/interpreter/tags/at2dist041108/src/edu/vub/at/actors/eventloops/Event.java

 1/**
 2 * AmbientTalk/2 Project
 3 * Event.java created on 27-dec-2006 at 15:37:27
 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.actors.eventloops;
29
30import java.io.Serializable;
31
32/**
33 * An Event object is the main communication channel between different event loops.
34 * Events are the only kind of objects scheduled in event queues of the event loops.
35 *
36 * @author tvcutsem
37 */
38public abstract class Event implements Serializable {
39
40	/**
41	 * For debugging purposes only.
42	 */
43	private final String description_;
44	
45	/** Default Constructor */
46	public Event() {
47		description_ = "anonymous event: " + this;
48	}
49	
50	/** Constructor taking a descriptive String for debugging purposes */
51	public Event(String description) {
52		description_ = "event: " + description;
53	}
54	
55	/**
56	 * This method <i>may</i> be invoked by the receiving event loop such that the
57	 * event can process itself.
58	 * 
59	 * @param owner the object designated by the receiving event loop to be the owner of this event.
60	 */
61	public abstract void process(Object owner);
62	
63	public String toString() {
64		return description_;
65	}
66	
67}