System for internet-based delivery of computer applications

Claim 1

In a Web-based computer system having a client connected to a Web server, the client including a Web browser, a method for Web-based delivery of executable applications, the method comprising: creating at the server an application document, said application document including information necessary for locating and downloading program code necessary for rendering a view of the application document within the Web browser, without requiring that an application document handler already be installed at the Web browser; installing at the client an application document handler, said handler capable of interpreting said information of said application document; displaying in the Web browser a Web page having a hyperlink reference to said application document; in response to user selection of the hyperlink reference, transmitting said application document from the server to the client; in response to said transmitting of said application document from the server to the client, invoking said handler for processing said application document, including performing substeps of: (i) determining whether program code capable of rendering the application document resides locally at the client; (ii) if the program code does not reside locally, automatically downloading the program code from a location indicated by said information of application document, in a manner that does not require user intervention; and (iii) rendering the application document within the Web browser by executing said program code.