A method for running an application program in a distributed hypermedia network environment, wherein the network environment comprises at least one client workstation and one network server coupled to the network environment, the method comprising: receiving, at the client workstation from the network server over the network environment, at least one file containing information to enable a browser application to display at least a portion of a distributed hypermedia document within a browser-controlled window; executing the browser application on the client workstation, with the browser application: responding to text formats to initiate processing specified by the text formats; displaying at least a portion of the document within the browser-controlled window; identifying an embed text format which corresponds to a first location in the document, where the embed text format specifies the location of at least a portion of an object external to the file, where the object has type information associated with it; utilizing the type information to identify and locate an executable application external to the file; and automatically invoking the executable application, in response to the identifying of the embed text format, to execute on the client workstation in order to display the object and enable an end-user to directly interact with the object while the object is being displayed within a display area created at the first location within the portion of the hypermedia document being displayed in the browser-controlled window. view more

The method of claim 2 where the text formats are HTML tags.

The method of claim 1 where having type information associated is by including type information in the embed text format.

One or more computer readable media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions, for use in a distributed hypermedia network environment, wherein the network environment comprises at least one client workstation and one network server coupled to the network environment, and when the software is executed operable to: receive, at the client workstation from the network server over the network environment, at least one file containing information to enable a browser application to display at least a portion of a distributed hypermedia document within a browser-controlled window; cause the client workstation to utilize the browser to: respond to text formats to initiate processing specified by the text formats; display at least a portion of the document within the browser-controlled window; identify an embed text format corresponding to a first location in the document, the embed text format specifying the location of at least a portion of an object external to the file, with the object having type information associated with it; utilize the type information to identify and locate an executable application external to the file; and automatically invoke the executable application, in response to the identifying of the embed text format, to execute on the client workstation in order to display the object and enable an end-user to directly interact with the object while the object is being displayed within a display area created at the first location within the portion of the hypermedia document being displayed in the browser-controlled window. view more

The computer readable media of claim 17 where: the text formats are HTML tags.

A method of serving digital information in a computer network environment having a network server coupled the network environment, and where the network environment is a distributed hypermedia environment, the method comprising: communicating via the network server with at least one client workstation over said network in order to cause said client workstation to: receive, over said network environment from said server, at least one file containing information to enable a browser application to display at least a portion of a distributed hypermedia document within a browser-controlled window; execute, at said client workstation, a browser application, with the browser application: responding to text formats to initiate processing specified by the text formats; displaying, on said client workstation, at least a portion of the document within the browser-controlled window; identifying an embed text format which corresponds to a first location in the document, where the embed text format specifies the location of at least a portion of an object external to the file, where the object has type information associated with it; utilizing the type information to identify and locate an executable application external to the file; and automatically invoking the executable application, in response to the identifying of the embed text format, to execute on the client workstation in order to display the object and enable an end-user to directly interact with the object while the object is being displayed within a display area created at the first location within the portion of the hypermedia document being displayed in the browser-controlled window. view more

The method of claim 21 where: the text formats are HTML tags.

A method for running an application program in a distributed hypermedia network environment, wherein the distributed hypermedia network environment comprises at least one client workstation and one remote network server coupled to the distributed hypermedia network environment, the method comprising: receiving, at the client workstation from the network server over the distributed hypermedia network environment, at least one file containing information to enable a browser application to display at least a portion of a distributed hypermedia document within a browser-controlled window; executing the browser application on the client workstation, with the browser application: responding to text formats to initiate processing specified by the text formats; displaying at least a portion of the document within the browser-controlled window; identifying an embed text format which corresponds to a first location in the document, where the embed text format specifies the location of at least a portion of an object; identifying and locating an executable application associated with the object; and automatically invoking the executable application, in response to the identifying of the embed text format, in order to enable an end-user to directly interact with the object, while the object is being displayed within a display area created at the first location within the portion of the hypermedia document being displayed in the browser-controlled window, wherein the executable application is part of a distributed application, and wherein at least a portion of the distributed application is for execution on a remote network server coupled to the distributed hypermedia network environment. view more

The method of claim 37 where: the text formats are HTML tags.

A method of serving digital information in a computer network environment having a network server coupled to said computer network environment, and where the network environment is a distributed hypermedia network environment, the method comprising: communicating via the network server with at least one remote client workstation over said computer network environment in order to cause said client workstation to: receive, over said computer network environment from the network server, at least one file containing information to enable a browser application to display at least a portion of a distributed hypermedia document within a browser-controlled window; execute, at said client workstation, a browser application, with the browser application: responding to text formats to initiate processing specified by the text formats; displaying, on said client workstation, at least a portion of the document within the browser-controlled window; identifying an embed text format which corresponds to a first location in the document, where the embed text format specifies the location of at least a portion of an object; identifying and locating an executable application associated with the object; and automatically invoking the executable application, in response to the identifying of the embed text format, in order to enable an end-user to directly interact with the object while the object is being displayed within a display area created at the first location within the portion of the hypermedia document being displayed in the browser-controlled window, wherein the executable application is part of a distributed application, and wherein at least a portion of the distributed application is for execution on the network server. view more

The method of claim 41 where: the text formats are HTML tags.

A method for running an application program in a computer network environment, comprising: providing at least one client workstation and one network server coupled to said network environment, wherein said network environment is a distributed hypermedia environment; executing, at said client workstation, a browser application, that parses a first distributed hypermedia document to identify text formats included in said distributed hypermedia document and for responding to predetermined text formats to initiate processing specified by said text formats; utilizing said browser to display, on said client workstation, at least a portion of a first hypermedia document received over said network from said server, wherein the portion of said first hypermedia document is displayed within a first browser-controlled window on said client workstation, wherein said first distributed hypermedia document includes an embed text format, located at a first location in said first distributed hypermedia document, that specifies the location of at least a portion of an object external to the first distributed hypermedia document, wherein said object has type information associated with it utilized by said browser to identify and locate an executable application external to the first distributed hypermedia document, and wherein said embed text format is parsed by said browser to automatically invoke said executable application to execute on said client workstation in order to display said object and enable interactive processing of said object within a display area created at said first location within the portion of said first distributed hypermedia document being displayed in said first browser-controlled window. view more

A computer program product for use in a system having at least one client workstation and one network server coupled to said network environment, wherein said network environment is a distributed hypermedia environment, the computer program product comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable program code physically embodied therein, said computer program product further comprising: computer readable program code for causing said client workstation to execute a browser application to parse a first distributed hypermedia document to identify text formats included in said distributed hypermedia document and to respond to predetermined text formats to initiate processes specified by said text formats; computer readable program code for causing said client workstation to utilize said browser to display, on said client workstation, at least a portion of a first hypermedia document received over said network from said server, wherein the portion of said first hypermedia document is displayed within a first browser-controlled window on said client workstation, wherein said first distributed hypermedia document includes an embed text format, located at a first location in said first distributed hypermedia document, that specifies the location of at least a portion of an object external to the first distributed hypermedia document, wherein said object has type information associated with it utilized by said browser to identify and locate an executable application external to the first distributed hypermedia document, and wherein said embed text format is parsed by said browser to automatically invoke said executable application to execute on said client workstation in order to display said object and enable interactive processing of said object within a display area created at said first location within the portion of said first distributed hypermedia document being displayed in said first browser-controlled window. view more