java.beans
Class FeatureDescriptor

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--java.beans.FeatureDescriptor

Direct Known Subclasses:

BeanDescriptor, EventSetDescriptor, MethodDescriptor, ParameterDescriptor, PropertyDescriptor

public class FeatureDescriptor

extends Object

The FeatureDescriptor class is the common baseclass for PropertyDescriptor, EventSetDescriptor, and MethodDescriptor, etc.

It supports some common information that can be set and retrieved for any of the introspection descriptors.

In addition it provides an extension mechanism so that arbitrary attribute/value pairs can be associated with a design feature.

Field Summary

private String	displayName
private boolean	expert
private boolean	hidden
private String	name
private boolean	preferred
private String	shortDescription
private Hashtable	table

Constructor Summary

	FeatureDescriptor() Constructs a FeatureDescriptor.
(package private)	FeatureDescriptor(FeatureDescriptor old)
(package private)	FeatureDescriptor(FeatureDescriptor x, FeatureDescriptor y) Package-private constructor, Merge information from two FeatureDescriptors.

Method Summary

private void	addTable(Hashtable t)
Enumeration	attributeNames() Gets an enumeration of the locale-independent names of this feature.
String	getDisplayName() Gets the localized display name of this feature.
String	getName() Gets the programmatic name of this feature.
String	getShortDescription() Gets the short description of this feature.
Object	getValue(String attributeName) Retrieve a named attribute with this feature.
boolean	isExpert() The "expert" flag is used to distinguish between those features that are intended for expert users from those that are intended for normal users.
boolean	isHidden() The "hidden" flag is used to identify features that are intended only for tool use, and which should not be exposed to humans.
boolean	isPreferred() The "preferred" flag is used to identify features that are particularly important for presenting to humans.
void	setDisplayName(String displayName) Sets the localized display name of this feature.
void	setExpert(boolean expert) The "expert" flag is used to distinguish between features that are intended for expert users from those that are intended for normal users.
void	setHidden(boolean hidden) The "hidden" flag is used to identify features that are intended only for tool use, and which should not be exposed to humans.
void	setName(String name) Sets the programmatic name of this feature.
void	setPreferred(boolean preferred) The "preferred" flag is used to identify features that are particularly important for presenting to humans.
void	setShortDescription(String text) You can associate a short descriptive string with a feature.
void	setValue(String attributeName, Object value) Associate a named attribute with this feature.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

, clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, registerNatives, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

expert

private boolean expert

hidden

private boolean hidden

preferred

private boolean preferred

shortDescription

private String shortDescription

name

private String name

displayName

private String displayName

table

private Hashtable table

Constructor Detail

FeatureDescriptor

public FeatureDescriptor()

Constructs a FeatureDescriptor.

FeatureDescriptor

FeatureDescriptor(FeatureDescriptor x,
                  FeatureDescriptor y)

Package-private constructor, Merge information from two FeatureDescriptors. The merged hidden and expert flags are formed by or-ing the values. In the event of other conflicts, the second argument (y) is given priority over the first argument (x).

Parameters:

x - The first (lower priority) MethodDescriptor

y - The second (higher priority) MethodDescriptor

FeatureDescriptor

FeatureDescriptor(FeatureDescriptor old)

Method Detail

getName

public String getName()

Gets the programmatic name of this feature.

Returns:

The programmatic name of the property/method/event

setName

public void setName(String name)

Sets the programmatic name of this feature.

Parameters:

name - The programmatic name of the property/method/event

getDisplayName

public String getDisplayName()

Gets the localized display name of this feature.

Returns:

The localized display name for the property/method/event. This defaults to the same as its programmatic name from getName.

setDisplayName

public void setDisplayName(String displayName)

Sets the localized display name of this feature.

Parameters:

displayName - The localized display name for the property/method/event.

isExpert

public boolean isExpert()

The "expert" flag is used to distinguish between those features that are intended for expert users from those that are intended for normal users.

Returns:

True if this feature is intended for use by experts only.

setExpert

public void setExpert(boolean expert)

The "expert" flag is used to distinguish between features that are intended for expert users from those that are intended for normal users.

Parameters:

expert - True if this feature is intended for use by experts only.

isHidden

public boolean isHidden()

The "hidden" flag is used to identify features that are intended only for tool use, and which should not be exposed to humans.

Returns:

True if this feature should be hidden from human users.

setHidden

public void setHidden(boolean hidden)

The "hidden" flag is used to identify features that are intended only for tool use, and which should not be exposed to humans.

Parameters:

hidden - True if this feature should be hidden from human users.

isPreferred

public boolean isPreferred()

The "preferred" flag is used to identify features that are particularly important for presenting to humans.

Returns:

True if this feature should be preferentially shown to human users.

setPreferred

public void setPreferred(boolean preferred)

The "preferred" flag is used to identify features that are particularly important for presenting to humans.

Parameters:

preferred - True if this feature should be preferentially shown to human users.

getShortDescription

public String getShortDescription()

Gets the short description of this feature.

Returns:

A localized short description associated with this property/method/event. This defaults to be the display name.

setShortDescription

public void setShortDescription(String text)

You can associate a short descriptive string with a feature. Normally these descriptive strings should be less than about 40 characters.

Parameters:

text - A (localized) short description to be associated with this property/method/event.

setValue

public void setValue(String attributeName,
                     Object value)

Associate a named attribute with this feature.

Parameters:

attributeName - The locale-independent name of the attribute

value - The value.

getValue

public Object getValue(String attributeName)

Retrieve a named attribute with this feature.

Parameters:

attributeName - The locale-independent name of the attribute

Returns:

The value of the attribute. May be null if the attribute is unknown.

attributeNames

public Enumeration attributeNames()

Gets an enumeration of the locale-independent names of this feature.

Returns:

An enumeration of the locale-independent names of any attributes that have been registered with setValue.

addTable

private void addTable(Hashtable t)