com.tensegrity.graph.rule
Interface Rule

All Known Subinterfaces:

GraphObjectRule

All Known Implementing Classes:

AbstractGraphObjectRule, com.tensegrity.graph.rule.AbstractRule, GraphRule

public interface Rule

Rule objects are the preferred way of defining the capabilities and interactive behavior of VisualGraph elements. A Rule can, for example, be used to impose a limit on the number of incoming connections to a certain type of VisualNode or even specify that certain visual edges are not detachable. These customizations provide the flexibility that is required to use the GraphAPI in a broad variety of applications.

Every Rule has a name that is unique in a RuleRegistry instance. Once retrieved, the Rule name is then assigned to the elements of a VisualGraph object, whereby a global rule, the so-called GraphRule, is assigned to the top-level VisualGraphView object itself. Each visual object subsequently references the name of the rule it is associated with and automatically checks the rule for compliance prior to executing most of its runtime operations.

Version:

$Id: Rule.java,v 1.9 2005/04/01 08:08:49 MichaelKegel Exp $

Author:

Stepan Rutz

See Also:

RuleRegistry

Method Summary

Rule	deepCopy() Returns a deep copy of the rule.
java.lang.String	getDescription() Return a description of this rule.
java.lang.String	getName() Returns the name of the rule.

Method Detail

getName

public java.lang.String getName()

Returns the name of the rule.

Returns:

the name of the rule.

getDescription

public java.lang.String getDescription()

Return a description of this rule.

Returns:

description of this rule.

deepCopy

public Rule deepCopy()

Returns a deep copy of the rule.

Returns:

a deep copy of the rule.