Storage of sitemaps at server sites for holding information regarding content

In a client computer system that is connectable to a server computer that holds hypertext documents, a computer-readable storage medium holding:

• a sitemap locator for locating a sitemap file at the server computer, said sitemap file holding information about contents of the hypertext documents of the server computer;
• a downloading facility for asynchronously and transparently downloading said sitemap file without a request for said sitemap file by a user from the server computer after the sitemap file is located by the sitemap locator;
• and
• a sitemap file processing facility for processing the downloaded sitemap to extract and persistently store the information in the sitemap file, wherein the sitemap is distinct from the hypertext documents held by the server computer, and wherein the information from the sitemap file is incorporated in a namespace of the client computer system.

In a data processing system having at least one server computer holding hypertext documents and a client computer, a method comprising the steps of:

• performing a query at the server to identify what hypertext documents at one or more of the servers have content that fulfills the search criteria;
• storing the search results in a search results file at a selected one of the servers, wherein the search results file is distinct from the hypertext documents and contains information related to the content of hypertext documents that fulfill the search criteria;
• downloading the search results file to the client without a request by a user;
• and
• persistently storing the search results file at the client.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for browsing, from a client computer, hypertext documents associated with a server computer, which, when executed, comprise:

• retrieving from the server computer a sitemap containing information sufficient to create at least one site list object;
• and
• creating the at least one site list object based on the information contained in the sitemap;
• and
• incorporating the at least one site list object in a namespace associated with the client computer.