/interpreter/tags/at2-build190607/src/edu/vub/at/objects/grammar/ATMessageSend.java

 1/**
 2 * AmbientTalk/2 Project
 3 * ATMessageSend.java created on 26-jul-2006 at 14:58:25
 4 * (c) Programming Technology Lab, 2006 - 2007
 5 * Authors: Tom Van Cutsem & Stijn Mostinckx
 6 * 
 7 * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
 8 * obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
 9 * files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without
10 * restriction, including without limitation the rights to use,
11 * copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
12 * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
13 * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following
14 * conditions:
15 *
16 * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
17 * included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
18 *
19 * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
20 * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES
21 * OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
22 * NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT
23 * HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
24 * WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
25 * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
26 * OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
27 */
28package edu.vub.at.objects.grammar;
29
30import edu.vub.at.objects.ATNil;
31
32/**
33 * The public interface to a synchronous or asynchronous message send AG element.
34 * 
35 * Message sends of the form <code>o.m()</code> are transformed into <MESSAGE-SEND o <METHOD-INVOCATION m []>>
36 * Message sends of the form <code>o<-m()</code> are transformed into <MESSAGE-SEND o <ASYNC-MESSAGE m []>>
37 * Message sends of the form <code>o^m()</code> are transformed into <MESSAGE-SEND o <DELEGATION m []>>
38 * Message sends of the form <code>o<+exp</code> are transformed into <MESSAGE-SEND o <EXPRESSION exp>>
39 * 
40 * @author tvcutsem
41 */
42public interface ATMessageSend extends ATExpression {
43
44	/**
45	 * The receiver may be any valid AmbientTalk expression
46	 * Example: <code>`(f().m()).getReceiverExpression() == `(f())</code>
47	 * @return the receiver of the message
48	 */
49	public ATExpression base_getReceiverExpression();
50	
51	/**
52	 * @param rcv the new receiver
53	 * @return nil
54	 */
55	public ATNil base_setReceiverExpression(ATExpression rcv);
56	
57	/**
58	 * The message to be sent must be an AmbientTalk expression that evaluates
59	 * to a message.
60	 * Example: <code>`(f().m()).getMessageExpression() == `(.m())</code>
61	 * @return the message expression
62	 */
63	public ATExpression base_getMessageExpression();
64	
65}