org.apache.uima.cas
Interface TypeSystem

All Known Subinterfaces:
TypeSystemMgr

public interface TypeSystem

The interface to the type system. Used to access information about existing types and features using their String identifiers. This is a pure access interface. Types and features are defined using Component Descriptors, written in XML.

Get the type system from a CAS object with getTypeSystem().

There are a few methods to list the existing types in a type system. Information about which feature is appropriate for which type is available through the Type and Feature classes.


Field Summary
static char FEATURE_SEPARATOR
          This is the character that separates a type name from a feature name.
static char NAMESPACE_SEPARATOR
          This is the character that separates name spaces.
 
Method Summary
 Type getArrayType(Type componentType)
          Obtain an array type with component type componentType.
 Vector<Type> getDirectlySubsumedTypes(Type type)
          Deprecated. Use getDirectSubtypes(Type) instead.
 List<Type> getDirectSubtypes(Type type)
          Get a List of the types directly subsumed by a given type.
 Feature getFeatureByFullName(String featureName)
          Get a feature object for a given name.
 Iterator<Feature> getFeatures()
          Get a list of features, in no particular order.
 org.apache.uima.cas.impl.LowLevelTypeSystem getLowLevelTypeSystem()
          Return the low-level view of this type system.
 Type getParent(Type type)
          Get the parent type for input type.
 List<Type> getProperlySubsumedTypes(Type type)
          Return the list of all types subsumed by the input type.
 Type getTopType()
          Get the top type, i.e., the root of the type system.
 Type getType(String typeName)
          Get a type object for a given type name.
 Iterator<Type> getTypeIterator()
          Get an iterator over all types, in no particular order.
 TypeNameSpace getTypeNameSpace(String name)
          Create a type name space object for the name parameter.
 boolean subsumes(Type superType, Type subType)
          Does one type inherit from the other?
 

Field Detail

FEATURE_SEPARATOR

static final char FEATURE_SEPARATOR
This is the character that separates a type name from a feature name. Ex.: uima.cas.Annotation:begin.

See Also:
Constant Field Values

NAMESPACE_SEPARATOR

static final char NAMESPACE_SEPARATOR
This is the character that separates name spaces. Ex.: uima.cas.Annotation

See Also:
Constant Field Values
Method Detail

getType

Type getType(String typeName)
Get a type object for a given type name. See documentation on type names.

Parameters:
typeName - The name of the type.
Returns:
A type object, or null if no such type exists.

getArrayType

Type getArrayType(Type componentType)
Obtain an array type with component type componentType.

Parameters:
componentType - The type of the elements of the resulting array type. This can be any type, even another array type.
Returns:
The array type with the corresponding component type.

getFeatureByFullName

Feature getFeatureByFullName(String featureName)
Get a feature object for a given name. See documentation on feature names.

Parameters:
featureName - The fully qualified name of the feature.
Returns:
An feature object, or null if no such feature exists.

getTypeIterator

Iterator<Type> getTypeIterator()
Get an iterator over all types, in no particular order.

Returns:
The iterator.

getTopType

Type getTopType()
Get the top type, i.e., the root of the type system.

Returns:
The top type.

getDirectlySubsumedTypes

@Deprecated
Vector<Type> getDirectlySubsumedTypes(Type type)
Deprecated. Use getDirectSubtypes(Type) instead.

Get a vector of the types directly subsumed by a given type.

Parameters:
type - The input type.
Returns:
A vector of the directly subsumed types.

getDirectSubtypes

List<Type> getDirectSubtypes(Type type)
Get a List of the types directly subsumed by a given type.

Parameters:
type - The input type.
Returns:
A List of the directly subsumed types.

getProperlySubsumedTypes

List<Type> getProperlySubsumedTypes(Type type)
Return the list of all types subsumed by the input type. Note: the list does not include the type itself.

Parameters:
type - Input type.
Returns:
The list of types subsumed by type.

getParent

Type getParent(Type type)
Get the parent type for input type.

Parameters:
type - The type we want to know the parent of.
Returns:
The parent type, or null for the top type.

subsumes

boolean subsumes(Type superType,
                 Type subType)
Does one type inherit from the other?

Parameters:
superType - Supertype.
subType - Subtype.
Returns:
true iff sub inherits from super.

getFeatures

Iterator<Feature> getFeatures()
Get a list of features, in no particular order.

Returns:
An iterator over the features.

getTypeNameSpace

TypeNameSpace getTypeNameSpace(String name)
Create a type name space object for the name parameter.

Parameters:
name - The name of the name space.
Returns:
A TypeNameSpace object corresponding to name, or null, if name is not a legal type name space identifier.

getLowLevelTypeSystem

org.apache.uima.cas.impl.LowLevelTypeSystem getLowLevelTypeSystem()
Return the low-level view of this type system.

Returns:
The LowLevelTypeSystem version of this type system.


Copyright © 2010 The Apache Software Foundation. All Rights Reserved.