Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing and storing the schedules of recurring events. The schedules are represented by recurrence rules generated according to a specific grammar. According to the grammar, each recurrence rule is composed of one or more recurrence commands. Each recurrence command corresponds to a cycle and includes a time interval indicator that specifies the duration of the cycle and a repeat quantity that determines the number of times the cycle is repeated in the schedule. Each recurrence command may also include an occurrence list that specifies at what times during a particular cycle the event occurs. The occurrence list may specify times in absolute or relative terms. Thus, the grammar supports recurrence rules for representing the schedule "first and tenth of every month" as well as the schedule "second Thursday and last Friday of every month".

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing and configuring program properties of an application program by loading properties from several lists, applying a set of precedence rules to resolve conflicts among properties, and applying the properties to the application program. Properties are listed in a plurality of lists including a list of default property values, a list of host-specific property values, a list of user-specific property values, a list of application-specific property values, and final properties lists. Values in the final property lists override conflicting previously loaded property values. The default properties list is loaded, as is a host-specific properties list, but only values for the then-current host are loaded. The user-specific properties list is loaded. User-defined properties override conflicting default properties.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for representing and storing the schedules of recurring events is provided. The schedules are represented by recurrence rules generated according to a specific grammar. According to the grammar, each recurrence rule is composed of one or more recurrence commands. Each recurrence command corresponds to a cycle and includes a time interval indicator that specifies the duration of the cycle and a repeat quantity that determines the number of times the cycle is repeated in the schedule. Each recurrence command may also include an occurrence list that specifies at what times during a particular cycle the event occurs. The occurrence list may specify times in absolute or relative terms. Thus, the grammar supports recurrence rules for representing the schedule "first and tenth of every month" as well as the schedule "second Thursday and last Friday of every month".