Operating system shell having a windowing graphical user interface with a desktop displayed as a hypertext multimedia document

An operating system shell comprising:

• a hypertext multimedia document template;
• a preprocessor for processing the template into a hypertext multimedia document having an embedded control object for providing at least part of an operating system's graphical user interface;
• and
• a viewer for displaying a view of the hypertext document in the graphical user interface wherein the embedded control object is manipulable by a user to activate a service of the operating system.

A template for use in a system to synthesize a hypertext multimedia document to provide an operating system user interface, the system having a preprocessor, an embeddable user interface control object, and a hypertext multimedia document viewer, the template comprising:

• hypertext data for incorporating multi-media information into the hypertext multimedia document;
• at least one preprocessor directive for converting parameters into hypertext data;
• and
• an object insertion tag for embedding the user interface control object into the hypertext multimedia document, wherein the embedded control object is manipulable by a user to activate a service of the operating system, whereby the preprocessor processes the template into a hypertext multimedia document which provides an operating system user interface when displayed by the viewer.

A method of providing a graphical user interface to an operating system of a computer having a video screen, comprising:

• providing an operating system user interface control manipulable by a user to activate a service of the operating system;
• providing a hypertext page having hypertext data for incorporating multi-media enhancements, and an object insertion tag indicative of said control for embedding said control;
• generating a view of the hypertext page incorporating said multi-media enhancements and with said control embedded therein;
• and
• displaying the view on the video screen.

A file system navigation method comprising:

• providing a plurality of templates associated with folders in a file system, the templates having an object insertion tag for embedding a folder user interface control;
• when a folder is opened by a user, performing the steps of:
• processing the template associated with the opened folder to produce a hypertext page having the object insertion tag;
• and
• displaying a view of the hypertext page with the folder user interface control embedded therein, whereby the user manipulates the folder user interface control to activate file system services relating to the folder.