Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for centrally managing user interface state information for a visual user interface development tool. Component and development tool behavior is centralized in a behavior service that allows behaviors to be defined at development time. The behavior service catches messages that are generated within the visual user interface development tool and routes the message to determine behaviors available within the development tool. If a suitable behavior is available, the behavior is used to process the message. Similar to behaviors, during development time the behavior service may store one or more glyphs with corresponding glyph behavior for a component within the development tool. These glyphs are capable of hit testing and painting themselves, and may be organized into one or more adorner layers that can be independently disabled and enabled.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products to serialize user interface objects having custom object types and serialization formats. A serialization manager may coordinate standard serialization providers to identify standard serializers for standard object types or serialization formats, and as needed, may be extended by loading custom serialization providers to identify custom serializers for custom object types or serialization formats, which may not be covered by the standard serialization providers. From available serialization providers, the serialization manager identifies a serializer for a particular serialization format and object type. The object, custom or standard, is serialized using the identified serializer to a custom or standard format, including source code representations, XML representations, etc.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products that automatically generate and track undo information so that the developer of a user interface object need not be responsible for generating and tracking undo information. Change notifications for changes to an object within a visual user interface designer are processed. Data representing an initial state of the object prior to the changes and data representing a subsequent state of the object after the changes is persisted. From the persisted data, an undo unit is prepared for undoing the changes to the object. The undo unit may comprise a transaction of multiple changes made to the object. Each undo unit may identify corresponding routines for undoing and redoing the actions included within the undo unit. An undo unit may be stored until an undo/redo notification is received, and then used to undo/redo the changes represented by the undo unit.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for centrally managing user interface state information for a visual user interface development tool. Component and development tool behavior is centralized in a behavior service that allows behaviors to be defined at development time. The behavior service catches messages that are generated within the visual user interface development tool and routes the message to determine behaviors available within the development tool. If a suitable behavior is available, the behavior is used to process the message. Similar to behaviors, during development time the behavior service may store one or more glyphs with corresponding glyph behavior for a component within the development tool. These glyphs are capable of hit testing and painting themselves, and may be organized into one or more adorner layers that can be independently disabled and enabled.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products that automatically generate and track undo information so that the developer of a user interface object need not be responsible for generating and tracking undo information. Change notifications for changes to an object within a visual user interface designer are processed. Data representing an initial state of the object prior to the changes and data representing a subsequent state of the object after the changes is persisted. From the persisted data, an undo unit is prepared for undoing the changes to the object. The undo unit may comprise a transaction of multiple changes made to the object. Each undo unit may identify corresponding routines for undoing and redoing the actions included within the undo unit. An undo unit may be stored until an undo/redo notification is received, and then used to undo/redo the changes represented by the undo unit.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products to serialize user interface objects having custom object types and serialization formats. A serialization manager may coordinate standard serialization providers to identify standard serializers for standard object types or serialization formats, and as needed, may be extended by loading custom serialization providers to identify custom serializers for custom object types or serialization formats, which may not be covered by the standard serialization providers. From available serialization providers, the serialization manager identifies a serializer for a particular serialization format and object type. The object, custom or standard, is serialized using the identified serializer to a custom or standard format, including source code representations, XML representations, etc. Certain serialization formats produce a snippet of code without producing a class representation of an object.