1. A method of processing data that represents strokes of handwritten information, thereby to identify characters represented by the data, the method comprising the steps of: receiving the data provided by a user, the data having a beginning part and an end part that define therebetween a complete amount of handwritten information to be processed; assembling portions of the data into a sequence of packages; and determining for the sequence of packages a probable result set of characters represented by the sequence, the determining step occurring before the end part of the data is received and comprising the steps of simultaneously considering information pertaining to the character shapes represented by the packages and information pertaining to the literal context of the characters represented by the packages; wherein the determining step includes searching for the result set of characters from among a plurality of character candidates using a first search technique; and wherein the first of two search techniques comprises the steps of: developing for each package at least one path representing a string of character candidates, each path having a respective beginning and a respective end; and generating for each path a first cost value that reflects the probability that the path includes the result set of characters, the first cost value being based upon information pertaining to the character shapes represented by the packages and information pertaining to the literal context of the characters represented by the packages and wherein the second of the two search techniques assigns a second cost value to a considered path based upon the literal context of the considered path, and wherein the second search technique conducts a reverse search towards the respective beginning of at least some of the paths developed by the first search technique to identify the result set as a path having the lowest of the combine first and second cost values.