MayaGUIControlDescriptors.py

class CtlProperty (object):
    '''
    Property descriptor.  When applied to a Control-derived class, invokes the correct Maya command under the hood to get or set values
    '''
    
    def __init__(self, flag, cmd):
        assert callable(cmd), "cmd flag must be a maya command for editing gui objects"
        self.Flag = flag
        self.Command = cmd 

    def __get__(self, obj, objtype):
        '''
        Class instance <obj> and its type <objtype> are passed in automatically. 
        <self> is this descriptor object, NOT an owning class instance!
        '''
        ctrl = obj.Widget if hasattr(obj, "Widget") else str(obj)
        return self.Command(ctrl, **{'q':True, self.Flag:True})
    
    def __set__(self, obj, value):
        '''
        Again, the owning instance is passed in as <obj> automatically
        '''
        ctrl = obj.Widget if hasattr(obj, "Widget") else str(obj)
        self.Command(ctrl, **{'e':True, self.Flag:value})
       
class ExampleButton(object):
    CMD = cmds.button
    
    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        self.Widget = self.CMD (*args, **kwargs)
        
    Label = CtlProperty('label', CMD)
    BackgroundColor = CtlProperty('bgc', CMD)
    
# same example as before	
example = cmds.window()
col = cmds.columnLayout()
btn = ExampleButton("hello world")
cmds.showWindow(example)
btn.Label = "Thunderbirds are GO!"
btn.BackgroundColor = (.25, 1, .25)