9. A system comprising: a platform configured to: provide an input panel having user-selectable modes comprising at least a text input mode and a shape input mode, wherein a user selects from the user-selectable modes before entering digital ink to the input panel; receive the digital ink as input to the input panel after the user selects from the user-selectable modes; provide the digital ink to a recognition service that recognizes the digital ink; receive a recognition result from the recognition service, the recognition result comprising recognized text or a recognized non-textual shape; in a first instance when the user has placed the input panel into the text input mode before entering the digital ink and the recognition result comprises the recognized text, provide the recognized text to a text processing application; in a second instance when the user has placed the input panel into the shape input mode before entering the digital ink and the recognition result comprises the recognized non-textual shape, provide the recognized non-textual shape to a non-textual shape processing application that is different from the text processing application; and in a third instance when the user has placed the input panel into the shape input mode before the digital ink is received and the recognition result comprises the recognized text, provide the recognized text as a keyword to the non-textual shape processing application to use in a keyword search to locate another non-textual shape that is related to the keyword; and at least one processing device configured to execute the platform.
9. A system comprising: a platform configured to: provide an input panel having user-selectable modes comprising at least a text input mode and a shape input mode, wherein a user selects from the user-selectable modes before entering digital ink to the input panel; receive the digital ink as input to the input panel after the user selects from the user-selectable modes; provide the digital ink to a recognition service that recognizes the digital ink; receive a recognition result from the recognition service, the recognition result comprising recognized text or a recognized non-textual shape; in a first instance when the user has placed the input panel into the text input mode before entering the digital ink and the recognition result comprises the recognized text, provide the recognized text to a text processing application; in a second instance when the user has placed the input panel into the shape input mode before entering the digital ink and the recognition result comprises the recognized non-textual shape, provide the recognized non-textual shape to a non-textual shape processing application that is different from the text processing application; and in a third instance when the user has placed the input panel into the shape input mode before the digital ink is received and the recognition result comprises the recognized text, provide the recognized text as a keyword to the non-textual shape processing application to use in a keyword search to locate another non-textual shape that is related to the keyword; and at least one processing device configured to execute the platform. 10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the input panel comprises a topmost application that does not receive focus.