Oracle Forms - Visual Attribute Vs Property Class

What is a Visual Attribute


Visual attributes are the font, color, and pattern properties that you set for form and menu objects that appear in your application's interface. Visual attributes can include the following properties:
Font properties: Font Name, Font Size, Font Style, Font Width, Font Weight
Color and pattern properties: Foreground Color, Background Color, Fill Pattern

What is a Property Class

This object is a named object that contains a list of properties and their associated settings. Once you create a property class you can base other objects on it. An object based on a property class can inherit the settings of any property in the class that is appropriate for that object.


Diff. between Visual Attribute and Property Class?

Named visual attributes define only font, color, and pattern attributes; property classes can contain these and any other properties.

You can change the appearance of objects at runtime by changing the named visual attribute programmatically; property class assignment cannot be changed programmatically. When an object is inheriting from both a property class and a named visual attribute, the named visual attribute settings take precedence, and any visual attribute properties in the class are ignored.