Host initiated display, host initiated display application program interface, and host initiated display method

A method for rendering an object from a text and numerical centric application to a graphical user interface centric application through a host initiated display application. When the graphical user interface customer application requests an object, for example, a display, a print, folder contents, or the like, from a text or numerical centric line of business application, the line of business application initiates a "host initiated display" application program interface ('api"), and calls a workstation listener. The content manager host sends the customer application request to the workstation listener, which launches the content manager graphical user interface (GUI) client. The content manager graphical user interface (GUI) client builds a request for the object and sends the request to the content manager application for host initiated display. The content manager application responds to content manager client and renders object to user.