When properties are set it is common for programs to sprout a bunch of little windows, almost for each property. This is confusing and hard to use.
The approach demonstrated here assumes that a set of properties can be represented as a string and that editing that string is a useful way to think about the properties. Given this assumption, the approach is to display "auras" around properties for which there are alternatives. If no instance of the alternative appears in the string, the aura is simply a little disk. Moving the mouse into an aura brings up a speech ballon describing that property. Clicking in the aura Brings up a bigger, less evanescent balloon describing the property in more detail and listing options. A mouse click on one of those options causes it to be inserted in the text.
In this demonstration, the domain is Java method declarations. To get started, click on the aura and select the option to insert a method declaration.