org.exolab.castor.mapping

Interface FieldDescriptor

Known Subinterfaces:
JDOFieldDescriptor, XMLFieldDescriptor
Known Implementing Classes:
AbstractFieldDescriptor, FieldDescriptorImpl, JDOFieldDescriptorImpl, XMLContainerElementFieldDescriptor, XMLFieldDescriptorImpl

public interface FieldDescriptor

Describes the properties of a field. Implementations will extend this inteface to provide additional properties.
Version:
$Revision: 6907 $ $Date: 2005-12-06 14:55:28 -0700 (Tue, 06 Dec 2005) $
Authors:
Assaf Arkin
Ralf Joachim

Method Summary

ClassDescriptor
getClassDescriptor()
Returns the class descriptor related to the field type.
ClassDescriptor
getContainingClassDescriptor()
Get the class descriptor which contains this field.
String
getFieldName()
Returns the name of the field.
Class
getFieldType()
Returns the Java type of the field.
FieldHandler
getHandler()
Returns the handler of the field.
boolean
isImmutable()
Returns true if the field type is immutable.
boolean
isMultivalued()
Returns true if the field is multivalued (a collection).
boolean
isRequired()
Returns true if the field type is required.
boolean
isTransient()
Returns true if the field is transient.
void
setContainingClassDescriptor(ClassDescriptor parent)
Set the class descriptor which contains this field.

Method Details

getClassDescriptor

public ClassDescriptor getClassDescriptor()
Returns the class descriptor related to the field type. If the field type is a class for which a descriptor exists, this descriptor is returned. If the field type is a class for which no mapping is provided, null is returned.
Returns:
The class descriptor of the field type, or null.

getContainingClassDescriptor

public ClassDescriptor getContainingClassDescriptor()
Get the class descriptor which contains this field.
Returns:
The class descriptor which contains this field.

getFieldName

public String getFieldName()
Returns the name of the field. The field must have a name, even if set through accessor methods.
Returns:
Field name.

getFieldType

public Class getFieldType()
Returns the Java type of the field.
Returns:
Field type.

getHandler

public FieldHandler getHandler()
Returns the handler of the field. In order to persist or marshal a field descriptor will be associated with a handler.
Returns:
The field handler.

isImmutable

public boolean isImmutable()
Returns true if the field type is immutable.
Returns:
True if the field type is immutable.

isMultivalued

public boolean isMultivalued()
Returns true if the field is multivalued (a collection).
Returns:
True if the field is multivalued.

isRequired

public boolean isRequired()
Returns true if the field type is required.
Returns:
True if the field type is required.

isTransient

public boolean isTransient()
Returns true if the field is transient. Transient fields are never persisted or marshalled.
Returns:
True if transient field.

setContainingClassDescriptor

public void setContainingClassDescriptor(ClassDescriptor parent)
Set the class descriptor which contains this field.
Parameters:
parent - The class descriptor which contains this field.

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