Patent ID: 8370743

Claim:
A computer implemented method of facilitating selection of a command to perform a desired task, the method comprising: providing a command store that contains indications of a plurality of commands, the plurality of commands being associated with different applications, a particular one of the commands having a component that is adjustable; receiving, as an input into a search box, a command query that includes an indication of a desired command and a particular value to which it is desired to limit the desired command; receiving context information that identifies one of the different applications, the context information also providing an indication of contents of a window that is under focus in the one of the different applications; utilizing a computer processor to identify possible commands in the command store based on the command query and based on the context information, at least one of the identified possible commands being the particular command; calculating a likelihood score for each of the identified possible commands based on how likely it is that each of the identified possible commands corresponds to the desired command given the command query, the likelihood scores being calculated based at least in part upon prior probabilities that are associated with the identified possible commands; returning an indication of the identified possible commands in a user selectable form such that the identified possible commands can be selected by the user for execution in order to initiate a performance of the desired task, the identified possible commands being displayed in a ranked order based on the calculated scores, the component of the particular command being automatically pre-adjusted so as to, upon selection of the particular command by the user from the user selectable form, automatically configure the performance of the desired task to be consistent with the particular value; and providing, upon a selection of a user selectable help option, a guided help user interface, the guided help user interface including a first portion that provides tutorial information about executing the desired task, a second portion that provides a plurality of different mechanisms for executing the desired task, and a third portion that provides a preview section and additional instructions for completing the desired task.