Patent ID: 7149959

Claim:
An apparatus for accessing architectural project information on the internet, comprising an application programming interface (API), executed by a client computer, having a plurality of procedures that provide for an organization of containers for storing, managing and sharing files for one or more architectural projects, and that allow an application program executed by the client computer to access architectural project information stored across the internet on a server site, wherein: the server site has defined user access permissions; the application program invokes the procedures of the API; the invoked procedures obtain a connection across the internet between the application program with appropriate user access permissions on the client and the server site; the architectural project information accessed by the application program using the API are organized in containers for storing, managing, and sharing files for one or more architectural projects, wherein the files comprise drawings, documents, communications, and tasks related to the architectural projects; and the architectural project information is created using an interactive web site hosted on the server, and one or more areas of the interactive web site provide for: modification and organization of: a display of the interactive web site; site members of the interactive web site; one or more projects including storing, organizing, and displaying drawings and text files in project folders and standard folders; and project members of the one or more projects including defining access permissions for project members to access the project folders, the standard folders, the drawings, and the text files; wherein project related administration tasks are available if a user is working with the project folders and such project related administration tasks are not available when working with the standard folders.