Patent ID: 8115946

Claim:
A method for describing an imaging job, said method comprising: sending, to an imaging device (IDev), a request for a list of IDev properties exposed to remote applications, wherein said request is an extensible markup language message using a simple object access protocol (XML/SOAP message); receiving, from said IDev, said list of exposed IDev properties in the form of a nested Complex Descriptor Type Compositor comprising a plurality of Simple Descriptor Type Compositors wherein said Simple Descriptor Type Compositors consist of an AppInfo attribute consisting of a list of rules and constraints used to validate user input for a property value in said simple compositor, a Value attribute describing a default value for a property, an allowedValueList attribute serving as a container for a list of values of an enumerated type, a sys-name attribute whose value specifies a system variable name known to said IDev, an isType attribute defining a property type consisting of the property types, boolean, integer, string and list, and wherein said Simple Descriptor Type Compositors are selected from a set consisting of a sequence type descriptor imposing an order on defined properties, a choice type descriptor imposing a constraint wherein only one element can be selected from a provided list of choices, an all type descriptor imposing a rule wherein an one or more elements ma be selected from a provided list in any order and an operation type descriptor describing an operation; determining a job configuration property (JCP) for said IDev by reading said nested Complex Descriptor Type Compositor; accepting user input relative to said JCP, said user input defining an imaging job parameter; validating said user input based on said validation rule, wherein said validation comprises checking said input for a minimum length and a maximum length or a minimum value and a maximum value; and compiling a Job Definition List (JDL) comprising at least one of a Property Set Type Compositor and a Complex Set Type Compositor wherein said JDL is configured to define an imaging job with said at least one of a Simple Set Type Compositor and a Complex Set Type Compositor, wherein said compiling is performed by a processor and a memory if said validating is successful.