Patent ID: 7370095

Claim:
A server for providing an executable software element including an applet to a user agent, the server comprising: a receiver for receiving a request for a resource from a user agent, the request including a first identifier related to the request source and a second identifier identifying a document including an executable software element, wherein said first identifier comprises a set of resource locators; a processing system which responds to said request received by the receiver by: requesting profiles and/or preferences based on respective resource locators; receiving and combining the requested profiles and/or preferences to produce a combined profile; determining whether a plurality of profiles and/or preferences have values for a same parameter and, if so, including only a least resource intensive in the combined profile; determining a control value based on said first identifier for controlling said executable software element and based on the combined profile; and sending the document to the request source, the document as sent including said control value in a manner for automatically controlling said executable software element.