Importance

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing user notification. In a desktop environment in which multiple applications, or applets may be simultaneously resident in main memory, it may be necessary to release or unload one or more applications or applets from main memory to provide memory space for a newly selected application or applet. Applications or applets thus unloaded are incapable of providing feedback or user notification of state changes associated with the respective application or applet. An embodiment of the invention provides a user notification class for notifying users of application or applet state changes. For each application or applet that needs to provide user notification, the desktop manager loads an instance of a notification class as an independent thread which will operate even when the associated application or applet is not resident in main memory. The user notification class instance performs all notification functions on behalf of the application or applet. An event mechanism is provided for an application or applet to communicate with its associated user notification thread.

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First Claim