com.metamatrix.admin.api.objects
Interface PropertyDefinition

All Superinterfaces:

AdminObject

All Known Implementing Classes:

MMPropertyDefinition

public interface PropertyDefinition
extends AdminObject

Information about a property of an AdminObject

Field Summary

static int

UNBOUNDED_VALUE The value of the maximum multiplicity if the multiplicity is considered unbounded.

Fields inherited from interface com.metamatrix.admin.api.objects.AdminObject

DELIMITER, DELIMITER_CHAR, ESCAPED_DELIMITER, ESCAPED_WILDCARD, WILDCARD

Method Summary

java.util.Collection	getAllowedValues() Get the allowed values for this property.
java.lang.Object	getDefaultValue() Get the default value for values of this property, or an empty String if there is no default value.
java.lang.String	getDescription() Get the description of this property.
java.lang.String	getDisplayName() Get the localized display name of this property.
int	getMaximumMultiplicity() Get the maximum multiplicity for this property.
int	getMinimumMultiplicity() Get the minimum multiplicity for this property.
java.lang.String	getPropertyType() Get the type for values of this property.
java.lang.String	getPropertyTypeClassName() Get the name of the java class that best represents the property type.
boolean	getRequiresRestart() Get whether this property requires the system to be restarted before it takes effect.
java.lang.String	getValue() Get the current value of this property.
java.lang.String	getValueDelimiter() Return the text expression that is used to delimit multiple values within a single String value.
boolean	isConstrainedToAllowedValues() Return whether the value or values for this property are constrained to be only those in the AllowedValues list.
boolean	isExpert() The "expert" flag is used to distinguish between features that are intended for expert users from those that are intended for normal users.
boolean	isHidden() The "hidden" flag is used to identify features that are intended only for tool use, and which should not be exposed to humans.
boolean	isMasked() The "masked" flag is used to tell whether the value should be masked when displayed to users.
boolean	isModifiable() The modifiable flag is used to identify features that may not be changed once they are set.
boolean	isPreferred() The "preferred" flag is used to identify features that are particularly important for presenting to humans.
boolean	isRequired() The "required" flag is used to identify features that require at least one value (possibly a default value) by the consumer of the property.

Methods inherited from interface com.metamatrix.admin.api.objects.AdminObject

getIdentifier, getName, getProperties, getPropertyValue

Field Detail

UNBOUNDED_VALUE

static final int UNBOUNDED_VALUE

The value of the maximum multiplicity if the multiplicity is considered unbounded.

See Also:

Constant Field Values

Method Detail

getValue

java.lang.String getValue()

Get the current value of this property.

Returns:

the current value of this property.

getDisplayName

java.lang.String getDisplayName()

Get the localized display name of this property.

Returns:

the displayable name for this property

getDescription

java.lang.String getDescription()

Get the description of this property.

Returns:

the description for this property

getPropertyType

java.lang.String getPropertyType()

Get the type for values of this property.

Returns:

the type that best describes the values of this property.

getPropertyTypeClassName

java.lang.String getPropertyTypeClassName()

Get the name of the java class that best represents the property type.

Returns:

the name of the java class that best represents the property type.

getDefaultValue

java.lang.Object getDefaultValue()

Get the default value for values of this property, or an empty String if there is no default value.

Returns:

the default value for this property, or an empty String if there is no default value.

getAllowedValues

java.util.Collection getAllowedValues()

Get the allowed values for this property.

Returns:

the list of allowed values for this property, or an empty set if the values do not have to conform to a fixed set.

getRequiresRestart

boolean getRequiresRestart()

Get whether this property requires the system to be restarted before it takes effect.

Returns:

true if this property requires the system to be restarted before it takes effect.

isModifiable

boolean isModifiable()

The modifiable flag is used to identify features that may not be changed once they are set.

Returns:

true if this property is marked with the modifyable flag, or false otherwise.

isConstrainedToAllowedValues

boolean isConstrainedToAllowedValues()

Return whether the value or values for this property are constrained to be only those in the AllowedValues list.

Returns:

true if this property's value must be with the list of AllowedValues.

See Also:

getAllowedValues()

getValueDelimiter

java.lang.String getValueDelimiter()

Return the text expression that is used to delimit multiple values within a single String value.

Returns:

the delimiter String; may be null only if the multiplicity has a maximum value of 1.

isExpert

boolean isExpert()

The "expert" flag is used to distinguish between features that are intended for expert users from those that are intended for normal users.

Returns:

true if this property is to be marked with the expert flag, or false otherwise.

isPreferred

boolean isPreferred()

The "preferred" flag is used to identify features that are particularly important for presenting to humans.

Returns:

true if this property is marked with the preferred flag, or false otherwise.

isHidden

boolean isHidden()

The "hidden" flag is used to identify features that are intended only for tool use, and which should not be exposed to humans.

Returns:

true if this property is marked with the hidden flag, or false otherwise.

isRequired

boolean isRequired()

The "required" flag is used to identify features that require at least one value (possibly a default value) by the consumer of the property. Whether a property definition is required or not can be determined entirely from the multiplicity: if the multiplicity includes '0', then the property is not required.

Whether a property is required by the consumer is unrelated to whether there is a default value, which only simplifies the task of the property provider. A property may be required, meaning it must have at least one value, but that same property definition may or may not have a default. The combination of required and whether it has a default will determine whether the user must supply a value.

Returns:

true if this property requires at least one value.

isMasked

boolean isMasked()

The "masked" flag is used to tell whether the value should be masked when displayed to users.

Returns:

true if this property value is to be masked, or false otherwise.

getMinimumMultiplicity

int getMinimumMultiplicity()

Get the minimum multiplicity for this property.

Returns:

the minimum multiplicity for this property.

getMaximumMultiplicity

int getMaximumMultiplicity()

Get the maximum multiplicity for this property.

Returns:

the minimum multiplicity for this property. If the multiplicity is unbounded, this will return PropertyDefinition.UNBOUNDED_VALUE.