Computer-human interface which provides for user customization of object behavior

A method for enabling computer users to associate behavior with objects in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

• providing an interface via which a user identifies a behavior and an object that is to have said behavior associated with it;
• establishing a file which includes a specification of the behavior that is to be associated with the object and a triggering event associated with said object that causes instantiation of said behavior;
• detecting the occurrence of said triggering event;
• and
• launching an activity in response to said detection to thereby cause said behavior to occur.

A system for associating behavior with objects in a computer, comprising:

• means for storing a plurality of behavior files, wherein each file includes at least an identification of an action to be performed and an event associated with an object;
• means for examining each behavior file and for creating a trigger object which provides a notification when the event identified in the behavior file occurs;
• and
• means responsive to a notification that an event has occurred in connection with an object for initiating the action to be performed.

A system for automatically causing user-specified behavior to be exhibited in connection with objects stored in a computer system, comprising:

• a memory storing a plurality of behavior objects which respectively relate to different types of behavior that can be associated with objects;
• means responsive to user selection of one of said behavior objects, and identification of a programmatically detectable event that is associated with a designated computer system object, for creating a behavior file which identifies said selected behavior object and identified event, and for labelling the designated computer system object as one having behavior associated with it;
• and
• means responsive to the occurrence of said identified event in connection with said designated computer system object for causing the behavior associated with said selected behavior object to be carried out.