System for integrating HTML Web site views into application file dialogs

A method for a productivity application to access server-based functionality by enabling a web view within a particular application dialog box, the method comprising:

• a dialog object sending a request to a server for information identifying the type of server being accessed;
• the dialog object receiving a response from the server, the response comprising information identifying the type of server;
• determining, from the information identifying the type of server, that the server supports web view pages;
• the application sending an attribute to a server, the attribute identifying a program function of the application;
• the application receiving a response from the server, the response verifying that the server recognizes the attribute identifying the program function;
• the application determining if the server supports a web view page for a particular application dialog box, the determination being made by recognition of an attribute by the server;
• upon determining that the server supports a web view page for the particular application dialog box,
• receiving a web view page from the server;
• displaying the web view page within the particular application dialog box;
• receiving user input corresponding to an element within the web view;
• determining when the element is to be processed by a browser module and when the element is to be processed by the dialog box;
• and
• when determining the element is to be processed by the browser module, then processing the element by the browser module;
• and
• when determining the element is not to be processed by the browser module, then passing appropriate information about the element to the dialog box;
• upon determining that the server does not support a web view page for the particular application dialog box, formatting a response comprising an indication that the particular application dialog box is not supported;
• and
• sending the response to the application.