/interpreter/tags/at2dist110511/src/edu/vub/at/objects/grammar/ATMessageCreation.java

 1/**
 2 * AmbientTalk/2 Project
 3 * ATMessageCreation.java created on 26-jul-2006 at 15:08:00
 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.ATTable;
31
32/**
33 * The public interface to a first-class message AG element.
34 * An ATMessageCreation may represent synchronous, asynchronous or delegation messages.
35 * An abstract message at least contains a selector, arguments and annotations (type tags)
36 * 
37 * @author tvcutsem
38 */
39public interface ATMessageCreation extends ATExpression {
40	
41    /**
42     * Messages always have a selector, a symbol denoting the field or method that
43     * needs to be sought for.
44     * Example: <code>`(<-m()).selector == `m</code>
45     * @return a symbol denoting the selector
46     */
47	public ATSymbol base_selector();
48	
49	/**
50     * Messages may optionally have arguments if they represent invocations.
51     * Splicing is allowed in the argument list
52     * Example: <code>`(<-m(a, @b)).arguments == `[a, @b]</code>
53     * @return the arguments passed to the invocation
54     */
55	public ATTable base_arguments();
56	
57	/**
58	 * Messages may optionally have annotations (type tags)
59	 * @return the annotations of the message
60	 */
61	public ATExpression base_annotations();
62
63}