java.beans

Class FeatureDescriptor

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.

Constructor Detail

FeatureDescriptor

public FeatureDescriptor()

Instantiate this FeatureDescriptor with appropriate default values.

Method Detail

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.

getDisplayName

public String getDisplayName()

Get the localized (display) name of this feature.

UNKNOWN: The localized display name of this feature or falls back to the programmatic name.

getName

public String getName()

Get the programmatic name of this feature.

getShortDescription

public String getShortDescription()

Get the localized short description for this feature.

UNKNOWN: A short localized description of this feature or what getDisplayName returns in case, that no short description is available.

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.

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.

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.

isPreferred

public boolean isPreferred()

setDisplayName

public void setDisplayName(String displayName)

Set the localized (display) name of this feature.

Parameters: displayName the new display name for this feature.

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.

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.

setName

public void setName(String name)

Set the programmatic name of this feature.

Parameters: name the new name for this feature.

setPreferred

public void setPreferred(boolean preferred)

setShortDescription

public void setShortDescription(String shortDescription)

Set the localized short description for this feature.

Parameters: shortDescription the new short description for this feature.

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.