1. A service agent for fulfilling requests of a web browser client coupled to a network; comprising: a control program agent tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a supporting machine environment for performing method steps for receiving a request initiated at said web browser client and fulfilling the request by a providing a result, said method steps comprising:

displaying an HTML document to said web browser;
invoking a control program agent;
receiving data entered by the user from the HTML document and passing said user entered data to said control program agent upon invocation as input parameters to said control program agent that were returned from said HTML document;
using an API set for invoking executable command files and programs accessible via a associated command file object.


2. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein said input parameters contain data from the HTML document that referred to said control program agent.

3. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein said step of receiving data entered by the user from the HTML document and passing said user entered data to said control program agent upon invocation as input parameters to said control program agent that were returned from said HTML document includes an identification of a command file to call, the name of the file containing the HTML statements to use when building an HTML document that reports results requested by the request, and and the type of file that is requested, as well as query data from the HTML document that referred to said control program agent.

4. A service agent according to claim 3 wherein said step of passing data from the HTML document that referred to said control program agent, includes passing data which contains values selected by the user and / or default values selected by a HTML document designer set in a command file program prior to its execution, all of which data is stored in a buffer environment, and accessible by said command file program and/ or said control program agent and used to to set variables for said command file program.

5. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise:

during processing by said control program agent providing setups for API calls which occur.


6. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise:

with the variable information now stored in a buffer, retrieving with the control program agent from a store command files and the variable names associated with each command files and loading into memory associated with the control program the command file names available and the variable names associated with each command file.


7. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: initiating with the control program agent a connection between said control program agent and an API.

8. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: once a command file is loaded into memory for said control program agent, the control program agent retrieves from its memory the command file variable names associated with a command file name passed to the control program agent once the control program agent is invoked.

9. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: subsequently, creating with said control program agent a a data array stored in the control program memory containing the command file variable names and the values for them that were passed to the control program agent during initial data retrieval steps in order to match command file variable names with the data that was passed to the control program agent with said environment variables step.

10. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: subsequently, in preparation for a report, said program command agent creating creates a unique filename which may include data originated by the HTML document's variables stored in a previous step (step 112) to pass to the command file as a command file variable for use in naming the report which will be created by the command file, which as a result the command file will create that file with the unique file name during its process.

11. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: subsequently, in anticipation of command file execution, the values of variables used by the command file are obtained from the data array in the control program memory containing the command file variable names and the values for them that were passed to the control program agent in the step providing parameters for query data from the HTML document that referred to said control program agent which contains values selected by the user and/or default values selected by a HTML document designer set in a command file program prior to its execution, doing this using the API to set the command file variable values.

12. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: subsequently, using an API to query and determine the size of a queue of jobs being requested, and comparing whether the size has exceeded a predetermined threshold number of jobs being requested, and if so, then entering a wait state loop to wait and reiteratively comparing whether the size still has exceeded said predetermined threshold number of jobs being requested until the queue size is reduced to below said threshold level, and then at that point using said API submit a command file for execution.

13. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: after the API has submitted said command file for execution by a sub- agent, said control program agent enters a state of awaiting execution of said command file by said sub-agent.

14. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: during a said state of awaiting execution of said command file, processing other requests by the control program agent as a pipe so that the control program agent continually advances requests through the system.

15. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: during the state awaiting execution of a command file, using said API to looks for a completion signal of execution of said command file, and when that completion signal is received, said control program agent reads the file identified by the name passed to the control program in the preceding step that contains the HTML statements which are to be presented with the command file report of results.

16. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: testing with said control program agent for the kind of report to be created by obtaining information from stored variables and identifies output parameters, and branching to the sequence applicable to the kind of report to be created.

17. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: wherein an output is routed to a requestor selected resulting output destination selected from a group of possible output units, comprising fax, printer, retail and banking installations, or provided as a series of full motion videos or still frames which are transmitted to display devices, including television units under control of of end users with a set-top box cable control.

18. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: wherein an output is routed to a requestor selected resulting output destination server having a CPU, network I/F bus, disks, modems, and X.25 data switching providing hardware to route the output to a variety of output devices, including a facsimile, printer, retail terminal, banking machines, TV or cable customers via the server, with full motion and still video supplied with MPEG 2 and MPEG 1 protocol images respectively to subscribers.

19. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: coupling the output to an auxiliary function including back-up storage and accounting processes which allow for charging for system utilization and service charges for services and items requested.

20. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: The auxiliary functions make use of hidden variables associated with the request including authorization charge variables, including credit card numbers and passwords.

21. A service agent according to claim 1 wherein the method steps further comprise: credit card number, is preferably encrypted, with a DES or RSA encryption utility, and this along with access authorization variables, allows access to sensitive databases which reside behind firewalls.