Rework RenameBoundaryGenerator

refs idaholab#16885

framework/doc/content/source/meshgenerators/RenameBoundaryGenerator.md

@@ -2,55 +2,60 @@
 
 !syntax description /Mesh/RenameBoundaryGenerator
 
-## Overview
+## Renaming or Setting Boundary Names
 
-`RenameBoundaryGenerator` is usually used to provide meaningful names to boundaries.
-For instance
+When using the `RenameBoundaryGenerator` to change boundary names, the result is independent of ordering.
 
-```text
-old_boundary_id = '1 2 3'
-new_boundary_name = 'right top left'
-```
-
-Then the MOOSE input file can employ `boundary = right` rather than `boundary = 1`.  `RenameBoundaryGenerator` may also
-be used to provide more meaningful names to boundaries that are already named.  For instance
+The following will change the name for the boundary "meaningless" to "interior" and the name for boundary "5" to "exterior":
 
-```text
-old_boundary_name = 'silly meaningless crazy'
-new_boundary_name = 'right top left'
+```
+[rename]
+  type = RenameBoundaryGenerator
+  input = some_mesh
+  old_boundary = 'meaningless 5'
+  new_boundary = 'interior exterior'
+[]
 ```
 
-Then the MOOSE input file can employ `boundary = left` rather than `block = crazy`.
+## Merging Boundaries
 
-!alert warning
-`RenameBoundaryGenerator` may also be used to merge boundaries, but care must be taken.
+When using the `RenameBoundaryGenerator` to merge boundaries, the result is not necessarily independent of ordering.
 
-For instance
+For example, take the following:
 
 ```
-old_boundary_id = '1 2 3'
-new_boundary_id = '4 4 4'
+[merge]
+  type = RenameBoundaryGenerator
+  input = some_mesh
+  old_boundary = '0 1 2 3`
+  new_boundary = 'bottom_and_left bottom_and_left top_and_right top_and_right'
+[]
 ```
 
-Then boundaries 1, 2 and 3 will be merged together into one boundary that may be used in the remainder of
-the input file.  However, when merging boundaries problems and even inconsistencies can occur.
+The above will result in two boundaries:
+
+- Boundary "0" with name "bottom_and_left" that contains the sides from the original boundaries "0" and "1".
+- Boundary "2" with name "top_and_right" that contains the sides from the original boundaries "2" and "3".
 
-Firstly, in the example just given, what if the boundaries 1, 2 and 3 were named?  What should the name
-of the boundary 4 be?  The convention is that it is the name of the first old boundary that is given the
-boundary ID of 4, which is the name of the old boundary 1 in this case.  The user needs to be aware of this
-convention.  Similarly, if `old_boundary_name = 'oldA oldB'` and `new_boundary_name = 'new1 new1'`, then
-the boundary ID of new1 is the boundary ID of oldA.
+Take the first execution, "0" to "bottom_and_left". The "RenameBoundaryGenerator" will use the original boundary ID, which is "0". The second execution, "1" to "bottom_and_left", will use the new ID associated with "bottom_and_left", which is "0", and merge "1" into it. The result is similar for the third and fourth executions.
 
-Secondly, in the example above, what if boundary 4 already existed?  An inconsistency could arise in the
-input file, because boundary 4 is now given the name of the old boundary 1.
+!alert! tip title=The use of ID is order independent
+The order dependent behavior only exists when the new boundary provided is a name. Take the following instead:
+
+```
+[merge]
+  type = RenameBoundaryGenerator
+  input = some_mesh
+  old_boundary = '0 1 2 3'
+  new_boundary = '0 0 4 4'
+[]
+```
 
-Thirdly, in this example `old_boundary_id = '1 2'` and `new_boundary_name = 'wheel wheel'`. What if another
-boundary, with a different ID, already had the name "wheel"?  This can lead to great confusion in the MOOSE input file.
+The result is:
 
-!alert note
-Given all these potential problems, when merging boundaries it is strongly recommended to use just
-*one* `RenameBoundaryGenerator` that includes the names or IDs of *all* the boundaries involved in the merging.
-This will make the new boundary IDs and new boundary names unequivocally obvious.
+- Boundary "0" that contains the sides from original boundaries "0" and "1".
+- Boundary "4" that contains the sides from original boundaries "2" and "3".
+!alert-end!
 
 !syntax parameters /Mesh/RenameBoundaryGenerator
 

framework/include/meshgenerators/RenameBoundaryGenerator.h

@@ -32,12 +32,12 @@ class RenameBoundaryGenerator : public MeshGenerator
 protected:
   std::unique_ptr<MeshBase> & _input;
 
-  std::vector<boundary_id_type> _old_boundary_id;
-
-  std::vector<BoundaryName> _old_boundary_name;
-
-  std::vector<boundary_id_type> _new_boundary_id;
-
-  std::vector<BoundaryName> _new_boundary_name;
+  /// The old boundaries
+  std::vector<BoundaryName> _old_boundary;
+  /// The new boundaries
+  std::vector<BoundaryName> _new_boundary;
+  /// The name of the parameter that specifies the old boundaries
+  std::string _old_boundary_param_name;
+  /// The name of the parameter that specifies the new boundaries
+  std::string _new_boundary_param_name;
 };
-

framework/include/utils/MooseMeshUtils.h

@@ -28,7 +28,14 @@ getBoundaryIDs(const libMesh::MeshBase & mesh,
                const std::vector<BoundaryName> & boundary_name,
                bool generate_unknown);
 
+/**
+ * Gets the boundary ID associated with the given BoundaryName.
+ *
+ * This is needed because the BoundaryName can be either an ID or a name.
+ * If it is a name, the mesh is queried for the ID associated with said name.
+ */
+BoundaryID getBoundaryID(const BoundaryName & boundary_name, const MeshBase & mesh);
+
 std::vector<subdomain_id_type> getSubdomainIDs(const libMesh::MeshBase & mesh,
                                                const std::vector<SubdomainName> & subdomain_name);
 }
-

framework/src/mesh/MooseMesh.C

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #include "Assembly.h"
 #include "SubProblem.h"
 #include "MooseVariableBase.h"
+#include "MooseMeshUtils.h"
 
 #include <utility>
 
@@ -1143,13 +1144,7 @@ MooseMesh::getBoundaryID(const BoundaryName & boundary_name) const
   if (boundary_name == "ANY_BOUNDARY_ID")
     mooseError("Please use getBoundaryIDs() when passing \"ANY_BOUNDARY_ID\"");
 
-  BoundaryID id = Moose::INVALID_BOUNDARY_ID;
-  std::istringstream ss(boundary_name);
-
-  if (!(ss >> id))
-    id = getMesh().get_boundary_info().get_id_by_name(boundary_name);
-
-  return id;
+  return MooseMeshUtils::getBoundaryID(boundary_name, getMesh());
 }
 
 const Elem *