com.devnullsoftware.objlist
Interface IndexedData

public abstract interface IndexedData

If this interface is used for a class, when that class is stored in an Objlist, the secondary indices specified by these methods will also be stored.

Method Summary

java.lang.String[]	getIndices() gets all the secondary indices that this object needs to store
java.lang.String[]	getIndices(Objlist list) gets all the secondary indices that this object needs to store
void	updateLists(java.lang.String indexName, java.lang.String oldKey, java.lang.String newKey) Updates secondary indices in lists which store the item.

Method Detail

getIndices

public java.lang.String[] getIndices()

gets all the secondary indices that this object needs to store

Returns:

an array of Strings, each containing a name of an index which is also a field of the object.

getIndices

public java.lang.String[] getIndices(Objlist list)

gets all the secondary indices that this object needs to store

Parameters:

the - list in which this object is being stored. Acts as a reverse pointer so that when items in the objects secondary index fields get changed, it can notify those lists that store the item to update their index values appropriately. If this list is already in the object's list of lists, it will be ignored.

Returns:

an array of Strings, each containing a name of an index which is also a field of the object.

updateLists

public void updateLists(java.lang.String indexName,
                        java.lang.String oldKey,
                        java.lang.String newKey)

Updates secondary indices in lists which store the item. Tries to remove the old value from the secondary index, but will quietly fail to do this if indexName, oldValue or newValue are null. If all parameters are null, the routine will try to update the list with all new values of all secondary indices, leaving the old values in the list. This method should be callled when any variable tracked by a secondary index in a Objlist has changed value. (Therefore, in OO terms, variables that are tracked by secondary indices should be private to the class they reside in so that it can make sure this method is called when they are changed in order to keep the indices correct).

Parameters:

indexName - the name of the index being updated.

oldValue - the old value of this field

newValue - the new value of this field