CA2361821C - System and method for enabling composition of rich webmail messages - Google Patents

Abstract

A webmail enhancement system provides a user an enhancement tool for enriching a webmail message and a tool interface to access the enhancement tool. The tool interface is created on a webmail form. The enhancement tool is downloaded to a web browser together with the webmail form. Thus, the user can compose a rich webmail message using the enhancement tool through the tool interface on the webmail form.

Description

System and Method for Enabling Composition of Rich Webmail Messages [0001] This invention relates to web based email (webmail), and more particularly, to a system and method for enabling composition of rich webmail messages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Email occupies a space between the spontaneity of speech and the formality of letter writing. It is this quality that has made email a viable form of modern communication. Email is characterized by being a reductive and schematic form of communication.

[0003] One form of email is a Web based email (webmail) used over the Internet.
To use webmail, users access a web site of a webmail service provider. The web site provide a webmail form to the user's browser to send a webmail message.
Each registered user has mailbox to access incoming mail. The popularity of webmail is increasing because of its flexibility in accessing own mailboxes and lifetime e-mail addresses given to users.

[0004] While webmail has many advantages, existing webmail relies on text based messages, and involves some disadvantages. Text based email is limited in its ability to be expressive and precise. It does not allow users to sketch or doodle within the space of the email message.

[0005] It is poor at conveying emotion. Users have created a meta language, called emoticons, that assists in shaping the "mood" of a message. However, those emoticons are still awkward to use and express emotion. There are HTML
versions of messaging services that assist the user in conveying the mood of the message without compromising the schematic quality of the format. However, nothing has been developed for the webmail environment.

[0006] Email is also poor at maintaining a context. Because of the passive nature of the format, people will often quote parts of a previous message to maintain a lucid discussion. This is disruptive and uneconomical. The context can be lost when trying to quote or reply to longer passages.

[0007] Also, existing webmail does not allow users to format their text. Some desktop mail clients allow this type of functionality. However, nothing has been developed for the webmail environment.

[0008] There exist some browser applications for enhancements of webmail ability. However, they require users to download and install "plug-in"
components.
This is disruptive and often ignored by users.

[0009] It is therefore desirable to provide a system and method which allows users to enrich their email messages without requiring users to install any special components.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a novel system and method for enabling composition of rich webmail messages that obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantages of existing systems as described above.

[0011] The present invention downloads an enhancement tool for enriching a webmail message to a client browser together with a webmail form. The webmail form has a tool interface for allowing users to access the enhancement tool.

[0012] Thus, the user can compose a rich webmail message using the enhancement tool through the tool interface on the webmail form.

[0013] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a webmail enhancement system for enabling composition of a rich webmail message. The webmail enhancement system comprises an enhancement tool for enabling a user to enrich a webmail message, the enhancement tool being downloadable to a web browser with a webmail form; and a tool interface for allowing a user to access the enhancement tool.

[0014] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a webmail enhancement system for enabling composition of a rich webmail message. The webmail enhancement system comprises a Java enhancement applet for downloading to a client browser with a webmail form, the enhancement applet comprising a Java class file which implements a public method of the enhancement applet for allowing a user to enrich a webmail message using the enhancement applet method.

[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for enabling composition of a rich webmail message. The method comprises steps of providing in a webmail server an enhancement tool for enabling a user to enrich a webmail message; creating a tool interface on a webmail form to allow a user to access the enhancement tool from the webmail form; and downloading the enhancement tool to a client browser together with the webmail form.

[0016] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for enabling a user to compose a rich webmail message. The method comprises steps of providing on a web browser a webmail form having a rich message field for composing a message and an enhancement interface for accessing an enhancement tool; and applying an enhancement tool function within the rich message field in response to user's action on the enhancement interface.

[0017] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for replying to a rich webmail message. The method comprises steps of displaying a received rich message with a enhancement function applied to the rich message; in response to user's selection to reply to the received rich message, providing a webmail reply form having a rich message field for composing a reply message and an enhancement interface for accessing an enhancement tool; copying the received rich message with the enhancement function into the reply message field; and allowing a user to compose a reply message based on the copied message using the enhancement tool.

[0018] Other aspects and features of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from a review of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will be further understood from the following description with reference to the drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a webmail server having a webmail enhancement system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the webmail enhancement system;
Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of existing webmail form;
Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of an enhancement webmail form;
Figure 5 is a diagram showing another example of the enhancement system; and Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of the enhancement system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a webmail enhancement system 20 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0021] The webmail enhancement system 20 is suitably used for a user to send a webmail from a client browser 2 to a mail client 4 over the Internet 6. The client browser 2 accesses a webmail server 10, typically through a web server 3, e.g., an Internet Service Provider (ISP) server. The mail client 4 is connectable to the Internet 6 through a mail server 5 to receive webmail. The mail server 5 may be a web server, such as an ISP server similar to web server 3. The mail client 4 may be a web browser, similar to client browser 2.

[0022] The webmail server 10 has a webmail form 12. The webmail form 12 may be a conventional webmail form 12 having fields for users to fill out. The fields typically include at least an address field for entering the address of a recipient, and a text field for entering text of a webmail message. When a user wants to send a webmail message, the user accesses the webmail form 12 by the client browser 2.

[0023] According to the embodiment of the present invention, the webmail server 10 also includes the webmail enhancement system 20. The webmail enhancement system 20 comprises an enhancement tool unit 22. The enhancement tool unit 22 includes one or more tools that allow users to enrich their email messages, as further described below.

[0024] The webmail enhancement system 20 creates a tool interface 24 on the webmail form 12 to allow users to access the enhancement tool unit 22. The webmail server 10 may interpret server-side code of the enhancement system 20 to create the tool interface 24. The enhancement system 20 may have special code to directly define the tool interface 24. When the enhancement tool unit include multiple tools, a tool interface may be created for each tool or for a group of tools.

[0025] The webmail server 10 also has a downloader 16. The downloader 16 downloads the enhancement tool unit 22 to the client browser 2 together with the webmail form 12.

[0026] Figure 2 shows the operation of the enhancement system 20. The enhancement system 20 creates one or more tool interfaces 24 on a webmail form 12 for accessing tools of the enhancement tool unit 22 (30). When a user of the client browser 2 wants to send a webmail message, the client browser 2 sends a request for a webmail form to the webmail server 10 (32). In response to the request, the downloader 16 in the webmail server 10 downloads the webmail form 12 to the client browser 2. Also, the downloader 16 in the webmail server 10 downloads the enhancement tool unit 22 to the client browser 2, together with the webmail form 12 (34). The downloaded webmail form contains the tool interfaces 24.

[0027] Thus, the enhancement tool unit 22 is automatically downloaded to the client browser 2, and becomes available to the user on the webmail form 12 through the tool interfaces 24. That is, the user can use the enhancement tools on the same window on which the webmail form is displayed.

[0028] The tool interfaces 22 on the webmail form 12 may be contained in one or more toolbars. In that case, the functionality of the enhancement tools is accessible through the toolbars. Each toolbar contains one or more fields.
Each field has a link to its corresponding tool. The user can select a field to access the corresponding enhancement tool. All toolbars may be displayed at the same time or one or more tool bars may be displayed in response to user's actions.

[0029] Figure 3 shows a typical conventional webmail form 60. The form 60 has some fields to enter email particulars, such as a recipient address field 62 and a subject field 64, and a text field 66 to enter a message text.

[0030] Figure 4 shows an example 80 of an enhancement webmail form 12 provided by the enhancement system 20. As shown in Figure 4, the enhancement system 20 may replace the text field 66 of the original webmail form 60 with a tool field 82 and a rich message field 84. The tool field 82 contains tool interfaces 83.
The tool interfaces 83 are provided in a toolbar. The rich message field 84 is provided for the user to compose a rich webmail message using the enhancement tools through the tool interfaces 83 provided in the tool field 82.

[0031] Referring back to Figure 2, once the enhancement webmail form 12 is displayed on the client browser 2, the user can start composing a rich webmail message (36). When the user wants to use a function of an enhancement tool, he activates a desired tool interface 24 (38). The tool interface 24 calls the corresponding enhancement tool (40), and applies the tool function to the message (42).

[0032] The tool function is directly applied to the message. Accordingly, the user can view the rich message during the composition as it will be displayed at the receiver's mail client 4.

[0033] Since the tool interfaces 83 are provided on the same window as that of the webmail form 80, the user does not have to switch windows around to access enhancement tools.

[0034] Once the user finishes the composition of the rich message (44), he submits the webmail form to the webmail server 10, by e.g., clicking a "send"
button (not shown). In response to the receipt of the webmail form, the webmail server 10 converts the rich message contained in the webmail form to a text string (46) and sends the text string to the recipient (48).

[0035] The enhancement system 20 may have a convertor 26 to convert the submitted rich message 84 into a text string. The webmail server 10 may have an existing convertor for converting existing text message 66 into text strings.
The enhancement system 20 uses the convertor 26 to convert the submitted rich message 84 into a text string, instead of using its existing convertor.

[0036] When the enhancement tool unit 22 include an image insertion tool, the enhancement system 20 may also have a remote image insertion unit 28 for allowing insertion of remote images in rich webmail messages. A remote image is an image that is located on web servers (not shown) connected to the Internet 6.
In response a remote image request from the image insertion tool, the remote image insertion unit 28 may obtain the requested image from a web site connected to the Internet 6, and display it in the rich text message box 84 via the enhancement tool unit 22.

[0037] The enhancement tool unit 22 preferably provides users with a local image insertion tool to allow the insertion of local images in rich webmail messages. A
local image is an image which is located under the root directory of the enchantment tool unit 22.

[0038] The enhancement tool unit 22 preferably provides users with basic tools to sketch or doodle within the space of an email message, and gives them quick and easy tools to add expressiveness and precision to their messages.

(0039] For example, the enhancement tool unit 22 may contain at least one of the following tools: a text format tool, a sketch tool, a sticky note tool, a style tool, an editing tool, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) set tool and an image insertion tool.

[0040] The text format tool applies rich text formatting to webmail messages.
The text format tool may include a bold toggle tool, an italic toggle tool, a text colour set tool, a text size set tool, a font size set tool and/or a text highlight colour set tool.

[0041] The sketch tool allows users to create a sketch in webmail messages. It supports the reductive and schematic quality of email communication. It may provide a limited set of features that users can use in order to keep the sketch tool simple and fast.

[0042] The style tool applies a predefined background style to the webmail message. The selected background style may be applied to the message using its URL on a web server which contains the image. The web server may be the webmail server 10 or other web server.

[0043] The URL set tool sets in the rich message field a link to a web page using a URL of the web page.

[0044] The editing tool may include undo and/or redo functionality during the composition of the webmail message.

[0045] The sticky note tool provides a note window over the webmail form to let users to enter a note. The user can attach the sticky note to a desired position in the webmail message. The note window has a variable window size, i.e., the user can collapse and expand the sticky note window. Thus, the user can view the message and the note to ensure the integrity of the primary message. The sticky note may be a graphics layer having a preselected background colour.

[0046] The image insertion tool allows users to insert images in the webmail message. The image insertion tool may be an emoticon insertion tool for inserting graphical emoticons. The emoticons may be stored on a web server, and the emoticon insertion tool may retrieve a desired emoticon to insert it at a selected position in the message. The web server may be remote web server attached to the Internet 6 or the webmail server 10. The emoticon may be inserted using its URL if it s from a remote web server. It may be inserted using its relative location to the enhancement tool unit 22 directory on the webmail server 10 if it is located under the root directory of the enhancement tool unit 22.

[0047] The invention is further described by examples which allow users to enrich their webmail messages by using richness of Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

[0048] Figure 5 shows a webmail enhancement system 100 having text format tools. The enhancement system 100 comprises a standalone enhancement Java applet 120. The enhancement applet 120 resides on a host webmail server 110.
The webmail server 110 also contains an existing webmail form 112.

[0049] The enhancement applet 120 contains a Java Archive (JAR) file 122 and/or Java Class files defining enhancement tools, i.e., Java applet methods. As the enhancement applet 120 is a Java applet, it is easily integrated into existing webmail forms in existing webmail servers. A Java class file implements a publicly available image inserting method.

[0050] The enhancement applet 120 downloads transparently to client browser 130 with the webmail form 112 (140). The webmail form 112 has a standard text field in which users enter message text. The enhancement applet 120 replaces the standard text field on the webmail form 112 with a toolbar 132 and Java rich message field or box 134. Thus, a modified webmail form 136 is displayed on the client browser 130.

[0051] The replacement of the text field is carried out by replacing its tag.
For example, the webmail form 112 has a standard TEXTAREA tag defining the text field. The TEXTAREA tag is placed inside the webmail form 112 and typically looks as follows:

<FORM NAME='send email' ACTION='send.asp' METHOD='post'>
<TEXTAREA NAME='send text'>
</FORM>

[0052] The enhancement applet 120 replaces the TEXTAREA tag with a Java APPLET tag and some JavaScript, such as:
<script language='JavaScript'>
function sendEMail() {
document.send email.send text.value =
document.eDrawApplet.getString();
document.send email.submit();
}
->
<FORM NAME='send email' ACTION='send.asp' METHOD='post'>
<INPUT TYPE='hidden' NAME='send text'>
</FORM>
<FORM NAME='compose' ACTION='javascript:sendEMail();' METHOD='post'>
<APPLET code=eDrawApplet.class name=eDrawApplet height=250 width=550 MAYSCRIPT VIEWASTEXT>
<INPUT type='hidden' name='fakeFieldForNetscape'>

</FORM>

[0053] In the toolbar 132 in the modified webmail form 136, the enhancement applet 120 provides HTML User Interface (UI) 133.

[0054] The webmail server 110 may interpret the server -side code of the enhancement system 100 to create HTML and JavaScript to define the tool UI 133 as described above. The tool UI 133 may also be defined directly by HTML and JavaScript.

[0055] The user can compose a rich message in the Java rich message box 134.
Wherever the user wishes in his message, the user accesses the HTML UI. When the user accesses the HTML UI 133, the corresponding JavaScript of the HTML UI
133 calls the corresponding enhancement applet method. The called applet methods add corresponding HTML tags at the selected position in the rich message field.

[0056] For example, the following may be added as an HTML UI to call an applet method "bold" for bolding a selected portion of the message:
<A HREF=# ><IMG alt=bold border=0 height=22 name=lmage271 src='images/002_button_bold_norm.gif width=24>
</A>

[0057] By activating the bold UI 138, a selected text "THIS IS BOLD>" 152 becomes bold (150). When the user finishes the composition of the message, he submits the webmail form 136 to the webmail server 110 (155). An applet method for sending the webmail form is called for this purpose. The submitted form in this example contains:

<Html><body>
This is regular web client text.
<B>THIS IS BOLD<B>
</body><html>

[0058] In the webmail server 110, the rich message in the webmail form 136 is converted into an HTML text string. The text string is directed to a standard HTML
hidden text form for processing, or extracted directly via JavaScript. The text string is then passed to the mail client 165 of the recipient (160)

[0059] At recipient mail client 165, the rich message is output using HTML and Font Styles. The mail client 165 may be a web browser or a computer having an email application. Some web browsers and email applications that do not support HTML and Font Styles will display the original text correctly, but may not support enhanced text formatting.

[0060] In the above example, the toolbar is provided as an HTML toolbar 132 containing HTML UI 133. The HTML toolbar may be customized by users quickly and easily. The toolbar may also be provided as a Java toolbar. The Java toolbar can be a separate class which has no knowledge of the enhancement Java applet except for its Application Program Interface (API). The toolbar may display desired graphics which may correspond to the tools of the enhancement tool unit 22.
The toolbar is integrated into the enhancement Java applet panel.

[0061] Users may also access the functionality of the enhancement system via customized HTML and JavaScript.

[0062] Referring to Figure 6, another example is described using an enhancement system 170 which is capable of inserting images in webmail messages. The enhancement system 170 comprises an enhancement Java applet 172 which defines image insertion tools and an image servlet 176.

[0063] On a client browser 130, a modified webmail form 180 is displayed in a similar manner as that described in the above example. The webmail form 180 has a toolbar 182 having emoticon insertion UI or buttons 184 and a rich message box 186.

[0064] Displaying Images in the rich message box 186 is different from displaying images in a conventional HTML page. When a user wishes to paste into the message the same graphic as that shown on an emoticon button 184, the user clicks on the emoticon button 184. The HTML UI of the emoticon button 184 calls an insert image method, and sends an image request (190). The images are located on a public Web server, which may be the webmail server 110 as in this example. The image request is sent to the web server which contains the request image.

[0065] The HTML UI points to an image on the web server containing the image so that the image can be duplicated in two places: under the Java applet root and on a public web server. In order for a recipient to read the image, both of the image names are passed to the enhancement system 170 when inserting the image.

[0066] For example, the HTML UI may call an insert image method for a smile face emoticon as follows:

<A HREF=#
"www.xyz.com\images\smiley. g if');'>
<IMG alt=smiley border=0 height=12 src='images/smiley.gif width=12>
</A>

[0067] The image 188 is served from the web server to the client browser 130 (192). The image 188 is located in or under the directory in which the enhancement 172 resides because the Java enhancement applet 172 cannot find images outside its root directory. The root directory is also known as the sandbox.
In order for remote images to be properly displayed within the rich message box 186, the webmail server 110 uses the image servlet 178.

[0068] When the webmail form is submitted (194), images in the rich message are not sent as attachments. They are referenced by their URLs. In this example, the form contains the URL of the image 188 as such:

<Html><body>
<Img src="www.xyz.com\images\smiley.gif'>
</body><html>

[0069] The submitted form is then converted to an HTML text string and forwarded to a recipient's mail client 165 (196). The text string contains the URL
"www.xyz.com\images\smiley.gif' to display the emoticon image 198.

[0070] When a recipient replies to a rich message or a non-rich plain text message, e.g., ASCII text message, it is often necessary that the enhancement system 100 or 170 imports the received message into the Java enhancement applet 120 or 172. This may be done using an import message method.

[0071] The following is an example of the import message method being used in the webmail form to display a reply message in the enhancement applet:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE='JavaScript'>
function moveText() {
var message_header;
var message;
var content_type;

create hidden TEXTAREA fields to hold this information when page is loaded message_header =
document.send_email.message_header.value;
message = document.send_email.hidden_text.value;
content_type = document.send_email.content_type.value;
if (message ") {
document.eDrawApplet.importMessage(message, content_type, message_header);
}
}

</SCRIPT>

<BODY LINK='#0000FF' VLINK='#990099'>

<Your web page body is here>
</BODY>

[0072] In this example, it is necessary to put the JavaScript call to moveText() in the BODY tag's onLoad event so that it will be called only after the enhancement applet fully loads. The JavaScript must be placed above the BODY tag in this example.

[0073] The import message method may be used to add a header to the top of the reply. For example: the header may include the date and author of the received message, such as:

"On Oct 2, 2000 <ianedCcD-yahoo.com> wrote:"

[0074] Similarly, The import message method in the enhancement system may also allow users to import messages for purposes other than replying to a received rich message or plain text message.

[0075] The functionality of the enhancement system may be customizable via a set of Application Program Interfaces (APIs). For example, variables such as colors, font sizes, etc, may be customized. The User Interface of the enhancement system may consist of custom graphics and HTML code embedded with JavaScript and APIs.

[0076] The enhancement system may be used on commonly used platforms and Web servers, such as Linux, VVindows and UNIX. It is preferable that the enhancement system uses only the functionality implemented by most commonly used browsers on the most commonly used operating systems.

[0077] For the enhancement system having an image servlet to handle remote images, the webmail server needs to have a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed in order for the image servlet to run. The above examples of the enhancement Java applet may suitably implement the version 1.1.3 of the JVM.

[0078] When the enhancement system handles images, the webmail server may use Java Virtual Machine in order for the Image serviet to run.

[0079] The webmail enhancement system of the present invention may be implemented by any hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software having the above described functions. The software code, either in its entirety or a part thereof, may be stored in a computer readable memory.
Further, a computer data signal representing the software code which may be embedded in a carrier wave may be transmitted via a communication network. Such a computer readable memory and a computer data signal are also within the scope of the present invention, as well as the hardware, software and the combination thereof.

[0080] While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, changes and modifications may be made to such embodiments without departing from the true scope of the invention. For example, the elements of the enhancement system are described separatory, however, two or more elements may be provided as a single element or one or more elements may be shared with other component in computer systems.

Claims (50)

What is claimed is:

1. A webmail enhancement system for enabling composition of a rich webmail message, the webmail enhancement system comprising:
an enhancement tool for enabling a user to enrich a webmail message, the enhancement tool being downloadable to a web browser with a webmail form;
a tool interface for allowing the user to access the enhancement tool; and an application program interface (API) for creating a tool field on the webmail form, the tool field containing the tool interface to allow the user to access the enhancement tool during composition of the webmail message on the webmail form.

2. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a text field on an existing webmail form is replaced with a rich message field and the tool field to allow the user to access the enhancement tool during the composition of the webmail message in the rich message field.

3. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tool interface has a link to the enhancement tool.

4. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the webmail enhancement system is implementable in a web server connected to the Internet; and a symbol tag indicating the presence and location of the enhancement tool is inserted in the webmail form using a standard document format used on the Internet.

5. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the standard document format is Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML).

6. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the webmail enhancement system comprises a Java applet containing the enhancement tool.

7. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the Java applet further contains an image server component for allowing the user to insert remote images into the rich webmail message, the image server component comprises a Java class.

8. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the Java applet uses functionality implemented by commonly used browsers on operating systems which are commonly used.

9. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the Java applet is defined in the webmail form by an HTML APPLET tag.

10. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the enhancement tool has an API, the tool interface is defined using HTML and JavaScript, and the tool interface uses the API to call the enhancement tool.

11. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tool interface is contained in one or more toolbars on the webmail form, the toolbars including at least one of Java toolbars and HTML toolbars.

12. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the enhancement tool is provided in a web server which has a Java Virtual Machine; and the webmail enhancement system further comprises an image servlet provided on the web server for processing image data inserted in the webmail message.

13. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes an editing tool for providing undo/redo functionality during the composition of the webmail message.

14. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) set tool for setting in the rich message field a link to a web page using a URL of the web page.

15. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes a text format tool for applying rich text formatting to the webmail message.

16. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the text tool changes at least one of features of bold, italic, text colour, text size, font size and text highlight colour.

17. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes a sketch tool for letting the user create a sketch in the webmail message.

18. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes a sticky note tool for providing a note window to let the user to enter a note and attach the note to a selected position in the webmail message, and to change the location of the note in the webmail message.

19. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the note window has a variable window size between a minimized size and a maximized size.

20. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the sticky note is a graphics layer having a predefined background colour.

21. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes a style tool for applying a predefined background style to the webmail message.

22. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes an image insertion tool for letting the user to insert an image at a selected position in the webmail message.

23. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the image insertion tool inserts a graphical emoticon.

24. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the image insertion tool inserts a web content in the webmail message.

25. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enhancement tool includes an import tool for importing message into the webmail message.

26. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the import tool is capable of reading at least one of an HTML text string and a plain ASCII text string.

27. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the import tool is capable of reading an HTML text string containing HTML tags, the HTML text string is exported by the webmail enhancement system.

28. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a convertor for converting the webmail message into a text string.

29. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the convertor converts the webmail message into an HTML text string.

30. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the HTML text string represents visual content of the webmail message in the webmail enhancement system.

31. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an application program interface for allowing the user to customize the enhancement tool.

32. A webmail message composing system for enabling composition of a rich webmail message, the webmail message composing system comprising:
an enhancement tool for enabling a user to enrich a webmail message;
a tool interface for calling the enhancement tool; and a rich message composing field generator for providing a rich message composing field having an enhancement tool field containing the tool interface and a rich message field to allow the user to access the enhancement tool during composition of the webmail message in the rich message field.

33. A webmail enhancement system for enabling composition of a rich webmail message, the webmail enhancement system comprising:
means for downloading to a client browser with a webmail form, the means having a Java enhancement applet comprising a Java class file which implements a public method of the enhancement applet for allowing a user to enrich a webmail message using the enhancement applet method; and an enhancement User Interface (UI) to allow the user to access the enhancement applet method, the enhancement UI being defined by enhancement JavaScript.

34. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the enhancement JavaScript has a link for calling the enhancement applet method in response to an action of the user on the enhancement UI.

35. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the enhancement JavaScript applies the enhancement method to a selected message portion in the rich message area.

36. The webmail enhancement system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the Java class file implements a publicly available image inserting method;
and the webmail enhancement system further comprises an image servlet for providing an image in response to the image inserting method, the image exists on a web server on the Internet.

37. A method for enabling composition of a rich webmail message, the method comprising steps of:
providing in a webmail server an enhancement tool for enabling a user to enrich a webmail message;
creating a tool interface that allows the user to access the enhancement tool from a webmail form;
creating a tool field on the webmail form, the tool field containing the tool interface to allow the user to access the enhancement tool during composition of the webmail message on the webmail form; and downloading the enhancement tool to a client browser together with the webmail form.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the creating step comprising a step of adding an enhancement tag for defining a rich message area in which the user composes a rich message, and adding commands for defining the tool interface.

39. The method as claimed in claim 37 further comprising steps of:
calling the enhancement tool in response to an action of the user on the tool interface; and applying the enhancement tool in the rich message.

40. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the enhancement tool is an image insertion tool for inserting an image, and the method further comprises steps of:
requesting an image from a web server;
receiving the image and its location data from the web server;
inserting the image and the location data into the rich message.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40 further comprising a step of exporting the rich message with the location data, the location data replacing the image which was displayed in the rich message.

42. A method for enabling a user to compose a rich webmail message, the method comprising steps of:
providing on a web browser a webmail form having a rich message field for composing a message and an enhancement interface for accessing an enhancement tool; and applying an enhancement tool function within the rich message field in response to an action of the user on the enhancement interface.

43. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein applying step comprising a step of inserting a drawing in the message in response to the action of the user.

44. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein applying step comprising a step of changing the appearance of a selected portion of the message.

45. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein applying step comprising a step of changing the background of the message.

46. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein applying step comprising a step of importing an image corresponding to the enhancement interface into the rich message field.

47. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein applying step comprising steps of:
providing a sticky note window on the webmail form for allowing the user to enter a note; and displaying the sticky note at a selected position in the message.

48. A method for replying to a rich webmail message, the method comprising steps of:
displaying a received rich message with an enhancement function applied to the rich message;
in response to a selection by a user to reply to the received rich message, providing a webmail reply form having a rich message field for composing a reply message and an enhancement interface for accessing an enhancement tool;
copying the received rich message with the enhancement function into the reply message field; and allowing the user to compose a reply message based on the copied message using the enhancement tool.

49. The method as claimed in claim 48, wherein the allowing step comprises steps of:
providing a sticky note window on the webmail reply form for allowing the user to enter a note; and displaying the sticky note at a selected position in the copied message.

50. A computer readable memory element storing the instructions or statements for use in the execution in a computer of a method for enabling composition of a rich webmail message, the method comprising steps of:
providing in a webmail server an enhancement tool for enabling a user to enrich a webmail message;
creating a tool interface that allows the user to access the enhancement tool from a webmail form;

creating a tool field on the webmail form, the tool field containing the tool interface to allow the user to access the enhancement tool during composition of the webmail message on the webmail form; and downloading the enhancement tool to a client browser together with the webmail form.