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.

Since:

1.1

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor	Description
FeatureDescriptor()	Constructs a FeatureDescriptor.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
Enumeration<String>	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.
String	toString()	Returns a string representation of the object.

Methods declared in class Object

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

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
protected Object	clone()	Answers a new instance of the same class as the receiver, whose slots have been filled in with the values in the slots of the receiver.
boolean	equals(Object o)	Compares the argument to the receiver, and answers true if they represent the same object using a class specific comparison.
protected void	finalize()	Deprecated, for removal: This API element is subject to removal in a future version. May cause performance issues, deadlocks and hangs.
final Class<? extends Object>	getClass()	Answers the unique instance of java.lang.Class which represents the class of the receiver.
int	hashCode()	Answers an integer hash code for the receiver.
final void	notify()	Causes one thread which is waiting on the receiver to be made ready to run.
final void	notifyAll()	Causes all threads which are waiting on the receiver to be made ready to run.
final void	wait()	Causes the thread which sent this message to be made not ready to run pending some change in the receiver (as indicated by notify or notifyAll).
final void	wait(long time)	Causes the thread which sent this message to be made not ready to run either pending some change in the receiver (as indicated by notify or notifyAll) or the expiration of the timeout.
final void	wait(long time, int frac)	Causes the thread which sent this message to be made not ready to run either pending some change in the receiver (as indicated by notify or notifyAll) or the expiration of the timeout.

Constructor Details

FeatureDescriptor

public FeatureDescriptor()

Constructs a FeatureDescriptor.

Method Details

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.

Since:

1.2

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.

Since:

1.2

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<String> 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.

toString

public String toString()

Returns a string representation of the object.

Overrides:

toString in class Object

Returns:

a string representation of the object

Since:

1.7