java.beans
Class FeatureDescriptor

java.lang.Object
  extended by java.beans.FeatureDescriptor
Direct Known Subclasses:
BeanDescriptor, EventSetDescriptor, MethodDescriptor, ParameterDescriptor, PropertyDescriptor

public class FeatureDescriptor
extends Object

FeatureDescriptor is the common superclass for all JavaBeans Descriptor classes. JavaBeans descriptors are abstract descriptors of properties, events, methods, beans, etc.

Documentation Convention: for proper Internalization of Beans inside an RAD tool, sometimes there are two names for a property or method: a programmatic, or locale-independent name, which can be used anywhere, and a localized, display name, for ease of use. In the documentation I will specify different String values as either programmatic or localized to make this distinction clear.

Since:
1.1

Constructor Summary
FeatureDescriptor()
          Instantiate this FeatureDescriptor with appropriate default values.
 
Method Summary
 Enumeration<String> attributeNames()
          Get a list of the programmatic key names set with setValue().
 String getDisplayName()
          Get the localized (display) name of this feature.
 String getName()
          Get the programmatic name of this feature.
 String getShortDescription()
          Get the localized short description for this feature.
 Object getValue(String name)
          Get an arbitrary value set with setValue().
 boolean isExpert()
          Indicates whether this feature is for expert use only.
 boolean isHidden()
          Indicates whether this feature is for use by tools only.
 boolean isPreferred()
           
 void setDisplayName(String displayName)
          Set the localized (display) name of this feature.
 void setExpert(boolean expert)
          Set whether this feature is for expert use only.
 void setHidden(boolean hidden)
          Set whether this feature is for use by tools only.
 void setName(String name)
          Set the programmatic name of this feature.
 void setPreferred(boolean preferred)
           
 void setShortDescription(String shortDescription)
          Set the localized short description for this feature.
 void setValue(String name, Object value)
          Set an arbitrary string-value pair with this feature.
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

FeatureDescriptor

public FeatureDescriptor()
Instantiate this FeatureDescriptor with appropriate default values.

Method Detail

getName

public String getName()
Get the programmatic name of this feature.


setName

public void setName(String name)
Set the programmatic name of this feature.

Parameters:
name - the new name for this feature.

getDisplayName

public String getDisplayName()
Get the localized (display) name of this feature.


setDisplayName

public void setDisplayName(String displayName)
Set the localized (display) name of this feature.

Parameters:
displayName - the new display name for this feature.

getShortDescription

public String getShortDescription()
Get the localized short description for this feature.


setShortDescription

public void setShortDescription(String shortDescription)
Set the localized short description for this feature.

Parameters:
shortDescription - the new short description for this feature.

isExpert

public boolean isExpert()
Indicates whether this feature is for expert use only.

Returns:
true if for use by experts only, or false if anyone can use it.

setExpert

public void setExpert(boolean expert)
Set whether this feature is for expert use only.

Parameters:
expert - true if for use by experts only, or false if anyone can use it.

isHidden

public boolean isHidden()
Indicates whether this feature is for use by tools only. If it is for use by tools only, then it should not be displayed.

Returns:
true if tools only should use it, or false if anyone can see it.

setHidden

public void setHidden(boolean hidden)
Set whether this feature is for use by tools only. If it is for use by tools only, then it should not be displayed.

Parameters:
hidden - true if tools only should use it, or false if anyone can see it.

isPreferred

public boolean isPreferred()

setPreferred

public void setPreferred(boolean preferred)

getValue

public Object getValue(String name)
Get an arbitrary value set with setValue().

Parameters:
name - the programmatic name of the key.
Returns:
the value associated with this name, or null if there is none.

setValue

public void setValue(String name,
                     Object value)
Set an arbitrary string-value pair with this feature.

Parameters:
name - the programmatic name of the key.
value - the value to associate with the name.

attributeNames

public Enumeration<String> attributeNames()
Get a list of the programmatic key names set with setValue().

Returns:
an Enumerator over all the programmatic key names associated with this feature.