/interpreter/tags/at2dist110511/src/edu/vub/at/objects/ATField.java
http://ambienttalk.googlecode.com/ · Java · 81 lines · 10 code · 9 blank · 62 comment · 0 complexity · de539d5816837304bd2e921774ea2e16 MD5 · raw file
- /**
- * AmbientTalk/2 Project
- * ATField.java created on Jul 23, 2006 at 11:52:56 AM
- * (c) Programming Technology Lab, 2006 - 2007
- * Authors: Tom Van Cutsem & Stijn Mostinckx
- *
- * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
- * obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
- * files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without
- * restriction, including without limitation the rights to use,
- * copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
- * sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
- * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following
- * conditions:
- *
- * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
- * included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
- *
- * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
- * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES
- * OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
- * NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT
- * HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
- * WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
- * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
- * OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
- */
- package edu.vub.at.objects;
- import edu.vub.at.exceptions.InterpreterException;
- import edu.vub.at.objects.grammar.ATSymbol;
- /**
- * ATField provides a mapping from an immutable name to a potentially mutable value.
- * <p>
- * Note that when field objects are added to an {@link ATObject} and then that object is cloned,
- * the field object will be re-instantiated (i.e. its 'new' method is invoked).
- * This implies that any object implementing ATField should provide a meta_newInstance
- * method whose sole initarg is the new host for the field.
- *
- * @author smostinc
- */
- public interface ATField extends ATObject {
-
- /**
- * Returns a string by which the slot can be identified.
- *
- * @return a {@link ATSymbol} representing the string by which the slot can be identified.
- */
- public ATSymbol base_name() throws InterpreterException;
-
- /**
- * Returns the current value of the field.
- *
- * @return an {@link ATObject} representing the current value of the field.
- * @throws XIllegalOperation if the field accessed is not found.
- */
- public ATObject base_readField() throws InterpreterException;
-
- /**
- * Sets the value of the field if possible.
- *
- * @param newValue the value the field should hold.
- * @return by default, the new value
- * @throws InterpreterException if the field cannot be modified.
- */
- public ATObject base_writeField(ATObject newValue) throws InterpreterException;
- /**
- * @return an accessor method (slot) that, upon invocation, reads this field's value.
- */
- public ATMethod base_accessor() throws InterpreterException;
- /**
- * @return a mutator method (slot) that, upon invocation, sets this field's value
- * to its single argument.
- */
- public ATMethod base_mutator() throws InterpreterException;
-
- }