org.semanticweb.owl.model
Interface OWLObject

All Superinterfaces:

Cloneable, Serializable

All Known Subinterfaces:

OWLAnd, OWLAnnotationInstance, OWLAnnotationProperty, OWLBooleanDescription, OWLCardinalityRestriction, OWLClass, OWLClassAxiom, OWLDataAllRestriction, OWLDataCardinalityRestriction, OWLDataEnumeration, OWLDataProperty, OWLDataPropertyInstance, OWLDataQuantifiedRestriction, OWLDataRange, OWLDataRestriction, OWLDataSomeRestriction, OWLDataType, OWLDataValue, OWLDataValueRestriction, OWLDescription, OWLDifferentIndividualsAxiom, OWLDisjointClassesAxiom, OWLDLOntology, OWLEntity, OWLEnumeration, OWLEquivalentClassesAxiom, OWLEquivalentPropertiesAxiom, OWLFrame, OWLIndividual, OWLIndividualAxiom, OWLLiteOntology, OWLNamedObject, OWLNaryBooleanDescription, OWLNot, OWLObjectAllRestriction, OWLObjectCardinalityRestriction, OWLObjectProperty, OWLObjectPropertyInstance, OWLObjectQuantifiedRestriction, OWLObjectRestriction, OWLObjectSomeRestriction, OWLObjectValueRestriction, OWLOntology, OWLOr, OWLProperty, OWLPropertyAxiom, OWLPropertyInstance, OWLRestriction, OWLSameIndividualsAxiom, OWLSubClassAxiom, OWLSubPropertyAxiom

All Known Implementing Classes:

OWLAndImpl, OWLAnnotationInstanceImpl, OWLAnnotationPropertyImpl, OWLClassImpl, OWLConcreteDataImpl, OWLConcreteDataTypeImpl, OWLDataAllRestrictionImpl, OWLDataCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLDataEnumerationImpl, OWLDataPropertyImpl, OWLDataQuantifiedRestrictionImpl, OWLDataRestrictionImpl, OWLDataSomeRestrictionImpl, OWLDataValueRestrictionImpl, OWLDifferentIndividualsAxiomImpl, OWLDisjointClassesAxiomImpl, OWLEntityImpl, OWLEnumerationImpl, OWLEquivalentClassesAxiomImpl, OWLEquivalentPropertiesAxiomImpl, OWLFrameImpl, OWLIndividualAxiomImpl, OWLIndividualImpl, OWLNamedObjectImpl, OWLNaryBooleanDescriptionImpl, OWLNotImpl, OWLObjectAllRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectImpl, OWLObjectPropertyImpl, OWLObjectQuantifiedRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectSomeRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectValueRestrictionImpl, OWLOntologyImpl, OWLOrImpl, OWLPropertyImpl, OWLSameIndividualsAxiomImpl, OWLSubClassAxiomImpl, OWLSubPropertyAxiomImpl

public interface OWLObject

extends Cloneable, Serializable

A top level interface for the kinds of things that are found in Ontologies. Each OWLObject knows about the OWLDataFactory that was used to create it. OWLObjects also accept visits from OWLObjectVisitor. The use of the Visitor pattern (see Design Patterns, Gamma et. al. p.331) allows us to extend the functionality of the data structures without having to alter the underlying implementation.
In addition, we can store metadata about any OWLObject using a Map. This allows us to store pretty much anything we want, although any clients of the objects will, of course, need to know something about the way in which that metadata is structured in order to make use of it.

Version:

$Id: OWLObject.java,v 1.1.1.1 2003/10/14 17:10:08 sean_bechhofer Exp $

Method Summary

void	accept(OWLObjectVisitor visitor) Accept a visit from a visitor
Object	clone()
Set	getAnnotations() Returns the annotations on the object.
Set	getAnnotations(OWLOntology o) Returns the annotations on the object in the given ontology.
OWLObject[]	getContainedObjects() Return any objects which are contained within this object.
Map	getMetadata() Get metadata -- this returns a Map which allows the support of arbitrary metadata.
OWLConnection	getOWLConnection() Returns the Connection of this object
OWLDataFactory	getOWLDataFactory() Returns an OWLDataFactory [REVIEW] the DataFactory should live with the connection object...

Method Detail

getContainedObjects

public OWLObject[] getContainedObjects()
                                throws OWLException

Return any objects which are contained within this object. By contained this means, any of the objects which can be reached from any of more specific methods in the interface. The ordering of the objects in the array is undefined. A null return represents an empty collection.

Returns:

an OWLObject[], or null.

OWLException

getOWLDataFactory

public OWLDataFactory getOWLDataFactory()
                                 throws OWLException

Returns an OWLDataFactory [REVIEW] the DataFactory should live with the connection object...

OWLException

getOWLConnection

public OWLConnection getOWLConnection()
                               throws OWLException

Returns the Connection of this object

OWLException

clone

public Object clone()

accept

public void accept(OWLObjectVisitor visitor)
            throws OWLException

Accept a visit from a visitor

OWLException

getMetadata

public Map getMetadata()
                throws OWLException

Get metadata -- this returns a Map which allows the support of arbitrary metadata.

OWLException

getAnnotations

public Set getAnnotations()
                   throws OWLException

Returns the annotations on the object.

OWLException

getAnnotations

public Set getAnnotations(OWLOntology o)
                   throws OWLException

Returns the annotations on the object in the given ontology.

OWLException