com.metamatrix.metadata.runtime.api
Interface Element

All Superinterfaces:

MetadataObject, java.io.Serializable

All Known Implementing Classes:

BasicElement

public interface Element
extends MetadataObject

Instances of this interface represent Elements for a Group. The values of an Element are analogous to a Column ion a table in a database.

Method Summary

java.lang.String	getAlias() Return the alias.
int	getCharOctetLength()
DataType	getDataType() Returns the DataType this element is represented as.
java.lang.Object	getDefaultValue() Returns the default value in the object form based on the data type for this element.
java.lang.String	getDescription() Return the description.
java.lang.String	getFormat() Returns the format the data for this element should be displayed as.
java.lang.String	getLabel() Returns the label.
int	getLength() If the data type is numeric, the length is the total number of significant digits used to express the number.
java.lang.String	getMaximumRange() eturns the maximum value that the element can represent.
java.lang.String	getMinimumRange() Returns the minimum value that the element can represent.
Multiplicity	getMultplicity() Returns the multiplicity this element can have.
java.lang.String	getNameInSource() Returns the name-in-soure for this element.
short	getNullType() Returns a short indicating if the element can be set to null.
int	getPrecisionLength()
int	getRadix()
int	getScale() Returns the scale, which is the number of significant digits to the right of the decimal point.
short	getSearchType() Return short indicating the search type supported on this element.
boolean	hasNameInSource() Returns whether the name-in-soure is defined for this element.
boolean	isAutoIncrement() Returns a boolean indicating if the element is auto incremented by the database.
boolean	isCaseSensitive() Returns a boolean indicating if the element data is case sensitive.
boolean	isCurrency() Returns a boolean indicating if the element data represents currency.
boolean	isLengthFixed() Returns a boolean indicating if the length is fixed.
boolean	isPhysical() Returns a boolean indicating if this a physical element.
boolean	isSigned() Returns a boolean indicating if the element data is signed.
boolean	supportsSelect() Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be selected
boolean	supportsSet() Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be used in a SET operation.
boolean	supportsSubscription() Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be subscribed to.
boolean	supportsUpdate() Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be updated.

Methods inherited from interface com.metamatrix.metadata.runtime.api.MetadataObject

clone, compareTo, equals, getFullName, getID, getName, getProperties, getVirtualDatabaseID, toString

Method Detail

getDescription

java.lang.String getDescription()

Return the description.

Returns:

String

getAlias

java.lang.String getAlias()

Return the alias.

Returns:

String alias

getLabel

java.lang.String getLabel()

Returns the label.

Returns:

String

getNameInSource

java.lang.String getNameInSource()

Returns the name-in-soure for this element.

Returns:

String is the name in source

hasNameInSource

boolean hasNameInSource()

Returns whether the name-in-soure is defined for this element.

Returns:

true if this element has the name in source; false otherwise.

getDataType

DataType getDataType()

Returns the DataType this element is represented as. If it is a user-defined type, the corresponding runtime type is returned.

Returns:

DataType

getScale

int getScale()

Returns the scale, which is the number of significant digits to the right of the decimal point. The scale cannot exceed the length, and the scale defaults to 0 (meaning it is an integer number and the decimal point is dropped).

Returns:

int

getLength

int getLength()

If the data type is numeric, the length is the total number of significant digits used to express the number. If it is a string, character array, or bit array it represents the maximum length of the value. For time and timestamp data types, the length is the number of positions that make up the fractional seconds.

Returns:

int

isPhysical

boolean isPhysical()

Returns a boolean indicating if this a physical element.

Returns:

boolean

isLengthFixed

boolean isLengthFixed()

Returns a boolean indicating if the length is fixed.

Returns:

boolean

getNullType

short getNullType()

Returns a short indicating if the element can be set to null.

Returns:

short

See Also:

MetadataConstants.NULL_TYPES

supportsSelect

boolean supportsSelect()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be selected

Returns:

boolean

supportsSet

boolean supportsSet()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be used in a SET operation.

Returns:

boolean

supportsSubscription

boolean supportsSubscription()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be subscribed to.

Returns:

boolean

supportsUpdate

boolean supportsUpdate()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element can be updated.

Returns:

boolean

isCaseSensitive

boolean isCaseSensitive()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element data is case sensitive. This value shall be false if the data type is not a character, character array or string type.

Returns:

boolean

isSigned

boolean isSigned()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element data is signed.

Returns:

boolean

isCurrency

boolean isCurrency()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element data represents currency.

Returns:

boolean

isAutoIncrement

boolean isAutoIncrement()

Returns a boolean indicating if the element is auto incremented by the database. Therefore, this element value should not be provided on an insert statement.

Returns:

boolean

getMinimumRange

java.lang.String getMinimumRange()

Returns the minimum value that the element can represent.

Returns:

String

getMaximumRange

java.lang.String getMaximumRange()

eturns the maximum value that the element can represent.

Returns:

String

getSearchType

short getSearchType()

Return short indicating the search type supported on this element.

Returns:

short

See Also:

MetadataConstants.SEARCH_TYPES

getFormat

java.lang.String getFormat()

Returns the format the data for this element should be displayed as.

Returns:

String

getMultplicity

Multiplicity getMultplicity()

Returns the multiplicity this element can have.

Returns:

Multiplicity

getDefaultValue

java.lang.Object getDefaultValue()

Returns the default value in the object form based on the data type for this element.

Returns:

Object

getPrecisionLength

int getPrecisionLength()

getRadix

int getRadix()

getCharOctetLength

int getCharOctetLength()