System and method for implementing proxy objects in a visual application builder framework

摘要

An object model-based visual builder is provided which includes proxy objects at build time, each corresponding to a target object at runtime. Each such proxy object has associated therewith several items of information, including the class of the target object corresponding to the proxy object, presentation information, properties and how they are mapped to IDL attributes and operations, events available on the target object, and operations supported by the target object. A portion of such information is stored in an Interface Repository, such as the System Object Model (SOM) Interface Repository, in easily changeable form, with the necessary knowledge for retrieving such information from the Interface Repository being contained in the proxy object itself. The information stored in the Interface Repository may be changed without altering or recompiling the source code which implements the proxy object itself. Interface declarations for proxy objects are provided in corresponding IDL files stored in the Interface Repository. Implementation statements in the files permit modifiers which encode the easily editable portions of the proxy object information.