Package org.geotools.api.feature.type

Interface PropertyType

  • All Known Subinterfaces:
    AssociationType, AttributeType, ChoiceAttributeType, ChoiceGeometryType, ComplexType, FeatureType, GeometryType, OperationType, SimpleFeatureType
    All Known Implementing Classes:
    AbstractLazyAttributeTypeImpl, AbstractLazyComplexTypeImpl, AssociationTypeImpl, AttributeTypeImpl, AttributeTypeProxy, ChoiceGeometryTypeImpl, ComplexFeatureTypeImpl, ComplexTypeImpl, ComplexTypeProxy, FeatureTypeImpl, FeatureTypeProxy, GeometryTypeImpl, GeometryTypeProxy, NonFeatureTypeProxy, PropertyTypeImpl, SimpleFeatureTypeImpl, UniqueNameFeatureTypeImpl, VPFFeatureClass, VPFFeatureType
    public interface PropertyType
    The type of a Property.

    A property type defines information about the value of a property. This includes:

    • java class of the value of the property ((also known as the property "binding")
    • any restrictions on the value of the property
    • a description of the property
    • if the type is abstract or not

    Binding

    The getBinding() method returns the java class of which the value of the property is an instance of. 
       Property property = ...;
   property.getType().getBinding().isAssignableFrom(property.getValue().getClass());

    Restrictions

    The getRestrictions() method returns a set of Filter objects which define additional restrictions on the value of the property. 
       Property property = ...;
   for ( Filter restriction : property.getType().getRestrictions() ) {
       restriction.evaluate( property ) == true;
   }

    Inheritance

    A property type may extend from another property type. When this occurs any restrictions defined by the parent type are inherited by the child type. The binding declared by the super type may or may not be a super class of the binding declared by the child type.

    Abstract Types

    A property type may be abstract similar to how a java class can be abstract. Such property types are usually not referenced directly by a descriptor, but usually are the parent type of a non-abstract property type.

    Example

    Property, PropertyDescriptor, and PropertyType are very similar to concepts encountered in xml schema. Consider the following xml schema: 
        < simpleType name="number"/>

    < simpleType name="integer"/>

    < complexType name="myComplexType"/>
      <element name="foo" type="integer"/>
    </complexType>

    In the above, "number", "integer", and "myComplexType" all map to PropertyType. While "foo" maps to a PropertyDescriptor. Consider a complex attribute which is of type "myComplexType: 
      ComplexAttribute complexAttribute = ...;
  ComplexType complexType = complexAttribute.getType();

  complexType.getName().getLocalPart() == "myComplexType";

  //the property descriptor
  PropertyDescriptor propertyDescriptor = complexType.getProperty( "foo" );
  propertyDescriptor.getName().getLocalPart() == "foo";

  //the property type
  PropertyType propertyType = propertyDescriptor.getType();
  propertyType.getName().getLocalPart() == "integer";
  propertyType.getBinding() == Integer.class;
  propertyType.getSuper().getName().getLocalPart() == "number";
  propertyType.getSuper().getBinding() == Number.class;

  //the property
  Property property = complexAttribute.getProperty( "foo" );
  property.getDescriptor() == propertyDescriptor;
  property.getType() == propertyType;
  property.getName().getLocalPart() == "foo";
  property.getValue() instanceof Integer;
    Author:
    Jody Garnett, Refractions Research, Inc., Justin Deoliveira, The Open Planning Project

    • Method Detail

      • getName

        Name getName()
        The name of the property type.

        Note that this is not the same name as Property.getName(), which is the name of the instance of the type, not the type itself.

        The returned name is a qualified name made up of two parts. The first a namespace uri (Name.getNamespaceURI(), and the second a local part (Name.getLocalPart().

        This value is never null.

        Returns:
        The name of the property type.

      • getBinding

        Class<?> getBinding()
        The java class that values of properties of the property type are bound to.

        This value is never null.

        Returns:
        The binding of the property type.

      • getSuper

        PropertyType getSuper()
        The parent type of the property type.

        This method returns null if no super type is defined.

        The super type may contain additional restrictions to be considered against properties of the the property type.

        Returns:
        The parent or super type, or null.

      • isAbstract

        boolean isAbstract()
        Flag indicating if the type is abstract or not.
        Returns:
        true if the type is abstract, otherwise false.

      • getRestrictions

        List<Filter> getRestrictions()
        List of restrictions used define valid values for properties of this property type.

        Each restriction is a Filter object in which the property is passed through. If Filter.evaluate(Object) returns true the restriction is met. If false is returned then the restriction has not been met and the property should be considered invalid. Remember to check getSuper().getRestrictions() as well.

        This method returns an empty set in the case of no restrictions and should not return null.

        Returns:
        List used to validate allowable values.

      • getDescription

        InternationalString getDescription()
        Human readable description of this property type.
        Returns:
        Human readable description of this property type.

      • getUserData

        Map<Object,​Object> getUserData()
        A map of "user data" which enables applications to store "application-specific" information against a property type.

        As an example, consider an application that builds a PropertyType from an xml schema. A useful bit of information to attach to the PropertyType is the original schema itself, in whatever construct it might be stored in: 

         
 XSDComplexTypeDefinition complexTypeDef = ...;
 PropertyType type = buildPropertyType( complexTypeDef );

 type.getUserData().put( XSDComplexTypeDefintion.class, complexTypeDef );
        Returns:
        A map of user data.

      • equals

        boolean equals​(Object other)
        Equality based on property getName().
        Overrides:
        equals in class Object
        Returns:
        true if other is a PropertyType with the same name

      • hashCode

        int hashCode()
        Hashcode override based on getName().
        Overrides:
        hashCode in class Object
        Returns:
        getName().hashCode()