Declarative definition of complex user interface state changes

A computer system for allowing a user interface designer to define complex user interface state changes, the system comprising:

• a processor and memory configured to execute software instructions;
• a template definition component configured to receive from the user interface designer a declarative definition of one or more templates and states for a user interface;
• a state management component configured to store multiple states in which the user interface can exist and receive indications to transition from one state to another;
• a template delta component configured to compare templates of one or more incoming and outgoing states to determine a layout of elements and properties that change between the states;
• a state transition component configured to generate one or more editing operations to translate from the incoming state to the outgoing state based on the comparison of templates;
• a snapshot component configured to take a snapshot that includes a position of each user interface element before a state transition;
• and
• an element transition component configured to transition an element smoothly between the outgoing state and the incoming state.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling a computer system to animate a transition between user interface states, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause a processor to perform actions comprising:

• receiving a request to transition from a first state characterized by a first user interface layout to a second state characterized by a second user interface layout;
• accessing information related to one or more templates associated with the first and second user interface layouts to identify state information associated with each layout;
• receiving a procedural set of automatically generated editing operations that identify differences between the first user interface layout and the second user interface layout;
• storing one or more starting positions of elements in the first user interface layout;
• invoking the received editing operations to transition a user interface from the first state to the second state;
• and
• animating the user interface from the stored starting positions of elements in the first user interlace layout to one or more ending positions identified by the invoked editing operations.