org.apache.shale.dialog
Interface Dialog

All Known Implementing Classes:

DialogImpl

public interface Dialog

Overall configuration of an individual dialog. During application execution, this information is immutable (so that simultaneous execution threads may be processing states or transitions through this dialog). Therefore, access to configuration information is not synchronized.

A Dialog is characterized by a set of named States, which are executed in an order that is determined by Transitions between those States. Execution of a Dialog begins at the State specified by the start property, and ends when an EndState is executed.

Transitions describe the rule that determines the name of the next State to be executed, based upon a logical outcome returned by the execution of a previous State. Transitions associated with a Dialog define dialog-wide rules for specified outcomes, while Transitions associated with a particular State can replace the global Transition that would normally be selected with one specific to the executing State.

$Id: Dialog.java 419431 2006-07-06 04:38:39Z wsmoak $

Method Summary

State	findState(String id) Return the specified State, owned by this Dialog, if any.
Transition	findTransition(String outcome) Return the global Transition for the specified logical outcome, if any; otherwise, return null.
String	getName() Return the name of this Dialog.
String	getStart() Return the name of the starting State for this Dialog.
Iterator	getStateIds() Return an Iterator over the names of States that are owned by this Dialog.
Iterator	getTransitionOutcomes() Return an Iterator over the logical outcomes of global Transitions for this Dialog.

Method Detail

getName

String getName()

Return the name of this Dialog.

getStart

String getStart()

Return the name of the starting State for this Dialog.

getStateIds

Iterator getStateIds()

Return an Iterator over the names of States that are owned by this Dialog. If there are no such States, an empty Iterator is returned.

getTransitionOutcomes

Iterator getTransitionOutcomes()

Return an Iterator over the logical outcomes of global Transitions for this Dialog. If there are no such Transitions, an empty Iterator is returned.

findState

State findState(String id)

Return the specified State, owned by this Dialog, if any. Otherwise, return null.

Parameters:

id - Identifier of the requested State

findTransition

Transition findTransition(String outcome)

Return the global Transition for the specified logical outcome, if any; otherwise, return null.

Parameters:

outcome - Logical outcome for which to return a Transition