org.mmbase.bridge.implementation
Class BasicField

java.lang.Object
  org.mmbase.bridge.implementation.BasicField

All Implemented Interfaces:

java.lang.Comparable, Field

public class BasicField

extends java.lang.Object

implements Field, java.lang.Comparable

Version:

$Id: BasicField.java,v 1.14 2003/11/20 16:22:00 pierre Exp $

Author:

Pierre van Rooden

Warning: No Java Documentation Available.

Field Summary

Fields inherited from interface org.mmbase.bridge.Field

STATE_PERSISTENT, STATE_SYSTEM, STATE_UNKNOWN, STATE_VIRTUAL, TYPE_BYTE, TYPE_DOUBLE, TYPE_FLOAT, TYPE_INTEGER, TYPE_LONG, TYPE_NODE, TYPE_STRING, TYPE_UNKNOWN, TYPE_XML

Method Summary

int	compareTo(java.lang.Object o) Compares this field to the passed object.
boolean	equals(java.lang.Object o) Compares this field to the passed object, and returns true if they are equal.
java.lang.String	getDescription() Returns the description for this field.
java.lang.String	getDescription(java.util.Locale locale) Returns the description for this field in a specified preferred language.
java.lang.String	getGUIName() Returns the GUI name for this field.
java.lang.String	getGUIName(java.util.Locale locale) Returns the GUI name for this field in a specified preferred language.
java.lang.String	getGUIType() Returns the GUI name for the data type this field contains.
int	getMaxLength() Returns the maximum length of data this field can contain.
java.lang.String	getName() Returns the name of this field.
NodeManager	getNodeManager() Returns the node manager this field belongs to.
int	getState() Returns this field's state identifier.
int	getType() Returns the identifier for the data type this field contains.
boolean	hasIndex() Returns whether this field is a key field, meaning that the storage layer should define an index for it, allowing optimization with search and sort actions.
boolean	isRequired() Returns whether this field is required (should have content).
boolean	isUnique() Returns whether this field is part of a unique key (a set of fields whose combined content should occur only once).

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Method Detail

getNodeManager

public NodeManager getNodeManager()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the node manager this field belongs to.

Specified by:

getNodeManager in interface Field

Returns:

the node manager this field belongs to

getName

public java.lang.String getName()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the name of this field.

Specified by:

getName in interface Field

Returns:

the name of this field

getGUIType

public java.lang.String getGUIType()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the GUI name for the data type this field contains.

Specified by:

getGUIType in interface Field

Returns:

the GUI name for the data type this field contains

getGUIName

public java.lang.String getGUIName()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the GUI name for this field.

Specified by:

getGUIName in interface Field

Returns:

the GUI name for this field

getGUIName

public java.lang.String getGUIName(java.util.Locale locale)

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the GUI name for this field in a specified preferred language.

Specified by:

getGUIName in interface Field

Parameters:

locale - the locale that determines the language for the GUI name

Returns:

the GUI name for this field

getDescription

public java.lang.String getDescription()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the description for this field.

Specified by:

getDescription in interface Field

Returns:

the description for this field

getDescription

public java.lang.String getDescription(java.util.Locale locale)

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the description for this field in a specified preferred language.

Specified by:

getDescription in interface Field

Parameters:

locale - the locale that determines the language for the description

Returns:

the description for this field

getType

public int getType()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the identifier for the data type this field contains.

Specified by:

getType in interface Field

Returns:

an int which identifies the type of data this field contains

getState

public int getState()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns this field's state identifier.

Specified by:

getState in interface Field

Returns:

an int which identifies the state of this field

getMaxLength

public int getMaxLength()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns the maximum length of data this field can contain. For example if a field contains characters the size indicates the maximum number of characters it can contain. If the field is a numeric field (such as an integer), the result is -1.

Specified by:

getMaxLength in interface Field

Returns:

the maximum length of data this field can contain

isRequired

public boolean isRequired()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns whether this field is required (should have content). Note that MMBase does not generally enforce required fields to be filled - If not provided, a default value (generally an empty string or the integer value -1) is filled in by the system. As such, isRequired will mostly be used as an indicator for (generic) editors.

Specified by:

isRequired in interface Field

Returns:

true if the field is required

isUnique

public boolean isUnique()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns whether this field is part of a unique key (a set of fields whose combined content should occur only once). Note that MMBase lets the storage layer handle this. If your storage implementation or configuration does not support this the uniqueness may not be enforced.

Specified by:

isUnique in interface Field

Returns:

true if the field is part of a unique key

hasIndex

public boolean hasIndex()

Description copied from interface: Field

Returns whether this field is a key field, meaning that the storage layer should define an index for it, allowing optimization with search and sort actions. Note that MMBase lets the storage layer decide whether an index is actually defined. Some implementations or configurations may not do this. Note: Currently, this method only returns true if the field is the primary key (number field) or a Node field.

Specified by:

hasIndex in interface Field

Returns:

true if the field has a key defined

compareTo

public int compareTo(java.lang.Object o)

Compares this field to the passed object. Returns 0 if they are equal, -1 if the object passed is a Field and larger than this field, and +1 if the object passed is a Field and smaller than this field. A field is 'larger' than another field if its preferred GUIName is larger (alphabetically, case sensitive) than that of the other field. If GUINames are the same, the fields are compared on internal field name, and (if needed) on their NodeManagers.

Specified by:

compareTo in interface java.lang.Comparable

Parameters:

o - the object to compare it with

equals

public boolean equals(java.lang.Object o)

Compares this field to the passed object, and returns true if they are equal.

Parameters:

o - the object to compare it with