Interface | osid.OsidObject | ||
---|---|---|---|
Implements | osid.Identifiable | ||
osid.Extensible | |||
osid.Browsable | |||
Description |
Creation of OSID Objects and the modification of their
data is managed through the associated All An For example, if recordB extends recordA, typeB is a child of typeA. If a record implements typeB, than it also implements typeA. An application that only knows about typeA retrieves recordA. An application that knows about typeB, retrieves recordB which is the union of methods specified in typeA and typeB. If an application requests typeA, it may not attempt to access methods defined in typeB as they may not exist until explicitly requested. The mechanics of this polymorphism is defined by the language binder. One mechanism might be the use of casting. In addition to the record Like record Types, the genus Types may also exist in an
implicit type hierarchy. An OSID object always has at least
one genus. Genus types should not be confused with subject
tagging, which is managed externally to the object. Unlike
record Methods that return values are not permitted to return
nulls. If a value is not set, it is indicated in the | ||
Method | getDisplayName | ||
Description |
Gets the preferred display name associated with this instance of this OSID object appropriate for display to the user. | ||
Return | osid.locale.DisplayText | the display name | |
Compliance | mandatory | This method must be implemented. | |
Provider Notes |
A display name is a string used for identifying an object in human terms. A provider may wish to initialize the display name based on one or more object attributes. In some cases, the display name may not map to a specific or significant object attribute but simply be used as a preferred display name that can be modified. A provider may also wish to translate the display name into a specific locale using the Locale service. Some OSIDs define methods for more detailed naming. | ||
Method | getDescription | ||
Description |
Gets the description associated with this instance of this OSID object. | ||
Return | osid.locale.DisplayText | the description | |
Compliance | mandatory | This method must be implemented. | |
Provider Notes |
A description is a string used for describing an object in human terms and may not have significance in the underlying system. A provider may wish to initialize the description based on one or more object attributes and/or treat it as an auxiliary piece of data that can be modified. A provider may also wish to translate the description into a specific locale using the Locale service. | ||
Method | getGenusType | ||
Description |
Gets the genus type of this object. | ||
Return | osid.type.Type | the genus type of this object | |
Compliance | mandatory | This method must be implemented. | |
Method | isOfGenusType | ||
Description |
Tests if this object is of the given genus | ||
Parameters | osid.type.Type | genusType | a genus type |
Return | boolean | true if this object is of the given genus Type,
false otherwise | |
Errors | NULL_ARGUMENT | genusType is null | |
Compliance | mandatory | This method must be implemented. |