net.infonode.properties.propertymap
Interface PropertyMap

All Superinterfaces:
Readable, ReadWritable, Writable
All Known Implementing Classes:
PropertyMapImpl

public interface PropertyMap
extends ReadWritable

A property map contains values for some or all properties in a PropertyMapGroup. A property map can have any number of super maps from which property values are inherited. Super maps that are searched for values in the reverse order they were added to the property map. Property values are always set in the property map specified.

Properties of type PropertyMapProperty in the PropertyMapGroup will automatically be assigned new PropertyMap's as values. These PropertyMap's are called child maps. These property values cannot be modified.

Listeners can be added to a PropertyMap. The listeners are notified when a property value is modified in the PropertyMap or, if the property value is not overridden, one of it's super maps. A tree listener can also be added that listens for value changes in the property map, it's super maps and it's child mapss.

Property maps are created using the factory methods in PropertyMapFactory.

Version:
$Revision: 1.20 $
Author:
$Author: jesper $

Method Summary
 void addListener(PropertyMapListener listener)
          Adds a listener that listens for value changes in this PropertyMap.
 void addPropertyChangeListener(Property property, PropertyChangeListener listener)
          Adds a property listener that listens for value changes for a specific property.
 void addSuperMap(PropertyMap superMap)
          Adds a super map to this map.
 void addTreeListener(PropertyMapTreeListener listener)
          Adds a tree listener that listens for value changes in this PropertyMap or any child maps.
 void clear(boolean recursive)
          Removes all property values in this property map.
 PropertyMap copy(boolean copySuperMapRefs, boolean recursive)
          Creates a copy of this map.
 java.lang.Object createRelativeRef(Property fromProperty, PropertyMap toMap, Property toProperty)
          Creates a relative reference from one property value to another property value.
 PropertyMap getSuperMap()
          Returns the most recently added super map.
 boolean isEmpty(boolean recursive)
          Returns true if this property map doesn't contain any property values.
 void read(java.io.ObjectInputStream in)
          Reads property values from a stream and sets them in this map.
 void removeListener(PropertyMapListener listener)
          Removes a listener which was previously added with addListener(PropertyMapListener).
 void removePropertyChangeListener(Property property, PropertyChangeListener listener)
          Removes a previously added property listener.
 PropertyMap removeSuperMap()
          Removes the most recently added super map.
 boolean removeSuperMap(PropertyMap superMap)
          Removes a super map that has previously been added using addSuperMap(PropertyMap).
 void removeTreeListener(PropertyMapTreeListener listener)
          Removes a previously added tree listener.
 java.lang.Object removeValue(Property property)
          Removes a property value.
 boolean replaceSuperMap(PropertyMap oldSuperMap, PropertyMap newSuperMap)
          Replaces a super map that has previously been added using addSuperMap(PropertyMap).
 boolean valuesEqualTo(PropertyMap propertyMap, boolean recursive)
          Returns true if all the values in this property map is equal to the values in the given map.
 void write(java.io.ObjectOutputStream out)
           Serializes the serializable values of this property map.
 void write(java.io.ObjectOutputStream out, boolean recursive)
          Serializes the serializable values of this property map.
 

Method Detail

addListener

void addListener(PropertyMapListener listener)
Adds a listener that listens for value changes in this PropertyMap. This listener will be notified of updates to values in this PropertyMap and super maps unless the property value is overridden.

Parameters:
listener - the listener

removeListener

void removeListener(PropertyMapListener listener)
Removes a listener which was previously added with addListener(PropertyMapListener).

Parameters:
listener - the listener

addTreeListener

void addTreeListener(PropertyMapTreeListener listener)
Adds a tree listener that listens for value changes in this PropertyMap or any child maps. This listener will be notified of updates to values in this PropertyMap, any child map recusively and super maps unless the property value is overridden.

Parameters:
listener - the listener

removeTreeListener

void removeTreeListener(PropertyMapTreeListener listener)
Removes a previously added tree listener.

Parameters:
listener - the listener

addPropertyChangeListener

void addPropertyChangeListener(Property property,
                               PropertyChangeListener listener)
Adds a property listener that listens for value changes for a specific property. This listener will be notified of value changes for the property in this PropertyMap and super maps unless the property value is overridden.

Parameters:
property - the property to listen to changes on
listener - the listener

removePropertyChangeListener

void removePropertyChangeListener(Property property,
                                  PropertyChangeListener listener)
Removes a previously added property listener.

Parameters:
property - the property which the listener listens to changes on
listener - the listener

addSuperMap

void addSuperMap(PropertyMap superMap)
Adds a super map to this map. If a property value is not found in this property map, the super maps will be searched recursively. The super map last added will be searched first.

Parameters:
superMap - the super map

removeSuperMap

PropertyMap removeSuperMap()
Removes the most recently added super map.

Returns:
the super map removed

removeSuperMap

boolean removeSuperMap(PropertyMap superMap)
Removes a super map that has previously been added using addSuperMap(PropertyMap).

Parameters:
superMap - the super map to remove
Returns:
true if the super map was found and removed, otherwise false
Since:
IDW 1.3.0

replaceSuperMap

boolean replaceSuperMap(PropertyMap oldSuperMap,
                        PropertyMap newSuperMap)
Replaces a super map that has previously been added using addSuperMap(PropertyMap).

Parameters:
oldSuperMap - the super map to replace
newSuperMap - the super map to replace it with
Returns:
true if the super map was found and replaced, otherwise false
Since:
IDW 1.3.0

getSuperMap

PropertyMap getSuperMap()
Returns the most recently added super map.

Returns:
the super map

createRelativeRef

java.lang.Object createRelativeRef(Property fromProperty,
                                   PropertyMap toMap,
                                   Property toProperty)
                                   throws InvalidPropertyTypeException
Creates a relative reference from one property value to another property value.

When the value of the fromProperty is read, it will return the value of the toProperty in the toMap.

Sub maps of this property map will inherit this reference relative to themselves, ie the reference in the sub map is converted to a reference relative to the sub map if possible, otherwise the reference is the same as for the super map. Here is an example:

Changes to the referenced property value will be propagated to listeners of this property.

Parameters:
fromProperty - the property value that will hold the reference
toMap - the property map that holds the property value that is referenced
toProperty - the property which value is referenced
Returns:
the old value that the fromProperty had in this property map
Throws:
InvalidPropertyTypeException

removeValue

java.lang.Object removeValue(Property property)
                             throws InvalidPropertyException
Removes a property value.

Parameters:
property - the property
Returns:
the value removed
Throws:
InvalidPropertyException - if values for this property can't be stored in this property map

isEmpty

boolean isEmpty(boolean recursive)
Returns true if this property map doesn't contain any property values.

Parameters:
recursive - true if child maps should be recursively checked
Returns:
true if this property map doesn't contain any property values

clear

void clear(boolean recursive)
Removes all property values in this property map.

Parameters:
recursive - true if child maps should be cleared recursively

valuesEqualTo

boolean valuesEqualTo(PropertyMap propertyMap,
                      boolean recursive)
Returns true if all the values in this property map is equal to the values in the given map. The property values are compared using Object.equals(java.lang.Object).

Parameters:
propertyMap - the map to compare values with
recursive - true if child maps should be recursively checked
Returns:
true if all the values in this property map is equal to the values in the given map

write

void write(java.io.ObjectOutputStream out,
           boolean recursive)
           throws java.io.IOException
Serializes the serializable values of this property map. Values not implementing the Serializable interface will not be written to the stream. The properties are identified using their names.

Parameters:
out - the stream on which to serialize this map
recursive - true if child maps should be recursively serialized
Throws:
java.io.IOException - if there is an error in the stream

write

void write(java.io.ObjectOutputStream out)
           throws java.io.IOException

Serializes the serializable values of this property map. Values not implementing the Serializable interface will not be written to the stream. The properties are identified using their names.

This method recursively writes all child maps.

Specified by:
write in interface Writable
Parameters:
out - the stream
Throws:
java.io.IOException - if there is a stream error

read

void read(java.io.ObjectInputStream in)
          throws java.io.IOException
Reads property values from a stream and sets them in this map. Will overwrite existing values, but not remove values not found in the stream. The properties are identified using their names. If no property is found for a property name read from the stream the value is skipped and no error is reported. If a value for a property in the stream is a reference to a another property value that cannot be resolved, the property is not modified.

Specified by:
read in interface Readable
Parameters:
in - the stream from which to read property values
Throws:
java.io.IOException - if there is an error in the stream

copy

PropertyMap copy(boolean copySuperMapRefs,
                 boolean recursive)
Creates a copy of this map. The method copies the values and optionally the references to super maps.

Parameters:
copySuperMapRefs - if true, copies the references to super maps
recursive - if true, copies all child maps as well
Returns:
a copy of this map
Since:
IDW 1.3.0