Method and apparatus for modal dialog box management in applets on information appliances

A method and apparatus that allows the user to escape from unwanted Java modal dialog boxes displayed by an applet, even though the Java modal dialog box does not contain a user interface designed to cancel or remove the dialog box from the display. The described embodiment allows the user to use so-called "escape" keys to indicate that the Java modal dialog box should be removed and/or closed. In general, these escape keys have other purposes in addition to removing the Java modal dialog box. A first escape key is a "back" key. Although the back key is typically used within a web browser to return to a previously viewed web page, in dialog box mode, the effect of the back key is to remove the dialog box from the display (under certain circumstances, as discussed below). A second escape key in the described embodiment is the "goto" key. The present invention detects a goto key press before the key press is sent to the Java modal dialog box, and replaces the page containing the errant applet with a new page.