Cooperative software application architecture

An application environment including a hosting application, and an application component operative to execute a plurality of ordered processing operations, where the hosting application is operative to effect a first call to the component, thereby invoking operation of the component, the component is operative to execute any of the ordered processing operations in response to the first call until a suspense condition is met, whereupon the component is operative to suspend its operation, maintain execution state information, and return execution control to the hosting application, the hosting application is operative to resolve the suspense condition and effect a second call to the component, and the component is operative to determine whether the suspense condition is resolved and, if so, resume execution of the ordered processing operations from the point of suspension in response to the second call.