1. A computer-implemented method for providing hierarchical storage of properties associated with a display object, the method executed by a central processing unit (CPU) comprising: obtaining a property storage structure that is configured to hierarchically store shape properties for each shape that is associated with a display object; wherein the property storage structure is stored separately from a definition of the shape; obtaining a shape property bag for each shape that is associated with the display object, wherein each shape property bag within the property storage structure can reference one or more other shape property bags within the property storage structure; obtaining a property object that is associated with one of the properties of the display object, wherein the property object is identified according to a key; updating the property object with a hierarchically stored value such that the hierarchically stored value indicates a type for the property object identified by the key; and inserting the property object into the property storage structure such that the shape property objects inserted into the property storage structure provide a listing of the properties associated with the display object.