System and method for control architecture

1. A system to provide a control architecture, comprising:

a control to hold client-side resources for an appropriate resource scope to achieve optimal performance and utilization of resources, wherein access to the client-side resources is parameterized by metadata annotation declared on the control;

a client on a computer which is capable of the following via the control:

performing a plurality of operations to access or configure the plurality of properties of the resource; and

retrieving data from the resource;

a control implementation that implicitly obtains supporting client-side resources on behalf of the client;

a client container which is capable of:

maintaining an accumulated list of controls that have acquired resources; and

releasing resources at the end of appropriate resource scope;

and wherein a definition of the resource scope can be delegated to the client container within which the control is executing.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control is capable of at least one of:

interacting with the resource client in a two-way style;

customizing the view of the plurality of properties and/or operations exposed; and

nesting another control in a composition model.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the client is capable of specifying the control in either a programmatic client model or declarative client model.

4. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an external deployment descriptor-style configuration that derives a schema for representing the configuration of the attribute set using a persistent file comprising an XML file.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control implementation enforces a property resolution precedence comprising: programmatically set property value, externally configured property value and metadata-defined property value.

6. A computer-implemented method to provide a control architecture, comprising:

holding client-side resources for an appropriate resource scope to achieve optimal performance and utilization of resources, wherein access to the client-side resources is parameterized by metadata annotation declared on the control;

performing a plurality of operations to access or configure the plurality of properties of the resource;

retrieving data from the resource;

implicitly obtaining supporting client-side resources on behalf of the client;

maintaining an accumulated list of controls that have acquired resources; and

releasing resources at the end of appropriate resource scope, wherein a definition of the resource scope can be delegated to a client container within which the control is executing.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising at least one of:

interacting with the resource client in a two-way style;

customizing the view of the plurality of properties or operations exposed; and

utilizing a composition model that includes nested controls.

8. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

specifying the control in either a programmatic client model or declarative client model.

9. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

deriving a schema for representing the configuration of the attribute set using a persistent file comprising an XML file in an external deployment descriptor-style configuration.

10. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

enforcing a property resolution precedence in a control implementation comprising: programmatically set property value, externally configured property value and metadata-defined property value.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a system to:

hold client-side resources for an appropriate resource scope to achieve optimal performance and utilization of resources, wherein access to the client-side resources is parameterized by metadata annotation declared on the control;

perform a plurality of operations to access or configure the plurality of properties of the resource;

retrieve data from the resource;

implicitly obtain supporting client-side resources on behalf of the client;

maintain an accumulated list of controls that have acquired resources; and

release resources at the end of appropriate resource scope, wherein a definition of the resource scope can be delegated to a client container within which the control is executing.

12. The machine readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to perform at least one of:

interact with the resource client in a two-way style;

customize the view of the plurality of properties or operations exposed; and

utilize a composition model that includes nested controls.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to perform:

specify the control in either a programmatic client model or declarative client model.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to perform:

derive a schema for representing the configuration of the attribute set using a persistent file comprising an XML file in an external deployment descriptor-style configuration.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to perform:

enforce a property resolution precedence in a control implementation comprising: programmatically set property value, externally configured property value and metadata-defined property value.