Package de.aristaflow.adept2.model.activitymodel

Interface Identifier

All Superinterfaces:
PluginDataContainer, UserAttributeContainer
public interface Identifier extends UserAttributeContainer, PluginDataContainer
The identifier is used to uniquely describe the usage of a data type, e.g. within a parameter, unifying its (common) data type (like int), its data structure and its (textually described) meaning.

Although parameter names may vary from component to component (or even from operation to operation), if they address syntactically and semantically the same kind of data, they should have the same identifier.
The Identifier is a semantical specialisation of a raw data type like int.
The identifier can be seen as the well-defined and unique name which is used for mapping all parameters which actually should have this name.
For example: different components use "patID", "pID" and "patiID" as parameter name for the ID of a patient. A unique identifier should be created, which e.g. may be called "patientID", and its ID should be assigned to all ActivityModelParameters which represent exactly this data.

Identifiers are used to find matching parameter partners when defining the data flow of a process (semi-) automatically.

Although an identifier's name is unique, this name might be changed. Additionally, an identifier has a static and not changeable ID. This ID must be used for referencing identifiers - whereas the name must only be used for display purposes.

Author:
Kevin Goeser, Ulrich Kreher

  • Method Details

    • getID

      UUID getID()
      Returns the repository-wide unique ID of the identifier. It is used to reference an identifier and allows for changing its name w/o needing to update any reference.
      Returns:
      The unique ID of the identifier.

    • getName

      String getName()
      The repository-wide unique name of the common identifier.
      Returns:
      The unique name of the identifier.

    • getDescription

      String getDescription()
      Returns a description text of the common identifier (may be null).
      Returns:
      The description of the identifier or null.

    • getRevision

      long getRevision()
      Gets the (base) revision of this identifier which allows to track changes. To modify an identifier it needs to be in a development branch. As soon as it is changed, its state is set to IN_DEVELOPMENT but the revision remains until the branch is released.
      Returns:
      The revision of this identifier or the revision which it is based upon.

    • getState

      State getState()
      Gets the current deployment state of this operation, that is whether it is currently modified, it can be used or it may not be used any more.
      Returns:
      The current deployment state of this identifier.

    • setName

      void setName(String name)
      Sets the name of the identifier.
      Parameters:
      name - The name of the identifier.

    • setDescription

      void setDescription(String description)
      Sets the description of the identifier.
      Parameters:
      description - The description of the identifier.