Patent ID: 8972929
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A user interface (UI) environment stored on a computer device for consuming generic property descriptions from a third party and generating visual properties to an end user based on a set of interface definitions, wherein said set of interface definitions comprise: a property descriptor interface for providing a root interface for a description of any environment independent visual property defined by the third party, wherein the property descriptor interface includes attributes to define: a name of the visual property, a display name of the visual property, a description of the visual property, an identifier to indicate whether the visual property is enabled, and a bit flag for identifying a visual property type by doing a bitwise comparison with predefined bit masks, the visual property describing how information is displayed and being at least one of a property of a visual element of a graphical user interface or a parameter associated with the visual element of the graphical user interface; a property change listener interface for defining a notification listener to listen to specialized property change events; a property interface for defining the visual property having a value that can be set, wherein the property interface defines a first flag that indicates whether the value of the visual property has been set, and further includes a system for resetting the value of the visual property; a property group interface for defining a logical grouping of visual properties, the property group interface including an aggregate of property descriptors; and a property type interface, wherein the property type interface includes attributes selected from the group consisting of: an underlying Java type that the visual property represents; a second flag indicating whether the visual property is a hidden property; a third flag indicating whether the visual property is a read-only property; a fourth flag indicating whether the end user is an advanced user; a fifth flag indicating whether the visual property represent a primitive Java type; a sixth flag indicating whether the visual property is a required property; a seventh flag indicating whether the visual property is a sensitive property; a default value for the visual property; and an enumeration of valid visual property values.