IObject.java

/*
 *   Copyright 2006 University of Dundee. All rights reserved.
 *   Use is subject to license terms supplied in LICENSE.txt
 */
package ome.model;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.Set;

import ome.conditions.ApiUsageException;
import ome.model.internal.Details;
import ome.model.internal.GraphHolder;
import ome.util.Filterable;
import ome.util.Validation;

/**
 * central model interface. All entities that the backend can persist to the DB
 * implement this interface. (Note: value objects like
 * {@link ome.model.internal.Details} get saved to the DB, but only embedded in
 * other entites.
 * 
 * @author Josh Moore     
 *         <a href="mailto:josh.moore@gmx.de">josh.moore@gmx.de</a>
 * @version 3.0
 * @since 3.0
 * @author josh
 * 
 */
public interface IObject extends Filterable, Serializable {

    /**
     * primary key of this object. Before the session is flushed, this value
     * <em>may be</em> null.
     * 
     * @return Long primary key. May be null.
     */
    public Long getId();

    /**
     * usually unneeded. Ids are managed by the backend.
     * 
     * @param id
     *            Long value for this id.
     */
    public void setId(Long id);

    // ~ Security
    // =========================================================================
    /**
     * Value (i.e. not entity) which is available on all rows in the database.
     * Low-level "details" such as security, ownership, auditing are managed
     * here.
     * 
     * When setting values on {@link Details}, it is important to realize that
     * most of the values are managed by the backend and may be replaced. For
     * example, a user does not have permission to change the owner of an
     * object, not even when owned by that user.
     * 
     * To replace all of the values from an existing {@link Details} instance,
     * use {@link Details#copy(Details)} or {@link Details#shallowCopy(Details)}
     */
    public Details getDetails();

    // ~ Lifecycle
    // =========================================================================
    /**
     * transient field (not stored in the DB) which specifies whether this
     * object has been loaded from the DB or is only a wrapper around the ID.
     */
    public boolean isLoaded();

    /**
     * set the loaded field to false, and set all non-ID fields to null.
     * Subsequent calls to all accessors other than getId/setId will throw an
     * ApiUsageException
     * 
     * @throws ApiUsageException
     */
    public void unload() throws ApiUsageException;

    // ~ Validation
    // =========================================================================
    /**
     * calls the class-specific validator for this instance and returns the
     * value from {@link Validation#isValid()}
     */
    public boolean isValid();

    /**
     * calls the class-specific validator for this instance and returns the
     * {@link Validation} object.
     * 
     * @return Validation collecting parameter.
     */
    public Validation validate();

    // ~ For dynamic/generic programming
    // =========================================================================
    /**
     * retrieves a value from this instance. Values for <code>field</code>
     * which match a field of this instance will be delegated to the accessors.
     * Otherwise, values will be retrieved from a lazy-loaded map filled by
     * calls to {@link #putAt(String, Object)}
     */
    public Object retrieve(String field);

    /**
     * stores a value in this instance. Values for <code>field</code> which
     * match a field of this instance will be delegated to the accessors.
     * Otherwise, values will be stored in a lazy-loaded map.
     * 
     * @param field
     *            Field name
     * @param value
     *            Any object to be stored.
     */
    public void putAt(String field, Object value);

    /** returns a Set of field names that belong to this class */
    public Set fields();

    // ~ Graph information
    // =========================================================================
    /**
     * retrieves the {@link GraphHolder} for this entity. If the GraphHolder has
     * not been actively set, a new one will be instatiated.
     * 
     * @return Non-null GraphHolder
     */
    public GraphHolder getGraphHolder();
}