Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system obtains a first metadata definition containing a mapping of view components in a user interface of the application to a set of attribute-specific types associated with an attribute of the electronic device, and a second metadata definition containing a set of rules for binding the attribute-specific types to a set of platform-specific user-interface elements for a platform of the electronic device. Next, the system generates a view for display in the user interface by applying, based on the attribute and the platform, the first and second metadata definitions to content describing the view to select one or more platform-specific user-interface elements for rendering one or more of the view components in the content. The system then instantiates the platform-specific user-interface element(s) to render the view component(s).

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that renders a view component in a user interface of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system generates, from content describing a view for display in the user interface, a styling path that includes a position of the view component in a content hierarchy of the view. Next, the system selects, by a styling component executing on a processor in the electronic device, a style context for the view component from a collection of style contexts by matching at least a subset of the styling path to an identifier for the style context. The system then uses the style context to render the view component in the view.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system obtains a first metadata definition containing a mapping of view components in a user interface of the application to a set of attribute-specific types associated with an attribute of the electronic device, and a second metadata definition containing a set of rules for binding the attribute-specific types to a set of platform-specific user-interface elements for a platform of the electronic device. Next, the system generates a view for display in the user interface by applying, based on the attribute and the platform, the first and second metadata definitions to content describing the view to select one or more platform-specific user-interface elements for rendering one or more of the view components in the content. The system then instantiates the platform-specific user-interface element(s) to render the view component(s).

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that renders a view component in a user interface of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system generates, from content describing a view for display in the user interface, a styling path that includes a position of the view component in a content hierarchy of the view. Next, the system selects, by a styling component executing on a processor in the electronic device, a style context for the view component from a collection of style contexts by matching at least a subset of the styling path to an identifier for the style context. The system then uses the style context to render the view component in the view.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system obtains a first metadata definition containing a mapping of view components in a user interface of the application to a set of attribute-specific types associated with an attribute of the electronic device, and a second metadata definition containing a set of rules for binding the attribute-specific types to a set of platform-specific user-interface elements for a platform of the electronic device. Next, the system generates a view for display in the user interface by applying, based on the attribute and the platform, the first and second metadata definitions to content describing the view to select one or more platform-specific user-interface elements for rendering one or more of the view components in the content. The system then instantiates the platform-specific user-interface element(s) to render the view component(s).

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that renders a view component in a user interface of an application on an electronic device. During operation, the system generates, from content describing a view for display in the user interface, a styling path that includes a position of the view component in a content hierarchy of the view. Next, the system selects, by a styling component executing on a processor in the electronic device, a style context for the view component from a collection of style contexts by matching at least a subset of the styling path to an identifier for the style context. The system then uses the style context to render the view component in the view.

Abstract: Activities of a user are tracked while a user uses a software application. Based on the tracked user activities, a user-experience metric is determined for the user, where the user-experience metric reflects a need to modify a user experience associated with the software application. In response to the determined user-experience metric, the user experience is modified. For example, modifying the user experience may include: providing help content to the user, changing a user interface associated with the software application, and/or contacting the user.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of an application. During operation, the system obtains an activity history of interaction between the user and the application during use of the application by the user. Next, the system applies a predictive model to the activity history to predict a probability of a user action in the application. Finally, the system facilitates subsequent real-time use of the application by the user based on the probability of the user action.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that monitors use of an application. During operation, the system uses the application to track a set of interactions between a set of users and the application without impacting the performance of the application. Next, the system stores the interactions as the interactions are detected by the application. Finally, for each user from the set of users, the system periodically processes a subset of the stored interactions associated with the user to obtain an activity history for the user, wherein the activity history is used to facilitate subsequent real-time use of the application by the user.