001 package org.odbms;
002
003 /* Copyright 2002-2005 The Apache Software Foundation
004 *
005 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
006 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
007 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
008 *
009 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
010 *
011 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
012 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
013 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
014 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
015 * limitations under the License.
016 */
017
018 /**
019 * constraint for a single query node.
020 * <br><br>A Constraint is associated with one single <code>Query</code> node
021 * - a single member of a class.<br><br>
022 * Constraints are constructed by calling
023 * <a href="Query.html#constrain(java.lang.object)">
024 * <code>Query.constrain()</code></a>.
025 * <br><br>
026 * Constraints can be joined with the methods and() and or().<br><br>
027 * The following mutual exclusive functions set the evaluation mode.
028 * The subsequent call prevails:<br>
029 * identity(), equal(), greater(), greaterOrEqual(), smaller(),
030 * smallerOrEqual(), like(), contains()<br><br>
031 * is(), and not() are also mutually exclusive.<br><br>
032 */
033 public interface Constraint {
034
035 /**
036 * links two Constraints for AND evaluation
037 * @param andWith the other Constraint
038 * @return a new Constraint, that can be used for further calls to and() and or()
039 */
040 public Constraint and (Constraint andWith);
041
042
043
044 /**
045 * links two Constraints for OR evaluation
046 * @param orWith the other Constraint
047 * @return a new Constraint, that can be used for further calls to and() and or()
048 */
049 public Constraint or (Constraint orWith);
050
051
052
053 /**
054 * sets the evaluation mode to "=="
055 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
056 */
057 public Constraint equal ();
058
059
060
061 /**
062 * sets the evaluation mode to ">"
063 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
064 */
065 public Constraint greater ();
066
067
068
069 /**
070 * sets the evaluation mode to ">="
071 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
072 */
073 public Constraint greaterOrEqual ();
074
075
076
077 /**
078 * sets the evaluation mode to "<"
079 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
080 */
081 public Constraint smaller ();
082
083
084
085 /**
086 * sets the evaluation mode to "<="
087 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
088 */
089 public Constraint smallerOrEqual ();
090
091
092 /**
093 * sets the evaluation mode to identity comparison
094 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
095 */
096 public Constraint identity ();
097
098
099 /**
100 * sets the evaluation mode to "like" comparison
101 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
102 */
103 public Constraint like ();
104
105
106 /**
107 * sets the evaluation mode to containment comparison
108 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
109 */
110 public Constraint contains ();
111
112
113 /**
114 * turns off not() comparison
115 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
116 */
117 public Constraint is ();
118
119
120
121 /**
122 * turns on not() comparison
123 * @return this Constraint to allow the chaining of method calls
124 */
125 public Constraint not ();
126 }
127