Patent ID: 7836087

Claim:
A data structure embedded in a tangible computer-readable storage medium for representing a component, the data structure comprising: a first attribute specifying a first relationship in a first graph between the component and at least a second component; and a second attribute specifying a second relationship in a second graph between the component and at least the second component; wherein the first and second relationships are adapted to specify component qualities associated with first and second graphs, such that the component inherits a first component quality of a first type via the first graph and a second component quality of a second type via the second graph, and further comprising: a first set of layer data structures including at least one layer, wherein the first set of layer data structures defines a first authored state of the component including the first attribute and the second attribute to the component; and a second set of layer data structures including at least one layer, wherein the second set of layer data structures includes opinions of value of the first attribute and the second attribute of the component, thereby overriding the first authored state of the component to define a second authored state of the component including the opinions of value of the first attribute and the second attribute of the component during a layer composition operation performed by a processor.