Patent ID: 7308433

Claim:
A computer application managing method for a case where a plurality of computer applications are stored in a computer-readable storage at locations of the storage, the method comprising: electronically storing, in the computer-readable storage, a directory structure corresponding to the plurality of applications; in the computer-readable storage, giving information of the application addresses directly to directories of the directory structure, respectively, the application address information being for identifying the applications, respectively, where the applications are needed for corresponding data files stored in the computer-readable storage using the directories, respectively; electronically performing management so that when one of the data files is selected a needed application corresponding to the data file of a directory of the directories is automatically selected and executed by referring to the selected data file's directory to obtain its application's address information and therewith access and execute the application at the computer-readable storage location of the thus-obtained address information given to the directory, where the selection for execution is responsive to the data file of the directory being selected; storing size information at a starting address of each application of the plurality of applications, the size information at a starting address of each application of the plurality of applications; and detecting the size of an application of the plurality of applications from the size information stored in the starting address of the application of the plurality of applications, and searching for a starting address of a next application of the plurality of applications in accordance with the size of the preceding application of the plurality of applications, so as to obtain the starting address of a desired application of the plurality of applications, wherein on of the plurality of applications is needed when one of the data files is selected.