/interpreter/tags/at_build150307/src/edu/vub/at/actors/ATAsyncMessage.java

 1/**
 2 * AmbientTalk/2 Project
 3 * ATAsyncMessage.java created on 31-jul-2006 at 12:16:22
 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;
29
30import edu.vub.at.exceptions.InterpreterException;
31import edu.vub.at.objects.ATMessage;
32import edu.vub.at.objects.ATObject;
33
34/**
35 * Instances of the class ATAsyncMessage represent first-class asynchronous message sends.
36 * They encapsulate a receiver object, a selector symbol and a table of arguments.
37 * Additionally, a message -- being a first-class object, may be extended with extra fields and behaviour (attachments).
38 * 
39 * @author tvc
40 */
41public interface ATAsyncMessage extends ATMessage {
42
43    /**
44     * Signifies the object on behalf of which this asynchronous message
45     * is sent. For a 'normal' message send, it is bound to the active
46     * 'self' object that executed obj<-m().
47     */
48    public ATObject base_getSender() throws InterpreterException;
49	
50    /**
51     * Messages also have an explicitly named receiver, which may either be a local
52     * object, or a representative of an object inside another actor.
53     * @return the receiver of the message
54     */
55    public ATObject base_getReceiver() throws InterpreterException;
56    
57    /**
58     * This method is responsible for processing the message in a certain actor.
59     * By default, process invokes the method corresponding to its selector:
60     * 
61     *  def process(receiver) {
62     *    (reflect: receiver).invoke(receiver, self.selector, self.arguments)
63     *  }
64     * 
65     * @param receiver the object that has been designated to receive the message
66     */
67    public ATObject base_process(ATObject receiver) throws InterpreterException;
68
69    /**
70     * The primitive implementation of base_process.
71     * @param self the ambienttalk object that originally received the 'process' message.
72     */
73    public ATObject prim_process(ATAsyncMessage self, ATObject receiver) throws InterpreterException;
74}