Abstract:
A method and system for disclosing to a computer user structured database information for making a decision regarding an event is described. The method comprises: alerting the user to the event; receiving a first request for the structured database information relating to the event; providing a first portion of the structured database information relating to the event; receiving a second request for additional structured database information and options relating to the event; and providing a second portion of the structured database information and the options relating to the event, the second portion being larger than the first portion, the options including a mechanism for making the decision.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is related to five other applications filed on the same day as the present application. These applications are “User Interface for an Activity Scout Window,” Ser. No. ______; “User Interface for a Quick Activity Window,” Ser. No. ______; “User Interface Adaptable by an End User,” Ser. No. ______; “User Interface for a Guided Activity Window,” Ser. No. ______, and “User Interface for an Object Instance Floorplan,” Ser. No. ______, each of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0002]     This invention relates generally to a user interface for a computer, and more specifically to computerized methods and systems that progressively disclose increasing amounts of information to a user.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     In today&#39;s business environment, employees often must resort to many sources of information and means of communication to effectively perform tasks as part of their responsibilities. Increasingly, those tasks require receiving, locating, editing, or creating information using computer programs.  
         [0004]     One group of programs help create or maintain what may be called knowledge or content management. These programs may include software for email, word processing, accounting, presentation, and scheduling, such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Lotus Notes, Lotus Organizer, and Adobe Acrobat. Typically, these programs are based on a user&#39;s personal computer or a local server. They often result in “loose” files that are personal to the individual who creates them.  
         [0005]     Certain business roles also require accessing or manipulating data stored in large databases, such as enterprise solution software. These enterprise packages provide a single entry point to all information, applications, and services that people need to do their jobs according to their role in the organization. They provide a way for suppliers, customers, partners, and employees to access all relevant content easily and securely and to participate in all types of business processes. Since information and applications are unified, users can identify and address business issues faster, more effectively, and at a lower cost. Specific enterprise solutions may exist for assisting the company with enterprise resource planning, customer resource management, human resource management, and supply chain management, to name a few.  
         [0006]     An example of an enterprise solution is the R/3 System from SAP AG. R/3 can be described primarily as an online transaction processing system designed to provide integrated processing of all business routines and transactions. It includes enterprise-wide, integrated solutions, as well as specialized applications for individual, departmental functions. R/3 mirrors all of the business-critical processes of the enterprise—finance, manufacturing, sales, and human resources. It also offers various analytical capabilities to supplement the transaction processing function. The R/3 System is based on SAP&#39;s client/server architecture which separates the database, application, and presentation components for greater flexibility. This enables enterprises to take advantage of the various benefits of the architecture, including the capability to run across a variety of today&#39;s most popular UNIX-based hardware platforms.  
         [0007]     Faced with a gamut of applications and files, such as knowledge management files and enterprise solution data, an individual can waste valuable time navigating through each program to create or access needed information for solving a task. Most of the resources are designed to be accessed independently and one at a time. Moreover, the user interfaces on many of them require understanding complex forms and functions. Often they require users to maneuver up and down complex structure of “trees” to find or modify the information that they want to view. Costs for training people in how to operate the software are often significant. On the other hand, some systems provide a simple user interfaces to their users to work in complex computer systems. But as the users become more experienced with the systems, these simple user interfaces become less helpful and more tedious.  
         [0008]     Not only do individuals often need to juggle a vast assortment of software resources to perform tasks, but also they must proactively “pull,” i.e., locate and retrieve, the information from the resources. Consequently, to effectively manage the software tools at their disposal, workers must both know how to navigate through each program and know where data is located that is necessary for a task. Even with this knowledge, users must often wade through vast amounts of extraneous information to get to the data that is needed. They rarely, however, need the full resources or depth of information available. Therefore, in the current computing environment, business users may spend an inordinate amount of time accessing and manipulating data in the course of fulfilling their responsibilities.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0009]     A system consistent with the present invention includes a microprocessor and memory coupled to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is operable to: alert the user to an event; receive a first request for structured database information relating to the event; provide a first portion of the structured database information relating to the event; receive a second request for additional structured database information and options relating to the event; and provide a second portion of the structured database information and the options relating to the event, the second portion being larger than the first portion, the options including a mechanism for making a decision.  
         [0010]     A method for disclosing to a computer user structured database information for making a decision regarding an event is described. The method comprises: alerting the user to the event; receiving a first request for the structured database information relating to the event; providing a first portion of the structured database information relating to the event; receiving a second request for additional structured database information and options relating to the event; and providing a second portion of the structured database information and the options relating to the event, the second portion being larger than the first portion, the options including a mechanism for making the decision.  
         [0011]     The foregoing background and summary are not intended to be comprehensive, but instead serve to help artisans of ordinary skill understand the following implementations consistent with the invention set forth in the appended claims. In addition, the foregoing background and summary are not intended to provide any independent limitations on the claimed invention. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]     The accompanying drawings show features of implementations consistent with the present invention and, together with the corresponding written description, help explain principles associated with the invention. In the drawings:  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a functional diagram of an exemplary division of computer resources for providing this progressive disclosure.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is functional diagram of an operating system&#39;s desktop featuring quick activities, activity scouts, and guided activities.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a screen shot of an exemplary desktop including exemplary user interface features.  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is a screen shot of an exemplary desktop including a contextual menu that may be brought up by a user in response to an alert or notification.  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an exemplary quick activity floorplan for a quick activity window.  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is a screen shot of an examplary quick activity window.  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is an exemplary activity scout floorplan for an activity scout window.  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a screen shot of an exemplary activity scout.  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  is a screen shot of another aspect of the exemplary activity scout of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  is an exemplary guided activity floorplan for a guided activity window.  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  is functional diagram of a plurality of guided activity floorplans for an exemplary five-step guided activity sequence.  
         [0024]      FIG. 12  is a screen shot of step one of an exemplary five-step sourcing guided activity window.  
         [0025]      FIG. 13  is a screen shot of step two of an exemplary five-step sourcing guided activity window.  
         [0026]      FIG. 14  is a screen shot of step three of an exemplary five-step sourcing guided activity window.  
         [0027]      FIG. 15   a  is the screen shot of step three including a contextual pop-up menu that the user may engage to modify the five-step sourcing guided activity window.  
         [0028]      FIG. 15   b  is the screen shot of step three after the user has selected, from the contextual pop up menu, to “Show Criteria for Suppliers” as a related action.  
         [0029]      FIG. 16  is a screen shot of step four of an exemplary five-step sourcing guided activity window.  
         [0030]      FIG. 17  is a screen shot of step five of an exemplary five-step sourcing guided activity window.  
         [0031]      FIG. 18  is the screen shot of  FIG. 12  including a contextual menu that a user may bring up to merge steps within a guided activity window.  
         [0032]      FIG. 19   a  is a screen shot illustrating the results of selecting merge steps in the contextual menu of  FIG. 18 .  
         [0033]      FIG. 19   b  is a screen shot illustrating a contextual pop-up menu that the user may engage to change the representation of the user interface that causes changes in the functioning of the underlying application.  
         [0034]      FIG. 20  is a functional diagram showing exemplary screen shots and the progressive disclosure of information to the user.  
         [0035]      FIG. 21  is a flowchart of an exemplary method of progressive disclosure.  
         [0036]      FIG. 22  is a block diagram of components of an exemplary client system and server system.  
         [0037]      FIG. 23  is an exemplary non-guided object instance floorplan  2300 .  
         [0038]      FIG. 24  illustrates a plurality of exemplary content patterns that may be used in the object instance floorplan.  
         [0039]      FIG. 25  illustrates an exemplary object instance floorplan with two exemplary content patterns displayed in content area.  
         [0040]      FIG. 26  is an illustration of the relationship between the content of contextual navigation pattern and other actions and displays.  
         [0041]      FIG. 27  is an exemplary viewset selection area.  
         [0042]      FIG. 28  is an exemplary related activities area.  
         [0043]      FIG. 29  is an exemplary lookup area.  
         [0044]      FIG. 30  illustrates the search options in an exemplary lookup area. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0045]     The following description refers to the accompanying drawings in which, in the absence of a contrary representation, the same numbers in different drawings represent similar elements. The implementations in the following description do not represent all implementations consistent with principles of the claimed invention. Instead, they are merely some examples of systems and methods consistent with those principles.  
         [0046]     As embodied herein, a user interface having incremental or progressive disclosure of information provides an efficient vehicle for guiding a computer user through large quantities of data. Conventional user interfaces, particularly for enterprise solutions, often force a user to sort through extensive databases or tree-like file structures to “pull,” or find, data in a computer system. Given the complexity of data and files for a large enterprise or business function, finding or editing the desired information can be a daunting task. The present user interface, however, “pushes,” or presents, selected information to the user. Accordingly, a user interface consistent with the principles of the present invention provides information to the user based on tasks and events that the user needs to accomplish or monitor. As a result, the user&#39;s work is simplified. He can spend more time using the computer system to monitor a business situation and less time entering data or attempting to retrieve information needed to make decisions.  
         [0047]     For improved functionality, the present user interface may be adapted for a user based on his role in an organization. Generally, a user&#39;s role refers to his position or responsibilities. For example, a person in the role of a purchasing agent for a manufacturing company may have the responsibility for procuring raw materials. Tasks affiliated with that role may include issuing purchase orders to suppliers, negotiating changes to existing purchase orders, and monitoring delivery of the materials. The information “pushed” to the purchasing agent to accomplish these tasks via the present user interface may include, for example, data on the status of existing purchase orders, profiles of preferred suppliers, and delivery schedules. Other users with common roles may perform similar tasks and may have a customized user interface similar to the purchasing agent&#39;s. In the end, a user interface consistent with the present invention may take many forms and is designed to empower each user to complete the tasks required by his role in the organization in the most streamlined fashion.  
         [0048]     In addition to pushing selected data to a user, a preferred user interface exposes the user to data in tiers of escalating complexity or breadth. This is also known as progressive disclosure. At first, the user interface provides a minimal amount of information deemed necessary for the user to solve a task. If the user requires more information, the user interface progressively provides that information. Thus, when aspects of the disclosed user interface are placed together within a system, they provide an escalating approach to solving tasks. By presenting the user with only the most likely information needed to perform the task or event, allowing the user access to further information as requested, and guiding the user through task completion, the present user interface can reduce the time required for the user to complete the task while making it easier to do so.  
         [0049]     Moreover, user interfaces designed consistent with the present disclosure may be customized. While the user interface aims to protect the user from information extraneous to the task at hand, what information is extraneous will depend at least on the user and his level of familiarity with the data and the system. As users become more proficient with the system, the present disclosure contemplates that users may reduce the level of guidance provided by the interface. Thus, user interfaces designed according to the teachings of the disclosure provide simple, low-level guidance to new users, allowing the user to tailor the system as his experience increases.  
         [0050]     As embodied herein, a user interface consistent with the present teachings accesses different resources of the computer system at different tiers of the progressive disclosure in helping the user monitor events or perform a task.  FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary division of computer resources for providing this progressive disclosure. In this example, the user interface divides the computer&#39;s software resources into three areas: the operating system of the personal computer  110 , small application programs  120 , and enterprise solution portal  130 .  
         [0051]     For monitoring events and performing relatively simple tasks, the operating system  110  of the user&#39;s personal computer can be used. As explained in more detail below, this operating system, such as a version of Microsoft Windows, may provide alerts or notifications  140  to the user via some aspect of the user&#39;s “desktop”  150 . For a Windows Longhorn desktop, one aspect may be a side bar  160 . These alerts inform the user of a particular situation that may be pertinent to performing his role.  
         [0052]     For performing fairly simple and semi-automated tasks, small application programs  120  may provide a streamlined resource. In general terms, applications  120  provide the 20% of the information that typically is necessary to solve 80% of the user&#39;s tasks. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a user may access applications  120  directly from his computer desktop  150  or by responding to an alert on side bar  160 . Applications  120  may access data from a complex enterprise solution, but preferably they shield the user from having to navigate the enterprise database. As explained further below, applications  120  typically appear as a window on the desktop and allow immediate task completion. As well, applications  120  may enable the user to navigate to more powerful tools and applications, and offer links to other related applications for semi-automated tasks. In the embodiments described herein, examples of applications  120  are quick activities  170  and activity scouts  180 . As also shown in  FIG. 1 , a portable computing device, or PDA, may provide the capability of executing small applications  120  and linking the user interface through a personal computer desktop, such as through side bar  160 .  
         [0053]     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , an enterprise solution portal  130  provides the user with highly advanced databases and information for solving complex tasks. These solutions may include, for example, SAP&#39;s R/3 for enterprise resource planning. Consistent with the principles of progressive disclosure, the user typically does not need to access enterprise solution portal  130  unless the previous tiers of information have proved insufficient to solve the task at hand. Within portal  130 , however, the present user interface provides improved navigation using guided activity windows  190 , where are described more fully below. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the user preferably accesses guided activities  190  via quick activities  170  and activity scouts  180 .  
         [0054]     The three basic levels of disclosure via sections  110 ,  120 , and  130  are only exemplary. The present invention may be performed using less than or more than three levels or tiers.  
         [0055]     Moreover, each of the previously described components—alerts  140 , quick activities  170 , activity scouts  180 , and guided activities  190 —are distinct features that can operate independently of the others. When combined, they provide an even more effective tool to empower the user with incrementally rising levels of information to solve tasks and problems. By providing the user with only the amount of information necessary to perform a task, the user interface presented to the user is clean, simple, and only as complex as required by the task. In sum, user interfaces consistent with the principles of the present invention provide users with minimal non-essential information when performing tasks.  
         [0056]     When implemented in a computer system, the user interface preferably takes the form of a series of alerts and windows on the user&#39;s desktop. Similar to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2  illustrates a functional diagram of a user interface from the perspective of the user. This user interface will be described with respect to a Windows Longhorn desktop. This is purely for exemplary purposes, as the user interface may be implemented in any operating system that provides a graphical user interface, such as Windows XP, Unix, Linux, or Apple&#39;s OS X.  
         [0057]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the exemplary user interface may include a Windows desktop  200  and Windows side bar  205 . The side bar  205  contains the alerts  215  for the user. Desktop  200  includes icons for launching traditional PC-based software programs, such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint. Desktop  200  also includes icons for launching activity scouts  225 . Windows may be opened within desktop  200  to serve as portals for handling semi-automated tasks through quick activities  220  or activity scouts  225  and, if necessary, for handling more advanced tasks through guided activities  230 . Each inventive feature will now be explained more fully in the remainder of the description.  
         [0058]      FIG. 3  is a screen shot of an exemplary desktop  300 . Desktop  300  represents a Windows Longhorn desktop. Windows Longhorn is the operating system designated by Microsoft to be the successor to the Windows XP operating system. While the system is illustrated with respect to Windows Longhorn, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the user interface features may operate on other operating systems that provide a graphical user interface. The sidebar  305  is designated by Microsoft to comprise one or more of a list of programs or favorites  310  and a clock  315 . In addition, sidebar  305  has a pluggable feature, so that applications can utilize sidebar  305 .  
         [0059]     The user interface may utilize the plug-in feature of sidebar  305  to provide alerts and notifications  320 . Alerts may be provided to inform the user of a critical or timely event. Notifications may be provided to inform the user of the status of one or more tasks. Using the alerts and notifications  320 , the user can tell, at a glance, one or more aspects of his current workload.  
         [0060]     The alerts and notifications  320  may be tailored to the specific role of the user operating the system. For a user having the role of a purchasing manager, as discussed above, typical alerts and notifications  320  illustrated in  FIG. 3  include warnings to the user of changes to an outstanding purchase order, links to information about the status of open purchase orders and purchase order requests, and links to a purchasing agent&#39;s activities. In particular, an alert  320  is shown noting that a supplier, Plastico, cannot deliver on a purchase order. Notifications  320  are shown informing the user of three open purchase requests, five open purchase orders, and the presence of fifteen other notifications or alerts.  
         [0061]     By selecting an alert or notification  320 , the user may be provided with further information affiliated with the alert. For example, clicking on a notification, such as “My Activities” in  FIG. 3 , may prompt a “flyout” to appear. A flyout may comprise a separate window on the desktop that provides further information relating to the notification. For instance, activating the “My Activities” notification may open a window that lists tasks and events that the user needs to accomplish that day.  
         [0062]     Selecting an alert or notification may, for example, also cause a contextual menu of options to appear that provides links for starting the performance of a task.  FIG. 4  illustrates a contextual menu  410  that may be brought up by a user in response to an alert or notification. For example, in  FIG. 4 , alert  420  informs the user that his purchase order has been accepted by a supplier called Neoplastics. When the user activates the alert, for example, by right-clicking the mouse when the cursor is positioned on the alert, contextual menu  410  appears. The contextual menu  410  gives the user options for responding to the alert. These options may include, for example, accepting the alert, deleting the alert, or taking an action with respect to the alert. Taking an action may include, for example, opening the purchase order to see what it is that Neoplastics accepted. Taking an action may also comprise launching a quick activity window, an activity scout, or a guided activity window to obtain access to more detailed information affiliated with the alert.  
         [0063]     Selecting a quick activity option of an alert or notification  225  will present the user with a quick activity window  220 . The quick activity window  220  provides a smooth transition for the user between the basic options presented in the contextual menus of a selected notification  215  and the more detailed interaction and presentation found in activity scouts  225  or guided activity windows  230 .  
         [0064]     Quick activity windows  220  are small, streamlined applications that feature a user interface that provides the most frequently needed information to fulfill the desired task. Quick activities provide a minimal amount of information that is generally used to solve the majority of tasks that a user might want to undertake.  
         [0065]     The quick activity window  220  preferably provide the core functionality to accomplish the task at hand. The quick activity window  220  may provide, for example: links to relevant information; links to activity scouts  225  and guided activity windows  230 ; a basic content pane for entry and display of forms; and a core function pane allowing the user to take action on the quick activity, for example, saving, sending, accepting, or rejecting.  
         [0066]     The quick activity window may be called from any other part of the user interface or desktop. Although discussed above in terms of being called from a notification or alert, quick activity windows may be launched through icons on the desktop, such as  325  in  FIG. 3 , or through activity scouts  225 , as shown in  FIG. 2 . Moreover, quick activities may be executed using a PDA that is later synchronized to the computer system, as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0067]     By providing the user with most of the tools that he normally needs to accomplish the task at hand within the quick activity window, the quick activity window allows the user to accomplish the task with a minimum amount of time. In addition, the user does not need to open a primary program, such as SAP R/3, in order to accomplish a task. Thus, the user is not driven to learn complex systems and commands.  
         [0068]     The quick activity window  220  may be constructed using a floorplan. A floorplan is a window having generic patterns with respect to screen structure and semantics.  FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary quick activity floorplan  500  for a quick activity window. The user interface shown as quick activity floorplan  500  provides a generic pattern with respect to screen structure and semantics and is used to generate quick activity windows. The quick activity window, built from quick activity floorplan  500 , provides the user with important views and actions associated with a business object. Thus, systems providers build quick activity floorplans  500  specifically for a given customer. The systems provider may use an analysis of a customer&#39;s metadata to determine the content of the plurality of quick activity floorplans  500  that are to be constructed.  
         [0069]     The quick activity floorplan  500  may comprise one or more of the following building blocks, or components: a window title  510 ; a text pane  520 ; a content pane  530 ; a core function pane  540 ; and a related activities pane  550 . Window title  510  provides information on the nature of the quick activity window. Text pane  520  provides messaging or explanatory text that will assist the user in understanding the task that is to be resolved through the use of the quick activity window. Content pane  530  may comprise small forms or lists. If a form is present in content pane  530 , the user may be able to complete the form or the form may be partially or completely pre-filled. User interface  530  may also present read-only lists in content pane  530 . While those skilled in the art will appreciate that multiple and complex forms could be placed in content pane  530 , the principles of the user interface encourage simplicity in content pane  530 .  
         [0070]     Core functions pane  540  presents the user with one or more choices of appropriate action given the content pane  530 . Core functions may include, for example, accept, reject, save, or send. The range of core functions is boundless given the range of data and forms that may be placed in content pane  530 . Related activities pane  550  includes links to secondary activities that are related to the primary task of the quick activity window. Secondary activities may include, for example, links to activity scouts, guided activities, structured data, and unstructured data, such as scanned images and word processing documents. In addition, secondary activities may include links to communications and collaboration tools such as emails and Lotus Notes.  
         [0071]      FIG. 6  illustrates an example of a quick activity window  600 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the user&#39;s side bar includes an alert  605  indicating that Plastico, a supplier, cannot deliver the requested quantity of goods. By activating alert  605 , possibly via a contextual menu, quick activity menu  600  is launched. The title  610  of quick activity window  600  is “Alert from Plastico Inc.” The text pane  620  consists of an email from Steve Ballard, a Production Specialist with Plastico, stating that Plastico will be unable to deliver more than 600 tons of PPX that had previously been ordered. Because of the nature of the alert, quick activity window  600  is a change order quick activity window, so the content pane  630  has brought up a change order form. Content pane  630  shows header information at the top of the form and change order data at the bottom of the form. The form has already been completed showing the change in order quantity from 1200 tons to 400 tons. Thus, the user has been presented within content pane  630  with most of the information that he needs to immediately act on the alert. The user can accept the data as pre-filled or can make changes.  
         [0072]     Core function pane  640  for quick activity window  600  are “Accept and Source Now,” “Accept and Source Later,” “Reject,” and “Snooze.” Once again, the content of core function pane  640  is driven by the content of content pane  630 . The user can dispatch with quick activity window  600  and accept the change order by selecting the “Accept and Source Later” option in the core function pane  640 . Depending on how quick activity window  400  is designed, “Accept and Source Now” may bring up another quick activity window for sourcing or may bring up a more complex guided activity window. Related activities pane  650  contains links to other quick activities, guided activities, or collaboration and correspondence functions. For example, the user may select the “Call Supplier” link to have his telephone dial Plastico.  
         [0073]     Thus, most of the tools needed by the user to resolve this purchase order alert may be found within quick activity window  600 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a great many quick activity windows may be designed for each role, and multiplied by the number of roles within an organization. A client-server system may provide hundreds or thousands of quick activity windows depending upon the number of roles within an organization. Each role may require, for example, ten to twenty quick activity windows. But the front-end expense of such an investment should be quickly recovered through the savings found in manpower and training costs with the present user interface.  
         [0074]     Returning to  FIG. 2 , activity scouts  225  are designed to be the user interface window that most users turn to in the daily monitoring of their ongoing activities. Activity scouts  225  may collect a set of ongoing and routine responsibilities or activities that the user may use as a routine point for entering into activity processing using the enterprise solution. Each role in the organization may have, for example, two to ten activity scouts, depending on the nature of the role. Entry points to activity scouts  225  may be provided as links from the desktop in the form of activity scout icons.  
         [0075]     Compared with quick activity windows, which provide a smooth and progressive transition for handling alerts and notifications made on the desktop, activity scouts  225  enable the user to accomplish tasks that require access to more complex data. While abiding by the principles of pushing data to the user and progressively unfolding the disclosure of data, activity scouts  225  provide the user with access to all types of data that are typically required for accomplishing most tasks in the user&#39;s role.  
         [0076]     Activity scouts  225  may gather related views, links, documents, and folders into a central viewing repository in order to provide planning and decision support. Consequently, activity scouts  225  can work with structured data, unstructured data, and metadata. Structured data is data that is ordered and accessed, for example, through a database such as in an enterprise solution such as SAP R/3. Unstructured data is data that has no structure, such as word processing documents, scanned images, and Adobe Acrobat files. Metadata is data that provides definitional functions to a system, such as role descriptions and permissions for system users.  
         [0077]     The user may launch an activity scout  225  in several ways. For instance, the user may select an activity scout icon  227  on the desktop, select a link in quick activity window  220 , or select a link in a contextual menu from a notification or alert  215 . In the usual course of operation, a user will engage an activity scout from the associated activity scout icon  227  to monitor a responsibility or begin a task. Or a user could engage activity scout  225  from quick activity window  220  if the quick activity window  220  did not provide enough information or tools to complete a user&#39;s desired task.  
         [0078]     These components may include one or more activity links to activities related to the activity scout. Upon selecting an activity link, activity scout  225  may present one or more miniviews comprising data and status information of the selected activity link. For example, an activity link in an activity scout monitoring suppliers may pull up a miniviews of supplier performance statistics. Activity scouts  225  may also include a shelf pane with links to related information and links to related public or private folders of information. Each user may have, for example, from between two and ten activity scouts depending on her role in the organization. As with the other features of the user interface, activity scouts  225  are tailored to the role of the user, and the user may customize elements within activity scouts  225 .  
         [0079]      FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary activity scout floorplan  700  for an activity scout. Activity scout floorplan  700  may comprise one or more of: a title  710 ; links to related activities  720 ; one or more miniviews  730 ; a shelf  740 ; and a folder pane  750 . In addition, a search window may be provided in activity scout floorplan  700  to enable searching for documents or links.  
         [0080]     Links to related activities  720  contain links to one or more activities related to the activity scout. For example, a purchasing manager&#39;s activity scout for managing suppliers may contain, for example, links to finding new suppliers, reviewing suppliers&#39; performance, annual planning, and contractual issues. The content of miniviews  730  may change depending on the selected link in links to related activities  720 . Any given link from related activities  720  will provide one or more appropriate miniviews  730 . Miniviews  730  may provide dynamic or static information and may include reporting information, such as pie charts, bar charts, and tables, as well as links to associated activities. The links to associated activities in one of the miniviews  730  may bring forth a quick activity window or guided activity window, for example.  
         [0081]     Shelf  740  contains links to structured and unstructured data that is of use as an appropriate resource to the user for the given activity scout. Folder pane  750  contains links to public and private folders of documents that are appropriate to the activity scout.  
         [0082]     Thus, activity scouts serve as a control panel and window onto the tasks, planning, and reporting needed on a regular basis by the user.  
         [0083]      FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary activity scout  800 . Activity scout  800  is a supplier management activity scout for a user in the role of a purchasing manager. The title  810  of activity scout  800  is “Managing Suppliers.” A number of links to related activities  820  is illustrated including links to information on finding a new supplier, supplier quarterly review, annual planning, and other supplier information.  
         [0084]     In this particular example, the “View Existing Suppliers” link is selected from the links to related activities  820 , so existing supplier information is shown in miniviews  830 . The upper miniview  830  is a dynamic table showing key supplier ratings. The lower left miniviews  830  is a dynamic pie chart showing key suppliers by contract volume. As the underlying data changes, the miniviews  830  may dynamically update to reflect the changed information. While in this particular set of miniviews dynamic information may not be particularly necessary, other roles, such as production supervisors, may find the dynamic capabilities of the miniviews  830  critical to performing their job function.  
         [0085]     The lower right miniviews  830  is a list of links to related activities. Depending on the link, the link may bring up, for example, a quick activity window or a guided activity window.  
         [0086]     A shelf  840  lists documents relevant to Managing Suppliers activity scout  800 , such as an Excel spreadsheet of possible suppliers. In addition, a folder pane contains links to public and private folders of documents relevant to activity scout  800 . A search pane  860  may also be present to permit the user to enter information and perform a logical or natural language search for other documents or data that might be useful in managing suppliers.  
         [0087]     Because the activity scout may become an integral part of the user&#39;s day in performing her tasks, the activity scout is customizable. For example, the user may “drag and drop” documents to shelf  840 . As another example, the user may modify the miniviews  830  that are presented from a link  820 . For example, the user may change a pie chart to a bar chart or may list suppliers by quantity or dollar volume. All aspects of the links  820 , miniviews  830 , shelf  840 , and folder pane  850  are modifiable by the user to tailor activity scout  800  to his own needs and experience. The user may modify an activity scout without the modification being applied across all users in his role.  
         [0088]      FIG. 9  is an illustration of another exemplary activity scout  900 . The title  910  of activity scout  900  is “Supplier Evaluation,” and it is intended for use by a user in the role of a purchasing agent or manager to evaluate a supplier&#39;s performance. Links to related activities  920  displays links to performance indicators, quarterly reviews, bid invitations, and purchasing. The user in activity scout  900  has selected “Best Vendors” as the desired link, so miniviews  930  displays an analysis of the top five vendors by quality and price. Using this analytical tool, the user could select a vendor with whom to place an order. Thus, the user may want to personalize activity scout  900  by including a link in a miniview  930  to an order placement quick activity window or guided activity window.  
         [0089]     When activity scouts  225  do not provide enough information to perform a task, a user may engage a guided activity window  230 . A guided activity window provides guided access via an enterprise portal to complex business-management databases.  
         [0090]     Guided activities operate on the premise that most business activities can be structured into sequences of one or more steps. Guided activity window  230  displays those sequences to the user in a transparent manner, step by step. Guided activity window  230  provides a high level of guidance to the user to avoid errors, irritation, and frustration. Comprising a time series of screens, guided activity window  230  provides simple screen layouts placing one primary task on a screen at a time as each step of the task is performed. Like other aspects consistent with the principles of the present invention, the user is typically shown only the relevant information necessary for each step of the sequence. Explanatory text may be present on each screen of guided activity window  230 , as well as links to secondary tasks. The user, to suit his needs or abilities, may easily modify guided activity window  230 .  
         [0091]     In a preferred implementation, guided activity window  230  provides an “active roadmap” at the top of the window to indicate the step that the user is currently performing. The user may directly go to a step by selecting the step from the active roadmap. Guided activity window  230  may comprise one or more of: a content pane for displaying data to the user and accepting user input and selections; and a related actions pane with links to related actions of secondary, related tasks. A separate pop-up window may be provided to give the user more detailed information about a related action.  
         [0092]      FIG. 10  illustrates an exemplary guided activity floorplan  1000 . Guided activity floorplan  1000  may comprise one or more components, including: an active roadmap  1010 , explanatory text  1020 ; work pane  1030 ; related actions  1040 ; core functions  1050 ; and help pane  1060 . Active roadmap  1010  indicates to the user the sequence of steps that need to be accomplished to complete the task. This guides the user through the task. Active roadmap  1010  may be an active element on which the user may directly select a step and be taken to that screen; however, some steps may be dependent upon others being complete. The user may be permitted to minimize active roadmap  1010 .  
         [0093]     The content of the remainder of the components may vary depending on the step of the roadmap selected. For example, panes  1020 - 1060  may all or partially change based on the step of the sequence that is being performed by the user. As each step in the sequence is performed by the user, the relative locations of the text  1020 , work pane  1030 , related actions  1040 , and core functions  1050  may stay the same, while the content of those components changes. Thus, a stable pattern is presented to the user as she steps through the sequence shown in active roadmap  1010 .  
         [0094]     Text  1020  displays basic instructional text for completing the current step of the sequence. For further information and help, the user may select to display a help pane  1060 . Work pane  1030  displays a user interface pattern, or form, to the user for allowing completion of a step of the task. The user interface pattern may be drawn from a common pool of user interface patterns and plugged into work pane  1030 . User interface patterns may include, for example, data entry forms or tables, analysis patterns, and comparison patterns. The user may be able to personalize work pane  1030 .  
         [0095]     Related actions  1040  displays one or more secondary, related tasks or activities that the user may wish to perform or consult in the course of engaging in the primary activity through the guided activity window. Selecting a link in related actions  1040  may bring forth, for example, a quick activity window or an activity scout.  
         [0096]     As in the quick activity windows, core functions  1050  provide a course of action that the user may select to progress through or complete the guided activity window task.  
         [0097]      FIG. 11  illustrates an example of a plurality of guided activity floorplans  1110 - 1150  showing the composition of the floorplans through a five-step guided activity sequence. The components of the floorplans have a consistent look and placement across the sequence. While floorplans  1110 - 1150  clearly show the work pane changing as the user steps through the sequence, the related actions are also likely changing as the user steps through the guided activity.  
         [0098]     At step one of the sequence, guided activity floorplan  1110  displays an active roadmap, Roadmap  1 , with step  1  highlighted in the five step sequence (shown later). The work pane of floorplan  1110  displays a query and select user interface pattern. The core function pane of floorplan  1110  displays two options, previous and next.  
         [0099]     When the user goes to the Next Step, floorplan  1120  is displayed. Like floorplan  1110 , the active roadmap of floorplan  1120  displays that step  2  is engaged and the work pane of floorplan  1120  changes to a collection user interface pattern. Also, the core function pane of floorplan  1120  displays two options, previous and next.  
         [0100]     Similar changes to the work pane take place in floorplans  1130  and  1140 . The work pane in floorplan  1130  displays a combination of an assignment user interface pattern and a graphics user interface pattern. The work pane of floorplan  1140  displays a user interface pattern of an actual form that will be generated by this guided activity window.  
         [0101]     Guided activities may be more fully understood through the following discussion regarding a user navigating through a guided activity window. In our previous examples, a vendor was not able to supply all 1200 tons of PPX required by the purchasing agent. The vendor, Plastico, could only supply 400 tons. Due to the need for more detailed system data to meet his needs for raw materials, the purchasing agent launches a sourcing guided activity window. In  FIGS. 10-14 , the purchasing agent uses the sourcing guided activity window to order some of the remaining 800 tons of PPX needed to compensate for Plastico&#39;s inability to delivery.  
         [0102]      FIG. 12  illustrates an example of step one of a five-step sourcing guided activity window  1200 . The purchasing agent may have launched the sourcing guided activity window from a quick activity window or an activity scout. The user interface presents the purchasing agent with an active roadmap  1210  near the top of the guided activity window. Active roadmap  1210  includes highlighting for step one in the guided activity, “Define Workset.” Text pane  1220  informs the user that he needs to select a query and purchase requests that need to be sourced. Work pane  1230  displays a query and select user interface pattern. According to work pane  1230 , the purchasing agent has selected the PPX product, of which 300 tons need to be sourced for his company, called Mobita, by Jul. 28, 2003, and of which 200 tons need to be sourced by Jul. 23, 2003. The user has also selected two other products. These selections define the worksheet that the user will be using in the next step of the roadmap.  
         [0103]     The user is also presented with related actions relevant to the current step in related actions pane  1240 . As for core functions  1250  at the bottom of the user interface, the only function available to the user in this first step is to proceed to “Next Step.” When the user selects Next Step, he is taken to the “Select Products” step shown in  FIG. 13 .  
         [0104]      FIG. 13  illustrates an example of step two of a five-step sourcing guided activity window  1200 . The user interface presents the user with active roadmap  1310  that shows the user that he is in step two, “Select Products,” of the guided activity window. Text  1320  instructs the user to select those products from the worksheet in the work pane  1330  that he would like to source. As an aid, the user may select to view a list of evaluated suppliers through related actions  1350 . In this example, the user has selected the two PPC products that need to be sourced.  
         [0105]     Both core functions  1340  of “Previous Step” and “Next Step” are available to the user in this second stage. When the user selects “Next Step,” the user interface proceeds to the “Assign Supplier” step shown in  FIG. 14 .  
         [0106]      FIG. 14  illustrates an example of step three of a five-step sourcing guided activity window  1200 . The user interface presents the user with active roadmap  1410  that shows the user that he is in step three, “Assign Supplier,” of the guided activity window. Text  1420  instructs the user to assign a supplier to each product. Work panes  1430   a  and  1430   b  illustrate two user interface patterns for assisting in completing this step of the task. Work pane  1430   a  illustrates a user interface pattern with a form for the user to select a vendor. Work pane  1430   b  illustrates reporting and analytic information on past performance and current price of potential vendors. Thus, within works panes  1430   a  and  1430   b  the user has the tools to complete this step of the task and to assign a supplier to meet the raw material needs.  
         [0107]     While  FIG. 14  shows the default setting for work pane  1430   b , like most aspects of the present disclosure, this user interface may be tailored by an end user. For example,  FIG. 15   a  shows a contextual pop-up menu  1510  that the user may engage to eliminate the display of  1430   b  and reduce it to an additional listing in related actions  1450  or display the information in  1430   b  as a tabbed page.  FIG. 15   b  is the screen shot of step three after the user has selected, from the contextual pop up menu, to “Show Criteria for Suppliers” as a related action.  
         [0108]     Referring again to  FIG. 14 , the core functions  1440  of “Previous Step” and “Next Step” are available to the user. When the user selects “Next Step,” he is taken to the “Refine Purchase Order” step shown in  FIG. 16 .  
         [0109]      FIG. 16  illustrates an example of step four of a five-step sourcing guided activity window  1200 . The user interface presents the user with active roadmap  1610  that shows the user that he is in step four, “Refine Purchase Order,” of the guided activity window. Text  1620  instructs the user to review and optionally edit an Adobe Acrobat PDF file of the actual purchase order that is generated and will be sent to the supplier. Work pane  1630  displays the purchase order. By displaying the actual document that will be generated, users typically feel greater comfort with the system.  
         [0110]     The core functions  1640  of “Previous Step” and “Save and Send Purchase Order” are available to the user. When the user selects “Save and Send Purchase Order,” he is taken to the “Confirmation” step shown in  FIG. 17 .  
         [0111]     Confirmation of functions are often useful in providing feedback that the desired task or action has been completed.  FIG. 17  illustrates an example of step five of a five-step sourcing guided activity window  1400 . The user interface presents the user with active roadmap  1710  that shows the user that he is in step five, “Confirmation,” of the guided activity window. Text  1720  informs the user that the purchase order has been sent.  
         [0112]     While certain aspects of user modification of the guided activity window have been described, namely moving a work pane to a related action, there are other modifications that a user can also make. For example, as a user becomes more comfortable with a guided activity, he may choose to merge steps or rearrange steps.  FIG. 18  illustrates a contextual menu  1810  that a user may bring up to merge steps within a guided activity window  1800 . By right-clicking, for example, the user may bring up a contextual window offering the user the opportunity to merge steps.  
         [0113]     As previously mentioned, the ability of the user to make changes to the user interface is not limited to the guided activity window. All user interface features of the present invention permit user adaptability. For example, a user could decide to show a single work pane in a window or multiple work panes in a window. A window may be displayed having a single pane, with functional links permitting the user to display additional panes. Or, multiple panes may initially be displayed and as panes are closed by the user the panes may be displayed as functional links. The user is free to choose her own style of working within the user interface, ranging from complex to simple displays.  
         [0114]     As a user changes the user interface, certain previously displayed functions may no longer be relevant, so the system would no longer display those functions to the user. For example, in a multiple pane display, the user interface may display an option relating to both windows, e.g., moving an item from a first pane to a second pane. This function would no longer be necessary when the user changed the display to a single pane display, so this function would be removed from the user interface. Similarly, adding a second pane to a window that initially only displayed a single pane may cause the user interface to display additional functions relevant to a two window display, e.g., the previously mentioned moving an item function. In summary, screen elements may change based on the user&#39;s modification of the user interface.  
         [0115]     In  FIG. 19   a , work pane  1930  from step two is placed on the same page with work pane  1920  from step one. Because step one is highlighted in active roadmap  1910 , step one work pane  1920  is highlighted, for example, by being surrounded with a box  1925 . As the user moves between work pane  1920  of step one and work pane  1930  of step two, active roadmap  1910  changes to highlight the step being worked on. Because the work panes  1920  and  1930  are dynamic, as the user makes changes in work pane  1920  for step one, the changes are reflected in work pane  1930  associated with step two.  
         [0116]     The user interface described in the specification may also permit the user to make changes in the user interface that results in a modified function set of the underlying application. For example,  FIG. 19   b  is a screen shot illustrating a contextual pop-up menu that the user may engage to change the representation of the user interface that causes changes in the functioning of the underlying application. In the illustrated user interface, the default selection options for the “Select Products to Source” pane  1930  are checkboxes, meaning that the user may select multiple options, e.g., multiple products to source. The user may elect through contextual menu  1940  to switch to a single selection, or “radio button,” user interface, whereby the user is only allowed to make a single selection among the multiple options, e.g., only being able to select a single product to source.  
         [0117]     By permitting the user to change selection options, for example, in the user interface, the user interface permits the user to make changes in the functionality of the underlying application. For example, if the default user interface only allows “radio button,” or single selection from among a list of items, a user may change the user interface to “check boxes,” permitting multiple selection among a list of items. This permits the user interface to change from a more simple structure to a more complex structure. Thus, the function set of the underlying application is changed by merely making changes in the user interface. This is in stark contrast to prior art user interface changing capabilities that only permit changes in the user interface that have no effect on the underlying application.  
         [0118]     Consequently, guided activities provide a powerful tool for managers and manipulators of large amounts of data. They provide a streamlined method for completing common tasks in a business role without forcing the user to navigate or pull data from complex enterprise systems.  
         [0119]     While a guided activity floorplan may guide the user through the main attributes of a single data object, more frequently a guided activity floorplan operates on a plurality of data objects. An object instance floorplan may be used to assist the user in accessing the data attributes of a single data object. Each of the user interface elements previously described may be implemented using an object instance floorplan. An object instance floorplan is generally dedicated to a single object instance, with header data and main attributes belonging to the data object accessible from the object instance floorplan. In contrast to a guided activity floorplan, an object instance floorplan does not require a roadmap as a defining element.  
         [0120]     Many tasks require a user to access data of a business object in order to perform editing, input, or receive information. The business objects often contain many labels, tables, and sub-objects. This data cannot easily be displayed on one screen at the same time without causing undue confusion to the user. Object instance floorplans, as previously shown with respect to the specific guided activity floorplan, map complex business objects to separate views according to the needs of the task and the inherent object structure. An object instance floorplan may support the user in a way appropriate to the business object, allowing the user to access one or more views of the data object directly.  
         [0121]     Views, also known as content patterns, may be designed so that one activity or task can be performed within a single view. Views may be predefined to be visualized on the display to provide orientation to the user. For example, functions may be placed within a first view, with secondary functions placed outside the first view. At times, users may have to switch between views in order to complete a task.  
         [0122]      FIG. 23  is an exemplary non-guided object instance floorplan  2300 . Within a content area  2310 , one or more content patterns  2320   a - c  may appear. The content patterns  2320   a - c  appear based on the selection in viewset selection area  2330 . For example, if a user selected View j in viewset selection area  2330 , the system would display content pattern j  2320   b  in content pattern area  2310 . The viewset selection area allows navigation to generic and application specific content patterns. In addition, a related action area  2340  may also be present in floorplan  2300 . Related action area  2340  may contain one or more links to other applications  2350 , e.g., a quick activity window. Related action area  2340  allows access to activities that are directly related to the current task or content pattern, but are not the primary focus of the task. Lookup area  2380  may also be present in object instance floorplan  2300  containing links to context related information, e.g., viewing and maintaining related objects or documents, or searching for related objects or documents. Viewset selection area  2330 , related action area  2340 , and lookup area  2380  comprise a contextual navigation pattern  2390 , discussed in more detail with respect to  FIG. 26 .  
         [0123]     Object instance floorplan  2300  may also contain a title area  2360  for displaying a title of object instance floorplan  2300 , and a toolbar area  2370  for displaying tools for manipulating data objects displayed in the one or more content patterns  2320   a - c.    
         [0124]      FIG. 24  illustrates a plurality of exemplary content patterns that may be used in the object instance floorplan  2300 . As previously described, one or more content patterns may be placed within content area  2310 , with the content pattern selected based on the user&#39;s choice in the viewset selection area. A selection view content pattern  2410  may display the result of a search for a data object, displaying one or more of the data object search and an object selection portion. The object selection portion may be a list of data objects that meet the search criteria with a description. A factsheet view content pattern  2420  may display an identifier of the data object with one or more elements of the data object displayed in the content pattern  2420 . A main view content pattern  2430  may display an identifier of the data object and operational data, for example, in form, list, or graphical display, of the data object. A worklist view content pattern  2440  displays one or more data objects in a work list for either display or editing. A master-detail view content pattern  2450  displays an identifier of the data object and item editing data of the data object. The above are exemplary content pattern, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that other content patterns can be developed.  
         [0125]      FIG. 25  illustrates an exemplary object instance floorplan  2500  with two exemplary content patterns  2520 ,  2530  displayed in content area  2510 . In the first view, a factsheet content pattern  2520  is displayed in content area  2510  because the system has responded to the user selecting “Factsheet” in viewset selection area  2540 . In the second view, a main content pattern  2530  is displayed in content area  2510  because the system has responded to the user selecting “Main” in viewset selection area  2540 . Exemplary object instance floorplan  2500  also has related actions area  2550  and lookup area  2560 .  
         [0126]      FIG. 26  is an illustration of the relationship between the content of contextual navigation pattern and other actions and displays. Selecting a view in viewset selection area  2610  causes the system to display an associated content pattern in content area  2620 . The contents of related activities area  2630  are based on the content pattern in content area  2620 . Selecting a link in related activities area  2630  may cause a new application to launch in a new window outside of object instance floorplan  2600 . The content of lookup area  2640  is also based on the content pattern in content area  2620 . Selection of links, or performing a search or lookup, in lookup area  2640  may also cause a new application to launch in a new window outside of object instance floorplan  2600 .  
         [0127]      FIG. 27  is an exemplary viewset selection area  2610 . As illustrated viewset selection area  2610  may contain one or more links, or switches, to select content patterns for display in the content area. A selected link may be highlighted with the remaining unselected links not highlighted. There is one link selected at any point in time. If a user selects a link, the system will unselect any previously selected link.  
         [0128]      FIG. 28  is an exemplary related activities area  2630 . As illustrated, uncollapsed related activities area  2630   a  may contain links to one or more activities that are directly related to the current task or view, but which are not the primary focus. It may contain a title area  2810  and one or more links to related activities  2820 . The related activities  2820  may be collapsed by selecting the expansion icon  2830 . Collapsed related activities area  2630   b  may prevent the user from being distracted by the related activities.  
         [0129]      FIG. 29  is an exemplary lookup area  2640 . As illustrated, uncollapsed lookup area  2640   a  may contain links to one or more related data objects or documents. It may contain a title area  2910  and one or more links to related data objects or documents  2920 . The links to related data objects or documents  2920  may be collapsed by selecting the expansion icon  2930 . Collapsed lookup area  2640   b  may prevent the user from being distracted by the related data objects.  
         [0130]      FIG. 30  illustrates the search options in an exemplary lookup area  2640 . In the default view  2640   c , a search field may be filled in by the user who can select the Look Up button to start the search. In addition, the user may open the filters feature to further refine the search as shown in  2640   d . Thus, the user can select one or more filtering options for the search.  
         [0131]      FIG. 20  summarizes the escalating approach embodied in a user interface for helping an individual solve tasks. In general, the user is initially alerted to problems or tasks through notifications and alerts  2010  that may appear on the side bar of a Windows Longhorn desktop. Contextual menus  2020   a  and flyouts  2020   b  may provide further information to the user and a means for quickly acting on the alert or notification. In addition, if the flyouts and alerts do not provide enough information to perform a task, a quick activity window  2030  may be engaged to complete the task. Quick activity window  2030  may be able to solve the vast majority of a user&#39;s tasks and provides the minimal information necessary for the user to complete the task in a knowledgeable and efficient manner. Where more information is required, the user may utilize activity scouts  2040  or escalate to guided activity window  2050 . If none of these user interface tools can solve the task, which will be a very rare occurrence, the user may directly access the underlying enterprise solution  2060 .  
         [0132]      FIG. 21  is a flowchart of an exemplary method of progressive disclosure. The user interface provides an alert or notification to the user ( 2105 ). At this point, the user may right-click the alert or notification to bring up a contextual menu (stage  2110 ). The user interface then provides a contextual menu with one or more options (stage  2115 ). The contextual menu may allow the user to quickly dispatch with the problem by, for example, accepting the notification that serves as a closing response to the user interface (stage  2120 ). Thus, the user interface understands that no further information needs to be provided to the user ( 2150 ).  
         [0133]     On the other hand, the user may need more information to perform the task required by the notification or alert. In this case, the user interface may provide the user with a moderate amount of information, such as may be found in a quick activity window (stage  2125 ). The moderate amount of information is just enough additional information to allow the user to complete the task without encumbering the user with extraneous data. If the user is able to complete the task in the quick activity window, generally by providing an “Accept” response in the quick activity window to the user interface, the user interface can complete its processing of this task ( 2150 ).  
         [0134]     However, the user may indicate the need for further information ( 2130 ). In this case, the user interface provides the user with enhanced information, for example through a guided activity window ( 2135 ). Thus, the amount of information is progressively disclosed to the user as needed and requested.  
         [0135]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that other user modifications can be made to the quick activity window, activity scout, and guided activity window of the present invention.  
         [0136]     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of systems and methods may be stored on or read from other computer-readable media, such as: secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, and CD-ROM; a carrier wave received from the Internet; or other forms of computer-readable memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or random-access memory (RAM).  
         [0137]     Furthermore, one skilled in the art will also realize that the processes illustrated in this description may be implemented in a variety of ways and include multiple other modules, programs, applications, scripts, processes, threads, or code sections that all functionally interrelate with each other to accomplish the individual tasks described above for each module, script, and daemon. For example, it is contemplated that these programs modules may be implemented using commercially available software tools, using custom object-oriented code written in the C++ programming language, or using applets written in the Java programming language.  
         [0138]     The user interface described above may operate on a client system  2205  or a server system  2250 , or a combination of the two.  FIG. 22  is a block diagram of components of an exemplary client system  2205  and server system  2250 . Client  2205  may be a general-purpose computer, personal digital assistant, terminal, or workstation or a specially constructed computing platform for carrying-out the user interface operations previously described. Client  2205 , having CPU  2215 , may provide the user interface to the user and associated communications with necessary databases, structured data, unstructured data, and metadata via I/O interface  2222  (which can be any conventional I/O device) or network interface  2225  (which can be any conventional interface) by direct connections or other communication links. Client  2205  may also provide a local or remote display  2210 .  
         [0139]     Alternatively, client  2205  can be part of a network such as a telephone-based network (such as a PBX or POTS), a local pane network (LAN), a wide pane network (WAN), a dedicated intranet, and/or the Internet. In this way, client  2205  may be located near or far from any necessary documents or databases.  
         [0140]     Memory device  2230  may be implemented with various forms of memory or storage devices, such as read-only memory, random access memory, or external devices. Typically, memory device  2230  stores instructions forming an operating system  2232 ; one or more application modules  2234  for providing database and user application functions; and a user interface module  2236  for providing the user interface to the user, including the alerts and notifications, flyouts, quick activity windows, activity scouts, and guided activity windows.  
         [0141]     Operating system  2232  may be, for example, Windows Longhorn, Windows XP, Apple&#39;s OS X, Linux, or Unix. User interface module  2236  may be designed to work in concert with the one or more application modules  2234 . With such a design, the user interface module  2236  does not need to be redesigned or duplicated to work in each application module  2235 . Such a design enables a common “look and feel” to be present across multiple applications.  
         [0142]     As previously mentioned,  FIG. 22  also illustrates server  2250 . Client  2205  may access server  2250  to run applications residing on server  2250 . Client  2205  may do so through connection  2240 . Connection  2240  may be, for example, a Wide Area Network, a Local Area Network, or the Internet. Server  2250  operates comparably to the above description of client  2205 . The user interface features of the present invention may be found on either client  2205 , server  2250 , or a combination of the two devices.  
         [0143]     The foregoing description of possible implementations consistent with the present invention does not represent a comprehensive list of all such implementations or all variations of the implementations described. The description of only some implementation should not be construed as an intention to exclude other implementations. Artisans will understand how to implement the invention in the appended claims in may other ways, using equivalents and alternatives that do not depart from the scope of the following claims. Moreover, unless indicated to the contrary in the preceding description, none of the components described in the implementations is essential to the invention.