contextual help data, and displays the resulting contextual help data for the selected menu item, in a box or bubble adjacent to the menu item. For situations in which a menu item may be disabled the help box will set forth why the menu item is disabled, and how the user may enable the menu item and the function represented by it.

Abstract: A method of enabling a Web browser user to interact with a given application running on a Web server begins by constructing and returning a cookie to the Web browser upon a given occurrence, e.g., user login to the application. Without additional user input, the routine then forces the Web browser to check with the Web server that the cookie was set on the Web browser. Preferably, this is accomplished by sending the cookie from the Web server in a refresh page that redirects the HTTP flow back to itself with a parameter to check if the cookie was set. At the Web server, a test is then done to determine whether the cookie is valid. If so, the user is allowed to interact with the given server application (e.g., to take a given action or to log off from the application without closing the Web browser). A novel cookie construction and validation mechanism is also described.