org.apache.uima.cas_data
Interface FeatureStructure

All Superinterfaces:

Serializable

All Known Subinterfaces:

PrimitiveArrayFS, ReferenceArrayFS

public interface FeatureStructure
extends Serializable

An object in the CAS. Each FeatureStructure has an optional ID, a type (represented as a string), and a collection of features, which are attribute-value pairs. Feature names are strings, and their values may be primitives (String, integer, float) or references (via ID) to another FeatureStuctures. Circular references are allowed.

Arrays are represented by the subtypes PrimitiveArrayFS and ReferenceArrayFS. Arrays are not primitive values. This means that if the value of a feature is conceptually, for example, an integer array, this will be represented in the CasData as a reference, via ID, to a PrimitiveArrayFS object that actually contains the integer array value.

FeatureStructures also have a property indexed, which determines whether the FeatureStructure should be added to the CAS's indexes if the CAS Data is converted to a CAS Object. The CasData itself does not provide indexes.

Method Summary

String[]	getFeatureNames() Gets the names of all features on this FeatureStructure.
FeatureValue	getFeatureValue(String aName) Gets the value of a feature
String	getId() Gets the ID of this FeatureStructure.
int[]	getIndexed() Gets the index repositories that this FeatureStrucutre should be indexed in if the CasData is converted to a CAS Object.
String	getType() Gets the type of this FeatureStructure
boolean	isIndexed() Deprecated. Use getIndexed() instead
void	setFeatureValue(String aName, FeatureValue aValue) Sets the value of a feature
void	setId(String aId) Sets the ID of this FeatureStructure.
void	setIndexed(boolean aIndexed) Deprecated. Use setIndexed(int[]) instead
void	setIndexed(int[] aIndexed) Sets the index repositories that this FeatureStrucutre should be indexed in if the CasData is converted to a CAS Object.
void	setType(String aType) Sets the type of this FeatureStructure

Method Detail

getId

String getId()

Gets the ID of this FeatureStructure. IDs are optional, so this may return null. A FeatureStructure must have an ID if it is to be the target of a reference.

Returns:

this FeatureStructure's ID, null if none

setId

void setId(String aId)

Sets the ID of this FeatureStructure. IDs are optional, so null may be passed to this method. A FeatureStructure must have an ID if it is to be the target of a reference.

Parameters:

aId - the ID to assign to this FeatureStructure, null if none. It is the caller's responsibiltiy to ensure that this ID is unique within the CasData containing this FeatureStructure.

getType

String getType()

Gets the type of this FeatureStructure

Returns:

this FeatureStructure's type, as a string

setType

void setType(String aType)

Sets the type of this FeatureStructure

Parameters:

aType - this FeatureStructure's type, as a string

getFeatureNames

String[] getFeatureNames()

Gets the names of all features on this FeatureStructure.

Returns:

an array of feature names

getFeatureValue

FeatureValue getFeatureValue(String aName)

Gets the value of a feature

Parameters:

aName - name of feature

Returns:

value of feature named aName, or null if there is no such feature

setFeatureValue

void setFeatureValue(String aName,
                     FeatureValue aValue)

Sets the value of a feature

Parameters:

aName - name of feature to set

aValue - value of feature

isIndexed

@Deprecated
boolean isIndexed()

Deprecated. Use getIndexed() instead

Gets whether this FeatureStructure should be indexed if the CasData is converted to a CAS Object. The CasData itself does not provide indexes.

Returns:

true if this FS should be indexed, false if not

setIndexed

@Deprecated
void setIndexed(boolean aIndexed)

Deprecated. Use setIndexed(int[]) instead

Sets whether this FeatureStructure should be indexed if the CasData is converted to a CAS Object. The CasData itself does not provide indexes.

Parameters:

aIndexed - true if this FS should be indexed, false if not

getIndexed

int[] getIndexed()

Gets the index repositories that this FeatureStrucutre should be indexed in if the CasData is converted to a CAS Object. The CasData itself does not provide indexes.

Returns:

an array containing the numbers of the index repsositories that should contain this FS. Returns an empty array if this FS is not indexed.

setIndexed

void setIndexed(int[] aIndexed)

Sets the index repositories that this FeatureStrucutre should be indexed in if the CasData is converted to a CAS Object. The CasData itself does not provide indexes.

Parameters:

aIndexed - an array containing the numbers of the index repsositories that should contain this FS. Passing null is equivalent to passing an empty array.