System and method for composing, processing, and organizing electronic mail message items

In an electronic mail system, a method for using nicknames to resolve the name of an intended recipient of a message item, comprising the steps of:

• receiving in an address field a display name associated with said intended recipient;
• determining whether said display name corresponds to a previously stored nickname;
• in response to said display name corresponding to said previously stored nickname, displaying in said address field nickname data corresponding to a registered user of said electronic mail system associated with said previously stored nickname;
• otherwise, determining whether said display name uniquely matches one of a plurality of registered users of said electronic mail system;
• and
• in response to said display name uniquely matching one of said registered users, displaying in said address field recipient data corresponding to said matching registered user,
• otherwise, displaying ambiguous address data in said address field.

A computer system for using nicknames to resolve the name of an intended recipient of a message item, comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• an input device connected to said CPU;
• a display device coupled to said CPU;
• and
• memory coupled to said CPU for storing a program module;
• said CPU, responsive to instructions from said program module, being operative to:
• receive from said input device a display name indicative of said intended recipient, said display name being entered in an address field displayed on said display device;
• determine whether said display name corresponds to a previously stored nickname;
• in response to said display name corresponding to said previously stored nickname, display in said address field nickname data corresponding to a registered user associated with said nickname;
• otherwise, determine whether said display name uniquely matches one of a plurality of registered users of said electronic mail system;
• and
• in response to said display name uniquely matching one of said registered users, display in said address field recipient data corresponding to said matching registered user,
• otherwise, display ambiguous address data in said address field.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for resolving a display name associated with an intended recipient of a message item, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

• receiving in an address field said display name;
• determining whether said display name uniquely matches one of a plurality of registered users of said electronic mail system;
• in response to said display name uniquely matching one of said registered users, displaying in said address field recipient data corresponding to said matching registered user;
• and
• otherwise, displaying ambiguous address data in said address field.

In an electronic mail system for transmitting a message item, said message item including a plurality of properties, a method for including a flag with said message item, comprising the steps of:

• receiving flag data indicative of said flag;
• storing said flag data as one of said plurality of properties;
• and
• transmitting said message item to a recipient via said electronic mail system.

In an electronic mail system for receiving message items, said message items including a plurality of properties, a method for displaying the status of a follow-up action associated with said message items, comprising the steps of:

• receiving one of said message items, said message item including a status property associated with said follow-up action;
• determining whether said message item includes said status property;
• in response to a determination that said message item includes said status property, retrieving status data stored with said status property;
• and
• displaying said status data in conjunction with said message item.

In an electronic mail system for receiving message items, said message items including a plurality of properties, a method for providing an indication corresponding to due date associated with said message item, comprising the steps of:

• receiving one of said message items, said message item including a due date property;
• retrieving due date data from said due date property;
• comparing said due date data to the current time;
• and
• displaying an indication corresponding to the relationship between said due date data and the current time.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for indicating a follow-up action associated with a message item, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

• adding a message flag property to said message item;
• receiving message flag data indicative of said follow-up action;
• storing said message flag data in said message flag property;
• and
• transmitting said message item to a recipient via an electronic mail system.

In an electronic mail system for transmitting an item, said item including a plurality of properties, a method for transmitting custom form data as part of said item, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining said custom form data, said custom form data indicative of the layout of a custom form comprising a plurality of fields for displaying field data stored in at least one of said plurality of properties;
• storing said custom form data in one of said plurality of properties in response to obtaining said custom form data;
• and
• transmitting said item to a recipient.

In an electronic mail system for receiving an item, a method for displaying an item comprising the steps of:

• receiving said item, said item including a plurality of properties;
• determining whether said item includes a form property;
• in response to a determination that said message item includes said form property, retrieving form data stored in said form property;
• otherwise, retrieving form data from a form registry;
• and
• displaying said item in the context of a form, said form being defined by said form data.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for transmitting custom form data as part of an item, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

• adding a form property to said item;
• obtaining said custom form data, said custom form data indicative of the layout of a custom form comprising a plurality of fields for displaying field data stored in at least one of a plurality of properties;
• storing said custom form data in said form property in response to obtaining said custom form data;
• receiving said field data from said fields as input;
• storing said field data in said at least one of said plurality of properties;
• and
• transmitting said item to a recipient.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for displaying an item in the context of a form, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

• receiving said item, said item including a plurality of properties;
• determining whether said item includes a form property;
• in response to a determination that said item includes said form property, retrieving form data stored in said form property;
• otherwise, retrieving form data from a form registry;
• and
• displaying said item in the context of a form, said form being defined by said form data.

In an electronic mail system for transmitting a message item, a method for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying responses of said plurality of recipients to said message item, comprising the steps of:

• creating said message item, said message item including a query and a plurality of predefined responses;
• transmitting said message item to said plurality of recipients;
• receiving a reply message item from at least one of said recipients, said reply message item including reply data corresponding to one of said predefined responses;
• and
• tallying said response corresponding to said reply data included in said reply message item.

In an electronic mail system for transmitting and receiving message items, a method for selecting one of a plurality of predefined responses in reply to a message item that includes a query, comprising the steps of:

• opening said message item, said message item including response data corresponding to said plurality of predefined responses,
• displaying a plurality of voting buttons, each said voting button corresponding to one of said predefined responses;
• receiving input corresponding to the selection of one of said voting buttons;
• creating a reply message item, said reply message item including a plurality of properties;
• and
• storing reply data in at least one of said plurality of properties, said reply data corresponding to said selected one of said voting buttons.

A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for selecting one of a plurality of predefined responses in reply to a message item that includes a query, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by said a computer, perform the steps of:

• opening said message item, said message item including response data corresponding to said plurality of predefined responses,
• displaying a plurality of voting buttons, each said voting button corresponding to one of said predefined responses;
• receiving input corresponding to the selection of one of said voting buttons;
• creating a reply message item, said reply message item including a plurality of properties;
• and
• storing reply data in at least one of said plurality of properties, said reply data corresponding to said selected one of said voting buttons.

A computer readable medium on which is stored a computer program for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying responses of said plurality of recipients to said message item, said computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by said a computer, perform the steps of:

• creating said message item, said message item including a query and a plurality of predefined responses;
• transmitting said message item to said plurality of recipients;
• receiving a reply message item from at least one of said recipients, said reply message item including reply data corresponding to one of said predefined responses;
• and
• tallying said response corresponding to said reply data included in said reply message item.

A computer system for sending to a plurality of recipients a message item and automatically tallying the responses of said plurality of recipients, comprising:

• a central processing unit (CPU);
• an input device coupled to said CPU for receiving data input by a user;
• a pixel-based display device coupled to said CPU for displaying data;
• and
• said CPU being operative to:
• create said message item, said message item including a query and a plurality of predefined responses;
• transmit said message item to said plurality of recipients;
• receive a reply message item from one of said recipients, said reply message item including a reply property and a message identification property, said reply property including reply data, said message identification property including identification data identifying a sent mail copy of said message item;
• open said reply message item;
• read said identification data in said message identification property;
• locate said sent mail copy of said message item based on said identification data;
• locate a voter property in said sent mail copy of said message item, said voter property corresponding to said one of said recipients;
• and
• store said reply data in said voter property.

In an improved message item for transmission in an electronic mail system, said message item including a plurality of data properties, the improvement comprising:

• an autoresponse property including data indicative of a number of predefined responses to a query in said message item;
• a vote property including reply data indicative of the predefined response selected by a recipient of said message item;
• and
• a plurality of voter properties corresponding to each of said recipients of said message item, said voter properties being used to store reply data received from said recipients.