Abstract: An animation can be selected. Pieces of the documents that pertain to the selected animation can be extracted from the document closure for the web page in which the animation appears. A composite data structure can be created therefrom. The winning set of @keyframes rules referenced by the animation-name property of a style rule (the virtual winning rule) can be computed and represented in a data structure. The winning animation properties can establish the timing properties to preview and edit the animation in a user interface without running the whole application. The data structure represented in the visual preview can be edited by applying user gestures to the animation displayed in a preview user interface (UI). The user changes can be mapped to changes to property values in the data structure and the underlying documents.

Abstract: An animation can be selected. Pieces of the documents that pertain to the selected animation can be extracted from the document closure for the web page in which the animation appears. A composite data structure can be created therefrom. The winning set of @keyframes rules referenced by the animation-name property of a style rule (the virtual winning rule) can be computed and represented in a data structure. The winning animation properties can establish the timing properties to preview and edit the animation in a user interface without running the whole application. The data structure represented in the visual preview can be edited by applying user gestures to the animation displayed in a preview user interface (UI). The user changes can be mapped to changes to property values in the data structure and the underlying documents.

Abstract: Technologies for search-based filtering of a property grid. Such filtering allows a user to enter a search term into an easily recognized search text box, or apply a user or pre-defined term to a property grid, thus reducing the set of properties visible so that the user has a smaller list to search to find the one on which they desire to operate. The search term is typically applied to all properties shown in the property grid. Elements that match the search term are made visible in an updated property grid while those that do not match are not presented. Also, the search term may be applied to more than just the name of the property. It may be applied to a category within which the property appears, the type of the property, or any of a number of attributes or tags that may be applied to the property.

Abstract: Technologies for search-based filtering of a property grid. Such filtering allows a user to enter a search term into an easily recognized search text box, or apply a user or pre-defined term to a property grid, thus reducing the set of properties visible so that the user has a smaller list to search to find the one on which they desire to operate. The search term is typically applied to all properties shown in the property grid. Elements that match the search term are made visible in an updated property grid while those that do not match are not presented. Also, the search term may be applied to more than just the name of the property. It may be applied to a category within which the property appears, the type of the property, or any of a number of attributes or tags that may be applied to the property.

Abstract: A layout animation system is described herein that performs smooth transitions for properties of a layout, regardless of whether the layout properties are discrete or automatically calculated. Before a transition is executed, the layout animation system extracts and stores the positioning, sizing, and visibility of participating elements across the layout hierarchy. The system places the affected elements in the same position, size, and visibility as the outgoing state requests and animates the elements to an incoming state. For each element, the system calculates a smooth animation that transforms the element from the outgoing position, size, and visibility to the incoming position, size, and visibility. The system then animates the elements over a desired transition time. Thus, the layout animation system provides the ability to create smooth layout transitions in the presence of automatic layout management for properties of various types.

Abstract: Combined object level and property level key framing systems, methods, and user interfaces are provided in which a user can enter a mode where any change to a property is recorded as a key framing action (e.g., creation or edit) at the current time as indicated by a timeline. When a key frame is created in this mode, the surrounding object level key frames are inspected to ensure that the functionality that users expect from object level key frames is maintained. If a user explicitly creates an animation of an attribute that spans an object level key frame, then that span for the animation is maintained as the user edits.

Abstract: Smooth transitions between rich media (e.g., animations of visual elements of a UI) are provided when a “second” animation is started on a property of a visual element for which a “first” animation is already running. When the second animation is started, an animation system causes a current value of the property that resulted from the running of the “first” animation (i.e., snapshot) to be stored, terminates or releases the first animation, and then causes the second animation to run using the snapshot as the “from” value of the property. Because the second animation “begins” at exactly the point at which the first animation ended, the transition between the first and second animation is smooth. An animation storage object can be created for a property for which an animation has been triggered to store base values and snapshots of the property while being animated.

Abstract: Technologies for search-based filtering of a property grid. Such filtering allows a user to enter a search term into an easily recognized search text box, or apply a user or pre-defined term to a property grid, thus reducing the set of properties visible so that the user has a smaller list to search to find the one on which they desire to operate. The search term is typically applied to all properties shown in the property grid. Elements that match the search term are made visible in an updated property grid while those that do not match are not presented. Also, the search term may be applied to more than just the name of the property. It may be applied to a category within which the property appears, the type of the property, or any of a number of attributes or tags that may be applied to the property.

Abstract: A “UI producer” is used to automatically instantiate extensible user interface (UI) windows. The automatically instantiated UI windows are based on dynamic definitions of those UI's. These UI definitions, which include descriptions of controls or other elements used to populate one or more UI windows, are read and interpreted by the UI producer prior to rendering the UI windows. In addition, these UI definitions may also define or reference one or more event handlers or “listeners” that are to be associated with particular controls, groups of controls, or entire UI windows so that the controls or UI windows are capable of interacting with an associated application. After reading the UI definitions, the UI descriptions are acted upon to automatically instantiate each UI window using at least one database of predefined controls and custom elements, with automatic layout rules being used to organize controls and elements within each UI window.