Importance

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Abstract

A computer system having a 'browse' connected to an on-line service (e.g., Internet) is providing with a 'Quick' marks utility, which lets a user easily organize programs, Web sites, and other items in tabs, and start them with a single click. The utility provides an interface having a manageable lists of marks organized by tabs, folders, and visual icons. Buttons on the Quick marks utility let the user start programs or jump to a Web site. When the user clicks an Internet Quick marks button, the system launches the user's Web browser and connects the user to that Web site. After the browser is launched, the user can continue to click different Quick marks buttons to connect quickly to desired sites. The utility includes an abstraction layer which operates in conjunction with various drivers. The abstraction layer provides an interface allowing applications to communicate with the system and request Quick mark services. The workhorse routines, on the other hand, are encapsulated within the various drivers. The particulars of a Quick mark item are handled by a Quick mark (QMX) driver, which provides an extension--driver-specific API--for handling the item. With this architecture, the particular details of handling a mark (i.e., whether it is a URL, whether it is a pointer to a file, whether it is a document, or the like) are abstracted to a level which removes or decouples it from the management of the mark.

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First Claim