Abstract: A system for providing a user interface includes a first element tag and a second element tag. The first element tag specifies a first element that is associated with a class of connectable elements and includes a first order indicator that specifies an order of the first element. The second element tag specifies a second element that is associated with the class of connectable elements such that the first element and the second element can be connected. The second element tag includes a second order indicator that specifies an order of the second element. The order of the first element and the second element are related such that, when the first element and the second element are connected, the first element remains connected to the second element when the second element is moved, and the first element is separated from the second element when the first element is moved.

Abstract: A system for providing a user interface includes an XML-based scene file that includes an element tag that specifies an element of the user interface. The system also includes an XML-based animation tag and an XML-based state tag. The animation tag includes an animator element for applying an animation to an attribute of the element. The state tag specifies a state of the element and references the animation tag such that the animation is applied to the attribute in response to the element entering the state. In addition, the system includes a parser to parse the scene file, the animation tag, and the state tag and to generate an object model that includes an element object corresponding to the element of the user interface. The system further includes a layout engine to determine a layout of the user interface and a rendering engine to render the user interface.

Abstract: A system for providing a user interface includes a gadget definition, a style definition, and a scene file. The gadget definition includes one or more XML-based gadget definition tags defining a gadget element and the style definition includes one or more XML-based style definition tags defining one or more style attributes to be applied to the gadget element. The scene file is an XML-based document that includes a gadget element tag that specifies the gadget element. The system further includes a parser to parse the scene file, the style definition, and the gadget definition, and to generate an object that includes a gadget object corresponding to the gadget element. The system also includes a layout engine to determine, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface, and a rendering engine to render, based on the determined layout, the user interface including the gadget element.

Abstract: A system for providing a user interface includes an XML-based scene file including an element tag specifying an element of the user interface. In addition, the system includes an animation tag associated with the element tag. The animation tag includes an animator element for applying an animation to the element of the user interface. The system also includes a parser that parses the scene file and the animation tag and that generates an object model based on the parsed scene file and the parsed animation tag. The object model includes an element object corresponding to the element of the user interface. In addition, the system also includes a layout engine to determine a layout of the user interface based on the object model and a rendering engine to render the user interface based on the determined layout.