Searching and retrieving files in computer networks

A network access computer, comprising:

• a generic application programming interface, operating on a processor of the network access computer, configured to receive a request signal comprising one or more simultaneous requests for searching all files, or selected files comprising one or more predetermined features, from among a plurality of files stored in one or more devices and created using two or more applications;
• determining if said request signal, or a part of said request signal, is absent application-specific information, said generic application programming interface further configured to perform:
• searching for and detecting application meta data for said all files, or said selected files;
• reading each of said all files, or said selected files, and converting said request signal absent application-specific information, or said part of the request signal absent application-specific information, to one or more application command signals comprising said application-specific information derived from application meta data and combined responses of raw application file information corresponding to said all files, or said selected files, each signal of said one or more application command signals defining a corresponding application command for one application of said two or more applications, and
• providing said one or more application command signals concurrently to corresponding one or more application connectors within said generic application programming interface for concurrently performing one or more of the following:
• creating or updating meta-data comprising one or more characterization records for each of said all files, or said selected files,
• retrieving said all files, or said selected files, and
• providing for viewing on a display one or more files of said all files, or said selected files, each using said two or more applications, or providing for viewing on a display said meta data.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with a computer program comprising computer readable instructions recorded thereon, that when executed by a processor cause:

• receiving, at a generic application programming interface using a network accessible computer processor, a request signal comprising one or more simultaneous request for searching all files, or selected files comprising one or more predetermined features, from among a plurality of files stored in one or more devices and created using two or more applications;
• determining if said request signal, or a part of said request signal, is absent application-specific information, said generic application programing interface further configured to perform:
• searching for and detecting application meta data for said all files, or said selected files;
• reading each of said all files, or said selected files, and converting said request signal absent application-specific information, or said part of the request signal absent application-specific information, to one or more application command signals comprising said application-specific information derived from application meta data and combined responses of raw application file information corresponding to said all files, or said selected files, each signal of said one or more application command signals defining a corresponding application command for one application of said two or more applications, and
• providing said one or more application command signals concurrently to corresponding one or more application connectors within said generic application programming interface for concurrently performing one or more of the following:
• creating or updating meta-data comprising one or more characterization records for each of said all files, or said selected files,
• retrieving said all files, or said selected files, and
• providing for viewing on a display one or more files of said all files, or said selected files, using said two or more applications, or providing for viewing on a display said meta-data.