si.ijs.acs.objectexplorer.engine

Class Attribute

java.lang.Object

si.ijs.acs.objectexplorer.engine.Attribute

Direct Known Subclasses:

BACIAttribute

public abstract class Attribute
extends java.lang.Object

Attribute is a class that represents an attribute (or Java property) design pattern on remote objects. Attributes are characterized by a pair of functions, called accessor and mutator functions. An attribute has a type. An accessor is used to retrieve the value of a given type, and the mutator is used to change the value. A read only attribute is an attribute that only declares an accessor method. Attributes are treated separately from normal operations because their explicit declaration is often chosen for special design reasons and thus they have a special status for the final user.

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor and Description
Attribute(java.lang.String name, SimpleIntrospectable introspectable, DataType type, boolean readOnly) Constructs a new instance of this class.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
DataType	getAttributeType() Returns the DataType object that represents the type of this attribute.
SimpleIntrospectable	getIntrospectable() Returns the container for this attribute.
abstract RemoteCall	invokeAccessor() The method invokes remote accessor method on the introspectable instance.
abstract RemoteCall	invokeMutator(java.lang.Object value) NOT SUPPORTED yet.
boolean	isReadOnly() Returns true if the attribute is read only.
java.lang.String	toString() Overloaded to return the name of the attribute as passed into the constructor.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

Attribute

public Attribute(java.lang.String name,
                 SimpleIntrospectable introspectable,
                 DataType type,
                 boolean readOnly)

Constructs a new instance of this class. All parameters must be non-null.

Parameters:

name - the name of the attribute

introspectable - the remote instance that contains this attribute

type - a DataType instance that represents the type of this attribute. Note that the class should declare public constructors with all parameters neccessary for the construction of the value, if applicable. GUI can then use introspection to create new instances and pass them to mutator methods.

readOnly - true if this attribute only supports accessor method.

Method Detail

getAttributeType

public DataType getAttributeType()

Returns the DataType object that represents the type of this attribute. The value is the same as that passed into the constructor.

Returns:

type of this

getIntrospectable

public SimpleIntrospectable getIntrospectable()

Returns the container for this attribute. The function returns the parameter passed into the constructor.

Returns:

remote object declaring the attribute

invokeAccessor

public abstract RemoteCall invokeAccessor()

The method invokes remote accessor method on the introspectable instance. The return value is packed into the standard RemoteCall structure.

Returns:

remote call data structure that will return true when isAttributeAccess() is invoked.

invokeMutator

public abstract RemoteCall invokeMutator(java.lang.Object value)

NOT SUPPORTED yet. Will be used for changing the value of a writable attribute.

Parameters:

value - java.lang.Object the new value of the attribute

isReadOnly

public boolean isReadOnly()

Returns true if the attribute is read only. Returns the same value as that passed into the constructor.

Returns:

boolean readOnly flag.

toString

public java.lang.String toString()

Overloaded to return the name of the attribute as passed into the constructor. This should be the display name in the GUI.

Overrides:

toString in class java.lang.Object

Returns:

name of the attribute