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Class edu.vt.marian.common.InfoDesc

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----edu.vt.marian.common.InfoDesc

public class InfoDesc

extends Object

Specifically, an InfoDesc is composed of a node description plus any number of link descriptions. For the purposes of Java, we are declaring both node and link descriptions to be of class Object, so that several disparate types of descriptions can be accomodated. Only certain kinds of Objects will actually do in either case, whence the if-else if-else statements in setNodeDesc() and addLinkDesc(). These statements are deliberately designed to be extensible, so that other description types can be added in future.

The function of a node description is to describe a (subset) of nodes within some class. Any class of nodes can define one or more matching functions. In addition, all node classes support match by classID, (including subclass ID) and by exact FullID. Most also support match by exact object. Any further match is to be specified by an encoded function, which the class manager will apply to its collection of instances.

At the moment, we are only allowing a link description to consist of an exact description of a single link. Future implementations may allow link variables and link operators. A single link is fully described by specifying its type and describing the nodes at source end and sink end. In the current context, we know the description of the node at one end (the "target" end): that is the node described in the node portion of this InfoDesc. The node at the other end (the "key" end) is described by a further InfoDesc. Thus each member of the linkDesc Vector is composed of three elements:

• linkClassID -- the class of the link traversed
• direction -- whether the target is source or sink
• keyDesc -- the description of the key node

See Also:

LinkDesc, ClassManager

BAD_PARAMS

debug

Just for debugging

linkDescs

nodeDesc

OK

return values for methods of this class

InfoDesc(Debug)

Create a new null InfoDesc.

InfoDesc(Object, Debug)

Create an InfoDesc from a specific nodeDesc.

InfoDesc(Object, Vector, Debug)

Create an InfoDesc from a specific nodeDesc.

addLinkDesc(Object)

Add another link description to the set of links.

enumLinkDescs()

Return an enumeration through the link description set.

getNodeDesc()

Get the node description part.

isValid()

Either the nodeDesc or the linkDescs (or both) must be valid, although either can also be null (but not both!).

numLinkDescs()

setNodeDesc(Object)

Set the node description part.

 protected Debug debug

Just for debugging

 protected Object nodeDesc

 protected Vector linkDescs

 public static final int OK

return values for methods of this class

 public static final int BAD_PARAMS

 public InfoDesc(Debug d)

Create a new null InfoDesc.

Parameters:

d - the eternal Debug object.

 public InfoDesc(Object node,
                 Debug d)

Create an InfoDesc from a specific nodeDesc.

Parameters:

node - A node description: either classID, FullID, or Function.

d - the eternal Debug object.

 public InfoDesc(Object node,
                 Vector links,
                 Debug d)

Create an InfoDesc from a specific nodeDesc.

Parameters:

node - A node description: either ClassID, FullID, or Function.

d - the eternal Debug object.

 public boolean isValid()

Either the nodeDesc or the linkDescs (or both) must be valid, although either can also be null (but not both!).

 public int setNodeDesc(Object node)

Set the node description part.

Parameters:

node - A node description: either ClassID, FullID, or Function.

 public Object getNodeDesc()

Get the node description part.

 public int addLinkDesc(Object ld)

Add another link description to the set of links.

Parameters:

link - A link description: currently, only LinkDesc allowed.

 public int numLinkDescs()

 public Enumeration enumLinkDescs()

Return an enumeration through the link description set.

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