Patent ID: 7467379

Claim:
A system including a processor for incrementally executing a client/server application, the client/server application executed on a client and a server, the client and the server in communication over a communication link, the system comprising: a client/server application comprising a server application component and a client component, the server application component comprising a plurality of server component portions, and provided on the server, the plurality of server component portions including an initial server component portion and one or more subsequent server component portions, the initial server component portion having an initial function, each of the one or more subsequent server component portions including a respective subsequent function; the plurality of server component portions further including a compact portion loaded and executed on the server upon receipt of a first application function request from the client component, the compact portion delivering a subset of functions applicable to commands most commonly requested to provide a fast executing initial portion of the application; the client application component provided on the client, the client component including a command selector, the command selector having: means for selecting a function available from the plurality of the server component portions; and means for generating a parameter for use by the server application component in determining the appropriate server component portion of the plurality of server component portions to load and execute on the server to provide the selected function to the client, the parameter being an initial parameter or a subsequent parameter; the server including: a memory for executing the server application component; means for receiving an initiating message from the client, the initiating message including the initial parameter associated with the initial server component portion; means for loading into the memory, in response to the initial parameter, the initial server component portion; means for executing the initial server component portion loaded into the memory to provide the initial function to the client; means for receiving a subsequent message from the client, the subsequent message including the subsequent parameter associated with a subsequent server component portion; means for loading into the memory, in response to the subsequent parameter, the subsequent server component portion; and means for executing the subsequent server component portion loaded into the memory to provide the subsequent function to the client.