System and theme file format for creating visual styles

A method of specifying a visual style for a set of graphical components is provided for use on a computer system having a graphical operating environment. The method includes providing a schema file of available graphical components for which a visual style can be created. In the schema file, each component is defined by a unique class name. The method further includes selecting graphical components from the schema file that are desired to have a defined visual style. Properties are then assigned to these selected components according to the desired visual style, and pairs of selected graphical components and corresponding assigned properties for the defined visual style together are grouped together in a class data file that defines the overall appearance for the defined visual style.