Method and apparatus for providing services to a user of a client device configured by templates that reference other templates

摘要

A method and an apparatus for providing services to a user of a client device operating in a client-server environment. A client device and a server communicate with each other over a communication network. The client device includes templates that define a configuration of the client device, and thereby establish a level of user functionality at the client device. For example, the templates can determine the data services a user can access using the client device, including various data service options and/or features. Also, the configuration can determine the way in which the client device interacts with the user to provide user access to the data services. Complex templates can be used to configure the client device and to establish a high level of such user functionality. A template can be broken down or sub-divided into smaller templates referred to as "include files". The template includes references to the "include files". In this way, a complex template can be simplified and modularized using the include files. This simplifies template development, and as a result, the development of high levels of user functionality at the client device using the complex templates. Also, a plurality of templates can reference a single included file to significantly reduce the amount of memory required to store the plurality of templates.