[Chapter 23] The java.beans Package
Author: David Flanagan
Date: Thu Jul 31 16:18:20 1997

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| Chapter 23 |

# 23. The java.beans Package

Contents:
java.beans.BeanInfo (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.Beans (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.Customizer (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.EventSetDescriptor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.FeatureDescriptor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.IndexedPropertyDescriptor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.IntrospectionException (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.Introspector (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.MethodDescriptor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.ParameterDescriptor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyChangeListener (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyChangeSupport (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyDescriptor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyEditor (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyEditorManager (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyEditorSupport (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.PropertyVetoException (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.SimpleBeanInfo (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.VetoableChangeListener (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.VetoableChangeSupport (JDK 1.1)
java.beans.Visibility (JDK 1.1)

The `java.beans` package contains the classes and interfaces that constitute the JavaBeans API. It is new in Java 1.1. Figure 23.1 shows the class hierarchy for this package.

The classes and interfaces in this package are useful to programmers who are developing "beanbox" tools to manipulate beans, and to programmers who are writing their own beans. Programmers who are building applications using beans do not have to be familiar with `java.beans`. See Chapter 10, Java Beans for more details on writing custom beans.

#### Figure 23.1: The java.beans package

## 23.1 java.beans.BeanDescriptor (JDK 1.1)

###

A `BeanDescriptor` object is a type of `FeatureDescriptor` that describes a Java bean. The `BeanInfo` class for a Java bean optionally creates and initializes a `BeanDescriptor` object to describe the bean. Typically, only application builders and similar tools use the `BeanDescriptor`.

To create a `BeanDescriptor`, you must specify the class of the bean, and optionally, the class of a `Customizer` for the bean. You can use the methods of `FeatureDescriptor` to provide additional information about the bean.

    public class BeanDescriptor extends FeatureDescriptor {
        // Public Constructors
                public BeanDescriptor(Class beanClass);
                public BeanDescriptor(Class beanClass, Class customizerClass);
        // Public Instance Methods
                public Class getBeanClass();
                public Class getCustomizerClass();
    }

### Hierarchy:

Object->FeatureDescriptor->BeanDescriptor

### Returned By:

BeanInfo.getBeanDescriptor(), SimpleBeanInfo.getBeanDescriptor()

java.awt.peer.WindowPeer (JDK 1.0) |  | java.beans.BeanInfo (JDK 1.1)