ix.iface.domain
Class DomainParser

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--ix.iface.domain.DomainParser

Direct Known Subclasses:

LTF_Parser, XMLTF_Parser

public abstract class DomainParser

extends java.lang.Object

An object that parses a domain description to populate a Domain.

Constructor Summary

DomainParser()

Method Summary

static java.io.File	getLibraryDirectory() Returns an abstract pathname (File) that refers to the default library of domain descriptions.
static java.io.File	loadDomain(java.awt.Component parentComponent, Domain domain) Reads a description of a domain from a file selected by the user, conducting all necessary dialogs along the way.
static DomainParser	makeParser(java.io.File file) Factory method that returns an appropriate parser for the indicated file, based on the file's type or extension.
static DomainParser	makeParser(java.lang.String filename) Factory method that returns an appropriate parser for the indicated file.
abstract Domain	readDomain()
abstract Domain	readDomain(Domain dom)

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

, clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

DomainParser

public DomainParser()

Method Detail

readDomain

public abstract Domain readDomain()

readDomain

public abstract Domain readDomain(Domain dom)

getLibraryDirectory

public static java.io.File getLibraryDirectory()

Returns an abstract pathname (File) that refers to the default library of domain descriptions. This default can be set by the "domain-library" command-line argument ot by calling the Parameters.setParameter method.

See Also:

Parameters

makeParser

public static DomainParser makeParser(java.lang.String filename)
                               throws java.io.FileNotFoundException

Factory method that returns an appropriate parser for the indicated file. It converts the filename to an abstract pathname (File) and calls the makeParser(File) method.

makeParser

public static DomainParser makeParser(java.io.File file)
                               throws java.io.FileNotFoundException

Factory method that returns an appropriate parser for the indicated file, based on the file's type or extension. If the file does not specify a parent directory, the result of calling getLibraryDirectory() is used.

Here's how it might be used:

   File domainName = ...;
   Domain domain = ...;
   ...
   try {
       DomainParser.makeParser(domainName).readDomain(domain);
   }
   catch (FileNotFoundException e) { ... }
 

loadDomain

public static java.io.File loadDomain(java.awt.Component parentComponent,
                                      Domain domain)

Reads a description of a domain from a file selected by the user, conducting all necessary dialogs along the way. It repeatedly asks the user to select a file until either the domain description has been successfully read or the user decices to cancel the operation. The user is informed of any exceptions thrown while attempting to read, and "success" means that no exceptions were thrown. If the description has been read from a file, a corresponding File (abstract pathname) is returned; otherwise, the result is null.

The input syntax is a function of the file's type as understood by makeParser(File).

Note that this method modifies an existing Domain object rather than creating a new one. However, no modifications occur until after the file has been completely processed without an exception being thrown.

Parameters:

parentComponent - determines the Frame in which dialogs are displayed.

domain - the Domain object to modify

Returns:

a File if the domain description has been read successfully, otherwise null

See Also:

makeParser(File)