Custom Property Cluster Definition for GUI Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cloud management systems, application developers face tedious and error-prone configuration processes due to the need to repeatedly define almost identical custom property definitions for multiple custom properties, even when they share common configurations and display styles, leading to inflexible and duplicated definitions across different tenants.
Innovation Solution
The system allows for the creation of custom property cluster definitions, which enable the generation of multiple custom properties and their corresponding GUI elements based on a single cluster definition, utilizing workflow configurations to retrieve property values and display them in a user-friendly interface, thereby reducing duplication and enhancing flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple custom property definitions are created individually for each custom property, then each property can be precisely defined, but the configuration process becomes tedious, error-prone, and time-consuming due to repeated definition of identical configurations
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple custom property definitions that share common configurations are merged into a single cluster definition. The cluster definition contains shared configuration elements (data type, display style, validation rules) that are reused across multiple custom properties, eliminating redundant configuration work while maintaining precise individual property definitions through the inheritance mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The custom property cluster definition serves multiple functions simultaneously: it defines a group of related custom properties, establishes shared configuration templates, provides reusable display styles, and enables batch retrieval of property values. This universal definition structure replaces the need for multiple individual definition processes.
2Adaptability or versatility
If individual custom property definitions are created for each property, then specific configurations can be tailored, but duplication occurs across different tenants requiring identical series of custom properties
Solution Approach 1:
Custom property definitions across different tenants that share common configurations are merged into a single cluster definition that can be shared. The cluster acts as a centralized template that multiple tenants can reference, reducing the total number of definitions from N tenants × M properties to 1 cluster × M properties, while still allowing tenant-specific customizations where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cluster definition becomes a universal template that serves multiple tenants and multiple custom properties simultaneously. It provides a reusable configuration framework that maintains adaptability for specific tenant needs while eliminating the complexity of managing separate definitions for each tenant-property combination.
3Reliability
If one-to-one mapping is used between custom property definitions and custom properties, then each property has its own dedicated definition, but the system becomes inflexible and requires repeated creation of identical definitions
Solution Approach 1:
The custom property definition structure is segmented into two levels: cluster-level shared configurations and property-level specific configurations. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliable, accurate definitions through the shared cluster template while providing flexibility at the individual property level through selective customization and inheritance overrides.
Solution Approach 2:
The custom property definition is nested within a cluster definition structure, where the cluster contains shared configuration elements and each custom property within the cluster inherits from this nested structure. This nested organization enables both reliability through shared templates and flexibility through individual property customization capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
An example method for utilizing custom properties in a user interface may include receiving, by an application configuration window, a custom property cluster definition. The custom property cluster definition may include a workflow configuration. The method may also include generating, by the application configuration window, a plurality of custom properties for a graphic user interface (GUI) based on the custom property cluster definition. The method may further include retrieving, by the application configuration window, a plurality of property values corresponding to the plurality of custom properties using the workflow configuration, and displaying, by the application configuration window, the plurality of custom properties and the corresponding plurality of property values on the GUI.