Patent ID: 8875032

Claim:
A method for dynamic configuration of a component in a user interface that is implemented on a computer that includes a display and a storage memory, the method comprising: storing a parent object instance in the storage memory, the parent object instance including a hierarchy; storing a child object instance of the parent object instance in the storage memory, the child object instance including: (i) display information for displaying a repositionable visual element in the display that is representative of the child object instance positioned in relation to a visual representation of the hierarchy of the parent object instance; (ii) at least one visual attribute indicating at least an order of the child object instance in the hierarchy of the parent object instance; and (iii) a custom attribute linking the child object instance to data stored at a specified location in the storage memory, the data stored at the specified location indicating one or more operational properties associated with the child object instance in the order of the hierarchy of the parent object instance; displaying, in accordance with the display information and the at least one visual attribute, the repositionable visual element in the display in relation to the visual representation of the hierarchy of the parent object instance; receiving an input to manipulate a position of the visual element in the display; modifying the display information of the child object instance in accordance with the manipulation of the position of the visual element; and modifying, in accordance with the data linked to the child object instance by the custom attribute, the at least one visual attribute to update the one or more operational properties of the child object instance, thereby changing how the child object instance operates when the manipulation of the position of the visual element in the display changes the order of the child object instance in the hierarchy of the parent object instance.