1. In a computer system for recognizing a semantic category in an electronic document, a semantic category list file stored in a directory associated with the computer system, the file comprising: a semantic category list tool for creating the semantic category list file that includes elements of a semantic category list schema, wherein the semantic category is utilized to present a user with choices of actions that are executed in reference to a text and a type label of a string in the electronic document labeled with the type label as belonging to the semantic category, wherein the semantic category list schema is an XML schema and wherein the XML schema includes a binary representation of the elements; a list of terms in the semantic category list file, wherein the terms are strings in the electronic document that are recognized as belonging to the semantic category, wherein the strings in the electronic document are labeled with a type label associating each string with a semantic category, and wherein an updated list of terms for the semantic category list file is stored in a semantic category term file; and a list of a plurality of actions in the semantic category list file, wherein the plurality of actions are actions performed in reference to each term in the list of terms in the semantic category list file, wherein the list of terms and the list of a plurality of actions in the semantic category list file are defined according to an Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema, wherein the XML schema is utilized to define a recognizer for recognizing the strings belonging to the semantic category, wherein the list of the plurality of actions is utilized to present a user with choices of actions that are executed in reference to each term, based on the type label associated with a text of each string, wherein an update Universal Resource Locator (URL) of a web server is called to locate a semantic category update file, wherein a lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file is sent to the web server, prior to the updated list of terms for the semantic category list file is stored in a semantic category term file, determine whether a new update exists wherein a checkpoint value of the semantic category update file is greater than the lastcheckpoint value of the semantic category list file, and, if so, then download a plurality of semantic category terms from the semantic category update file to replace a plurality of semantic category terms in the semantic category list file, if no update exists, leave the semantic category list file unchanged, and store the updated semantic category list file in the directory.