In network computer systems, a plurality of computers are connected together and one or more of the computers generally perform the function of a network server. A network may be established through the hard-wired interconnection of a plurality of computer terminals in a local network or on a wider scale such as the Internet or world wide web which may include telecommunication links. In any case, the network server acts as the central control unit for providing access to files, programs and program execution to the individual computers connected within the network. In general, a networked computer terminal will .logon. to the network and obtain access to a network server. The network server will download a homepage presentation on the user's terminal which may include and audio and video effects. From the initial screen display, a user may designate any other .address. to get to another .location. or screen display. The user may also select from a plurality of functions which may be presented for user selection on the initial display.
Generally, almost all screen displays include designated selection areas on the screen where the user may point a selection device such as a mouse-controlled pointer, and .click. on the designated screen area to invoke a displayed function, or menu for other function selection options. When the homepage or selection screen is downloaded from the server, many small programs or .applets. are also downloaded at the same time to the user's terminal memory. Those applets are associated with different ones of the designated screen selection areas and are executed when a user makes a selection or clicks on one of the selection areas on the display. The applets, in turn, may call for the presentation of a new user interface screen, or a new or different section of a portion of the screen, such as a pop-up menu or other graphical user interface (GUI) which may be within a framed or windowed sub-section of the main homepage.
The GUI presentation is typically designed and customized to present an attractive display and facilitate use of the computer interface by a user in making subsequent selections or executing selected functional aspects associated with the GUI presentation. The GUI display is typically displayed as the end result of the execution of a program downloaded from the server in response to the user selection of a designated screen area. The design and display of the GUI screen is typically determined in advance and .hard-coded. by a programmer. Thus, on the Internet for example, there is no flexibility for different JAVA applet user interfaces to be readily created when the content of the web server changes dynamically. In general, this hard-coded GUI program, which resides at the site of the server, has been difficult and time consuming to modify or make even the smallest change. If the GUI presentation screen needed to be changed in any aspect, the GUI program would have to be re-written, de-bugged, hard-coded and re-installed on the server. Further, if other aspects of the GUI presentation needed to be changed at a later time, the same process would apply. As a result, the GUI screens tend to remain the same without ever changing to any great extent. This is unattractive to a user who may wish to look at different screens to minimize an otherwise tedious search on the Internet for example, and also cumbersome to a network provider who may wish to change GUI screen appearance's on a regular basis to enhance the appeal of the particular function with which the GUI is associated. Moreover, with an improved methodology for changing GUI presentations, the GUI displays to the user can be more easily and quickly modified with relative ease and cost to a network provider. Further, sponsorship for GUI displayed functions may be incorporated and readily changed at short notice to accommodate various sponsoring entities or functional program providers or contributors.
Thus, there is a need for an improved GUI presentation methodology which is effective to facilitate and accommodate frequent changes to the displayed interface whereby a GUI interface program may be modified quickly and easily by a network server in providing a greater selection of GUI presentations to network users.