org.optaplanner.core.api.solver

## Interface Solver<Solution_>

- Type Parameters:
    `Solution_` - the solution type, the class with the `PlanningSolution` annotation
  All Known Implementing Classes:
    AbstractSolver, DefaultSolver, PartitionSolver

      public interface Solver<Solution_>

  A Solver solves a planning problem and returns the best solution found. It's recommended to create a new Solver instance for each dataset.

  To create a Solver, use `SolverFactory.buildSolver()`. To solve a planning problem, call `solve(Object)`. To solve a planning problem without blocking the current thread, use `SolverManager` instead.

  These methods are not thread-safe and should be called from the same thread, except for the methods that are explicitly marked as thread-safe. Note that despite that `solve(Solution_)` is not thread-safe for clients of this class, that method is free to do multithreading inside itself.

- - ### Method Summary

    All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Deprecated Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `void` | `addEventListener(SolverEventListener<Solution_> eventListener)`
    `boolean` | `addProblemFactChange(ProblemFactChange<Solution_> problemFactChange)` Schedules a `ProblemFactChange` to be processed.
    `boolean` | `addProblemFactChanges(List<ProblemFactChange<Solution_>> problemFactChangeList)` Schedules multiple `ProblemFactChange`s to be processed.
    `String` | `explainBestScore()` Deprecated. in favor of `ScoreManager.explainScore(Object)`
    `Score` | `getBestScore()` Deprecated. in favor of `ScoreManager.updateScore(Object)`
    `Solution_` | `getBestSolution()` Deprecated. in favor of `addEventListener(SolverEventListener)` or `SolverJob.getFinalBestSolution()`.
    `ScoreDirectorFactory<Solution_>` | `getScoreDirectorFactory()` Deprecated. in favor of `SolverFactory.getScoreDirectorFactory()` Will be removed in 8.0.
    `long` | `getTimeMillisSpent()` Deprecated. in favor of `SolverJob.getSolvingDuration()`.
    `boolean` | `isEveryProblemFactChangeProcessed()` Checks if all scheduled `ProblemFactChange`s have been processed.
    `boolean` | `isSolving()` This method is thread-safe.
    `boolean` | `isTerminateEarly()` This method is thread-safe.
    `void` | `removeEventListener(SolverEventListener<Solution_> eventListener)`
    `Solution_` | `solve(Solution_ problem)` Solves the planning problem and returns the best solution encountered (which might or might not be optimal, feasible or even initialized).
    `boolean` | `terminateEarly()` Notifies the solver that it should stop at its earliest convenience.

- - ### Method Detail

    - #### solve

          Solution_ solve(Solution_ problem)

      Solves the planning problem and returns the best solution encountered (which might or might not be optimal, feasible or even initialized).

      It can take seconds, minutes, even hours or days before this method returns, depending on the `Termination` configuration. To terminate a `Solver` early, call `terminateEarly()`.

      Parameters:
        `problem` - never null, a `PlanningSolution`, usually its planning variables are uninitialized
      Returns:
        never null, but it can return the original, uninitialized `PlanningSolution` with a null `Score`.
      See Also:
        `terminateEarly()`

    - #### terminateEarly

          boolean terminateEarly()

      Notifies the solver that it should stop at its earliest convenience. This method returns immediately, but it takes an undetermined time for the `solve(Solution_)` to actually return.

      If the solver is running in daemon mode, this is the only way to terminate it normally.

      This method is thread-safe. It can only be called from a different thread because the original thread is still calling `solve(Object)`.

      Returns:
        true if successful, false if was already terminating or terminated
      See Also:
        `isTerminateEarly()`, `Future.cancel(boolean)`

    - #### getBestSolution

          @Deprecated
          Solution_ getBestSolution()

      Deprecated. in favor of `addEventListener(SolverEventListener)` or `SolverJob.getFinalBestSolution()`.
      The best solution is the `best solution` found during solving: it might or might not be optimal, feasible or even initialized.

      The `solve(Solution_)` method also returns the best solution, but this method is useful in rare asynchronous situations (although `SolverEventListener.bestSolutionChanged(BestSolutionChangedEvent)` is often more appropriate).

      This method is thread-safe.

      Returns:
        never null (unless `solve(Object)` hasn't been called yet), but it can return the uninitialized `PlanningSolution` with a `Score` null.

    - #### getBestScore

          @Deprecated
          Score getBestScore()

      Deprecated. in favor of `ScoreManager.updateScore(Object)`
      Returns the `Score` of the `getBestSolution()`.

      This is useful for generic code, which doesn't know the type of the `PlanningSolution` to retrieve the `Score` from the `getBestSolution()` easily.

      This method is thread-safe.

      Returns:
        null if the `PlanningSolution` is still uninitialized

    - #### explainBestScore

          @Deprecated
          String explainBestScore()

      Deprecated. in favor of `ScoreManager.explainScore(Object)`
      Returns a diagnostic text that explains the `getBestSolution()` through the `ConstraintMatch` API to identify which constraints or planning entities cause that `getBestScore()` quality. In case of an `infeasible` solution, this can help diagnose the cause of that.

      Do not parse this string. Instead, to provide this information in a UI or a service, use `SolverFactory.getScoreDirectorFactory()` to retrieve `ScoreDirector.getConstraintMatchTotalMap()` and `ScoreDirector.getIndictmentMap()` and convert those into a domain specific API.

      This method is thread-safe.

      Returns:
        null if `getBestScore()` returns null
      See Also:
        `ScoreDirector.explainScore()`

    - #### getTimeMillisSpent

          @Deprecated
          long getTimeMillisSpent()

      Deprecated. in favor of `SolverJob.getSolvingDuration()`.
      Returns the amount of milliseconds spent solving since the last start. If it hasn't started it yet, it returns 0. If it hasn't ended yet, it returns the time between the last start and now. If it has ended already, it returns the time between the last start and the ending.

      A `addProblemFactChange(ProblemFactChange)` triggers a restart which resets this time.

      This method is thread-safe.

      Returns:
        the amount of milliseconds spent solving since the last (re)start, at least 0

    - #### isSolving

          boolean isSolving()

      This method is thread-safe.
      Returns:
        true if the `solve(Solution_)` method is still running.

    - #### isTerminateEarly

          boolean isTerminateEarly()

      This method is thread-safe.
      Returns:
        true if terminateEarly has been called since the `Solver` started.
      See Also:
        `Future.isCancelled()`

    - #### addProblemFactChange

          boolean addProblemFactChange(ProblemFactChange<Solution_> problemFactChange)

      Schedules a `ProblemFactChange` to be processed.

      As a side-effect, this restarts the `Solver`, effectively resetting all `Termination`s, but not `terminateEarly()`.

      This method is thread-safe. Follows specifications of `BlockingQueue.add(Object)` with by default a capacity of `Integer.MAX_VALUE`.

      Parameters:
        `problemFactChange` - never null
      Returns:
        true (as specified by `Collection.add(E)`)
      See Also:
        `addProblemFactChanges(List)`

    - #### addProblemFactChanges

          boolean addProblemFactChanges(List<ProblemFactChange<Solution_>> problemFactChangeList)

      Schedules multiple `ProblemFactChange`s to be processed.

      As a side-effect, this restarts the `Solver`, effectively resetting all `Termination`s, but not `terminateEarly()`.

      This method is thread-safe. Follows specifications of `Collection.addAll(Collection)` with by default a capacity of `Integer.MAX_VALUE`.

      Parameters:
        `problemFactChangeList` - never null
      Returns:
        true (as specified by `Collection.add(E)`)
      See Also:
        `addProblemFactChange(ProblemFactChange)`

    - #### isEveryProblemFactChangeProcessed

          boolean isEveryProblemFactChangeProcessed()

      Checks if all scheduled `ProblemFactChange`s have been processed.

      This method is thread-safe.

      Returns:
        true if there are no `ProblemFactChange`s left to do

    - #### addEventListener

          void addEventListener(SolverEventListener<Solution_> eventListener)

      Parameters:
        `eventListener` - never null

    - #### removeEventListener

          void removeEventListener(SolverEventListener<Solution_> eventListener)

      Parameters:
        `eventListener` - never null

    - #### getScoreDirectorFactory

          @Deprecated
          ScoreDirectorFactory<Solution_> getScoreDirectorFactory()

      Deprecated. in favor of `SolverFactory.getScoreDirectorFactory()` Will be removed in 8.0.
      Useful to reuse the `Score` calculation (for example in a UI) and to explain the `Score` to the user with the `ConstraintMatchTotal` and `Indictment` API.
      Returns:
        never null

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