Abstract: A set of software components, a system and a method provide to a user of a data processing system per-value interpretative information relating to application data values. The method includes the following steps: in response to user selection of a set of an application component's data values, generating per-value interpretation information corresponding to the selected data values; and, in response to subsequent movement of an input device pointer into a display screen area associated with a data value within the set, presenting the interpretation information to the user via an output device connected to the data processing system. A processing component selectable by the user from set of processing components preferably responds to user selection of both the operation to be performed and a set of application data by performing the processing operation on the set of data to produce a result, and then generating per-value interpretation information corresponding to that result.

Abstract: Provided is a framework supporting presentation of help information via a computer system user interface in response to the proximity of an input device pointer to an interface area associated with a user interface component. The framework provides generic methods which remove from user interface components much of the task of managing the presentation of help information. The framework supports presentation of help information for a platform-independent component programming environment and supports presentations in a plurality of different styles (such as text, audio, animating graphics, etc) by means of selectable presentation methods.

Abstract: A user interface builder provides support for creation of customized user interfaces, enabling users to associate images, animation, sound clips and other media with specific predefined states of a user interface control. A set of object classes for each control predefined within the user interface builder include a first class defining the functional behavior and a comprehensive state model for the control, and a second class which encapsulates property attributes which may be set by a user to be associated with specific states of the control. In particular, desired graphics images, audio and animation sequences can be associated with a control via simple GUI interaction, avoiding the need for an interface creator to write code for standard interface control functions and so enabling easy creation of interfaces with semantic consistency and customized appearance.

Abstract: A set of object classes provide a framework supporting user modification of user interface properties. The classes include a properties class which is a template for creation of property objects encapsulating property values and the view attributes (GUI information) required for creating views of the property via a user interface. Property objects provide a single mechanism for representing a particular property, allowing a number of different views to be open on the same property. User interactions with different views of a property via the user interface result in messages being sent to the same property object. If a property value is changed, then the chance is propagated back to all associated applications having views for the object and so view concurrency is automatically achieved.