Patent ID: 8132106

Claim:
A method for providing a document preview, the method comprising: providing a preview handler on a computer for generating a document preview, the preview handler exposing a plurality of interfaces that provide a common framework capable of being utilized by an operating system and a plurality of application programs including an electronic mail client application program, a word processor application program, and a spreadsheet application program, wherein: the preview handler is callable by a host program running on the computer for generating a document preview of a file of a particular file type, the host program comprises the electronic mail client application program and calls the preview handler for generating a document preview of a file of the particular file type attached to an electronic mail message, the preview handler comprises a different application program of the plurality of application programs that is registered with the operating system for opening files of the particular file type, the preview handler is executed out-of-process from the host program and operative to expose a preview handler interface, the preview handler interface comprises a preview method which, when called by the host program, will cause the preview handler to generate the document preview within a previewer window; the preview handler calling an interface on the host program and, in response, receiving from the host program a list identifying user input to be processed by the host program if received by the preview handler; and the preview handler receiving user input directed to the previewer window when the document preview is displayed and the preview handler has focus, the preview handler operative to process certain types of user input and to pass user input identified in the list to the host program for processing.