/*

  * Copyright 2006-2011 The Kuali Foundation

  *

  * Licensed under the Educational Community License, Version 2.0 (the "License");

  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.

  * You may obtain a copy of the License at

  *

  * http://www.opensource.org/licenses/ecl2.php

  *

  * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software

  * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,

  * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.

  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and

  * limitations under the License.

  */

 package org.kuali.rice.core.api.parameter;

 import org.kuali.rice.core.api.mo.GloballyUnique;

 import org.kuali.rice.core.api.mo.Versioned;

 /**

  * This is the contract for a Parameter.  The concept of a parameter is a key=value pair that is associated

  * with a rice enabled application.

  *

  * <p>

  *     When thinking of a parameter in terms of a key=value pair, the following defines the key and value parts:

  *

  *     the key of a parameter consists of the following pieces:

  *

  *     <ol>

  *         <li>{@link #getApplicationCode() applicationCode}</li>

  *         <li>{@link #getNamespaceCode() namespaceCode}</li>

  *         <li>{@link #getComponentCode() componentCode}</li>

  *         <li>{@link #getName() name}</li>

  *     </ol>

  *

  *     the value consists of the {@link #getValue() value}

  * </p>

  */

 public interface ParameterContract extends Versioned, GloballyUnique {

         /**

      * This the application code for the Parameter.  This cannot be null or a blank string.

      *

      * <p>

      * It is a way of assigning the Parameter to a specific rice application or rice ecosystem.

      * </p>

      *

      * @return application code

      */

         String getApplicationCode();

     /**

      * This is the namespace for the parameter.  This cannot be null or a blank string.

      *

      * <p>

      * It is a way of assigning the parameter to a logical grouping within a rice application or rice ecosystem.

      * </p>

      *

      * @return namespace code

      */

         String getNamespaceCode();

         /**

      * This is the component code for the parameter.  This cannot be null.

      *

      * <p>

      * It is a way of assigning a parameter to a functional component within a rice application or rice ecosystem.

      * </p>

      *

      * @return component

      */

         String getComponentCode();

     /**

      * The name of the parameter.  This cannot be null or a blank string.

      * @return name

      */

     String getName();

     /**

      * The value of the parameter.  This can be null or a blank string.

      * @return value

      */

         String getValue();

     /**

      * This is the description for what the parameter is used for.  This can be null or a blank string.

      * @return description

      */

         String getDescription();

     /**

      * This is the evaluation operator for the parameter.  This can be null.

      *

      * <p>

      * This allows parameters to be used as primitive business rules.

      * </p>

      *

      * @return evaluation operator

      */

         EvaluationOperator getEvaluationOperator();

     /**

      * This is the type for the parameter.  This cannot be null.

      *

      * <p>

      * Some parameters have special types in rice which may have special meaning

      * and is related to the {@link #getEvaluationOperator()}

      * </p>

      *

      * @return type

      */

         ParameterTypeContract getParameterType();

 }