Returning to FIG. 1, another type of data object is a sound object shown as sound icon 24 within the hypermedia document.

When the user selects sound icon 24, the user's computer accesses sound data shown symbolically by data file 40.

The accessed sound data plays through a speaker or other audio device.

As discussed above, hypermedia documents allow a user to access different data objects.

The objects may be text, images, sound files, video, additional documents, etc.

As used in this specification, a data object is information capable of being retrieved and presented to a user of a computer system.

Some data objects include executable code combined with data.

An example of such a combination is a "self-extracting" data object that includes code to "unpack" or decompress data that has been compressed to make it smaller before transferring.

When a browser retrieves an object such as a self-extracting data object the browser may allow the user to "launch" the self-extracting data object to automatically execute the unpacking instructions to expand the data object to its original size.

Such a combination of executable code and data is limited in that the user can do no more than invoke the code to perform a singular function such as performing the self-extraction after which time the object is a standard data object.

Other existing approaches to embedding interactive program objects in documents include the Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) facility in Microsoft Windows, by Microsoft Corp., and OpenDoc, by Apple Computer, Inc.

At least one shortcoming of these approaches is that neither is capable of allowing a user to access embedded interactive program objects in distributed hypermedia documents over networks.

FIG. 2 is an example of a computer network.

In FIG. 2, computer systems are connected to Internet 100, although in practice Internet 100 may be replaced by any suitable computer network.

In FIG. 2, a user 102 operates a small computer 104, such as a personal computer or a work station.

The user's computer is equipped with various components, such as user input devices (mouse, trackball, keyboard, etc.), a display device (monitor, liquid crystal display (LCD), etc.), local storage (hard disk drive, etc.), and other components.

Typically, small computer 104 is connected to a larger computer, such as server A at 106.

The larger computer may have additional users and computer systems connected to it, such as computer 108 operated by user 110.

Any group of computers may form a localized network.

A localized network does not necessarily adopt the uniform protocols of the larger interconnecting network (i.e., Internet 100) and is more geographically constrained than the larger network.

The localized network may connect to the larger network through a "gateway" or "node" implemented on, for example, a server.

Internet 100 connects other localized networks, such as server B at 120, which interconnects users 122, 124 and 126 and their respective computer systems to Internet 100.

Internet 100 is made up of many interconnected computer systems and communication links.

Communication links may be by hardwire, fiber optic cable, satellite or other radio wave propagation, etc.

Data may move from server A to server B through any number of intermediate servers and communication links or other computers and data processing equipment not shown in FIG. 2 but symbolically represented by Internet 100.

A user at a workstation or personal computer need not connect to the Internet via a larger computer, such as server A or server B.

This is shown, for example, by small computer 130 connected directly to Internet 100 as by a telephone modem or other link.

Also, a server need not have users connected to it locally, as is shown by server C at 132 of FIG. 2.

Many configurations of large and small computers are possible.