org.protempa.proposition.value

Interface Value

All Superinterfaces:

ValueVisitable

All Known Subinterfaces:

NumericalValue, OrderedValue

All Known Implementing Classes:

BooleanValue, DateValue, InequalityNumberValue, NominalValue, NumberValue, OrdinalValue, ValueList

public interface Value
extends ValueVisitable

A value (number, string, category, etc.). PROTEMPA implements its own value system rather than use the built-in primitive or object types in Java. PROTEMPA implements a special numeric type for representing "inequalities" such as > 100 for representing laboratory test results when the result is outside of the reportable range of the test. PROTEMPA implements a single number type that represents integers and floating point numbers with preservation of significant digits. Values can be compared for natural order to any other value regardless of type. PROTEMPA provides parsers that attempt to pick an appropriate value type when the contents of the string are of an unknown type. PROTEMPA provides flexible formatting into strings for display purposes. PROTEMPA's value system includes a value type for dates and for lists of values. Values have a special compare(org.protempa.proposition.value.Value) method for comparing values by natural order. The return type of this method, a ValueComparator, can return greater-than, less-than, equal-to or unknown, the latter being for when the values being compared are not comparable. Most values can be converted into built-in primitives or object types. Values' types are represented by the ValueType enum.

Author:

Andrew Post

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
ValueBuilder	asBuilder()
ValueComparator	compare(Value val) Returns whether the given value is greater, less than, equal to or not equal to this value.
String	getFormatted() Returns a string representing this value for display purposes.
ValueType	getType() Returns this object's type, guaranteed not null.
Value	replace() Returns a value from a cache that is equal to this one, if such a value exists.

Methods inherited from interface org.protempa.proposition.value.ValueVisitable

accept

Method Detail

getFormatted

String getFormatted()

Returns a string representing this value for display purposes.

Returns:

a String. Guaranteed not null.

compare

ValueComparator compare(Value val)

Returns whether the given value is greater, less than, equal to or not equal to this value. If the two values are not comparable, it returns "unknown". If this object is being compared to a list value, it tests list membership. This method cannot be used to compare two lists for equality. It is intended for checking whether a value satisfies a constraint.

Parameters:

val - a Value. If null, ValueComparator.UNKNOWN is returned.

Returns:

a ValueComparator indicating that the given value is greater, less than, equal to, not equal to, in or not in this value. If the two values are not comparable, {@link ValueComparator#UNKNOWN} is returned.

getType

ValueType getType()

Returns this object's type, guaranteed not null.

Returns:

a ValueType.

replace

Value replace()

Returns a value from a cache that is equal to this one, if such a value exists. Otherwise, it returns itself.

Returns:

a Value for which #equals(Value) is true.

asBuilder

ValueBuilder asBuilder()