Integrating a Constraint Mechanism with the JavaBeans Model

William M. Shapiro

Abstract

The JavaBeans component model allows users to plug together software components to create Java applications by specifying simple relationships between component events and properties. This paper describes work on augmenting the simple JavaBeans model with a multi-way constraint mechanism that allows users to graphically specify more complex multi-way constraints, resolve cyclical constraints between bean properties and graphically layout bean components. We also discuss weaknesses in the JavaBeans model and Java Abstract Windowing Toolkit (AWT) that were discovered while integrating a constraint mechanism with JavaBeans.

Available as either postscript(.ps) or compressed postscript(.ps.gz).

Washington University Department of Computer Science Technical Report wucs-98-12, May 1998.

William M. Shapiro

Last modified: Thu May 7 15:02:03 CDT 1998