METHOD AND MECHANISM FOR COORDINATING INPUT OF ASYNCHRONOUS DATA

A method and mechanism for handling user input. Messages corresponding to the user input are placed in a message queue. An input handler differentiates between messages in the queue, such as handwritten character strokes, which are to be handled in real time, and ordered messages, such as characters, cursor movement and editing commands, which are to be handled in a synchronized order of input. The input handler handles each ordered message only after completion of any previous ordered message, while real time messages are handled regardless of the completion status of the ordered messages. In this manner, handwritten character strokes are immediately written to the display area. Ordered messages, which may correspond to handwritten characters having a recognition delay time associated therewith, are handled in the same order as input by the user regardless of any recognition delay time.