com.jcorporate.expresso.core.controller
Class Block

java.lang.Object
  com.jcorporate.expresso.core.controller.ControllerElement
      com.jcorporate.expresso.core.controller.Block

All Implemented Interfaces:

Cloneable, Serializable

public class Block

extends ControllerElement

implements Cloneable, Serializable

A Block is a logical grouping of Expresso Controller Elements used for nesting.

Recognized Types:

The following types are recognized by the expresso framework and automatically rendered: You may add your own types or ignore them if you are doing your own page rendering.

header-row: Renders each subobject in it's own cell with the appropriate jc-header class Make the cells pipe-delimited strings

row: Renders all subobjects in one row

borderWidth: Renders the table width a paricular border.

default behavior: Render as a table/nested table.

Author:

Shash Chatterjee

See Also:

Serialized Form

Constructor Summary

Block()
Instantiation Constructor.

Block(String newName)
Convenience constructor - to make a new Block object with a specific name.

Method Summary

void	add(ControllerElement element) Add an element to this Block
Object	clone() Generate a copy of this current Block
static ControllerElement	fromXML(org.w3c.dom.Node n) Return a controller element based upon the xml fragment
Block	getBlock(String blockName) Retrieve a newsted Block by name.
Vector	getBlocks() Retrieve a list of blocks contained within this Block
String	getFormEncoding() Retrieve the form encoding attribute of this block
String	getFormMethod() Get the form method whether GET or POST
Transition	getFormTransition() Get the Form Transition
Input	getInput(String inputName) Retrieve a nested input by name.
Vector	getInputs() Get the nested Inputs
Map	getNamedBlocks() Retrieve the Blocks as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion
Map	getNamedInputs() Retrieve the inputs as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion
Map	getNamedOutputs() Retrieve the outputs as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion
Map	getNamedTransitions() Retrieve the transitions as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion
int	getNumContents() Get the number of elements contained within the nested block
Output	getOutput(String outputName) Retrieve a nested output by name.
Vector	getOutputs() Retrieve a list of Outputs nested wtihin this block
Transition	getTransition(String transitionName) Retrieve a nested transition by name.
Vector	getTransitions() Retrieve a list of Transitions nested wtihin this block
boolean	isForm() Return true if the form attribute for this block has been set
void	removeNested(ControllerElement elementToRemove) Remove an element from the nested elements for this item
void	setForm(String isForm) Set whether this form is true or not.
void	setFormEncoding(String encoding) Set the encoding attribute for the block form
void	setFormMethod(String method) Set the form method.
void	setFormTransition(Transition a) Sets the form transition
protected FastStringBuffer	toNestedXML(FastStringBuffer stream, String blockLabel, Vector elements)
FastStringBuffer	toXML(FastStringBuffer stream) Concert the object to an xml fragment.

Methods inherited from class com.jcorporate.expresso.core.controller.ControllerElement

addNested, allNested, fromXML, getAttribute, getAttributes, getAttributesOrNull, getContent, getContents, getControllerResponse, getDescription, getDisplayLength, getLabel, getLines, getName, getNested, getNested, getNestedCount, getNestedIterator, getNestedMap, getNestedOrNull, getParent, getTitle, getType, remove, setAttribute, setControllerResponse, setDescription, setDisplayLength, setLabel, setLines, setName, setParent, setType

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

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

Constructor Detail

Block

public Block()

Instantiation Constructor. Normally not called

Block

public Block(String newName)

Convenience constructor - to make a new Block object with a specific name.

Parameters:

newName - The new name of the block

Method Detail

add

public void add(ControllerElement element)

Add an element to this Block

Parameters:

element - an element to be added

getNamedTransitions

public Map getNamedTransitions()

Retrieve the transitions as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion

Returns:

java.util.Map map of transitions which have been added

getNamedOutputs

public Map getNamedOutputs()

Retrieve the outputs as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion

Returns:

java.util.Map map of outputs which have been added

getNamedInputs

public Map getNamedInputs()

Retrieve the inputs as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion

Returns:

java.util.Map map of inputs which have been added

getNamedBlocks

public Map getNamedBlocks()

Retrieve the Blocks as a map so that JSTL can cope with navigating the ControllerResponse through a named fashion

Returns:

java.util.Map map of blocks which have been added

removeNested

public void removeNested(ControllerElement elementToRemove)
                  throws ControllerException

Remove an element from the nested elements for this item

Overrides:

removeNested in class ControllerElement

Parameters:

elementToRemove - The element to be removed from the list of nested items.

Throws:

ControllerException - if there is no such item nested in this item

clone

public Object clone()
             throws CloneNotSupportedException

Generate a copy of this current Block

Overrides:

clone in class ControllerElement

Returns:

an instantiated Block onbject

Throws:

CloneNotSupportedException - as per the API spec.

fromXML

public static ControllerElement fromXML(org.w3c.dom.Node n)
                                 throws ControllerException

Return a controller element based upon the xml fragment

Parameters:

n - a DOM Node that we extract the internal elements

Returns:

an instantiated ControllerElement [specifically a block]

Throws:

ControllerException - if unable to build itself from the DOM node

getBlocks

public Vector getBlocks()

Retrieve a list of blocks contained within this Block

Returns:

java.util.Vector

getBlock

public Block getBlock(String blockName)

Retrieve a newsted Block by name. Note that for this to work correctly, all added items in the block MUST have unique names. otherwise, you may get ClassCastExceptions

Parameters:

blockName - the name of the block to retrieve

Returns:

Block or null if the subBlock doesn't exit

getInput

public Input getInput(String inputName)

Retrieve a nested input by name. Note that for this to work correctly, all added items in the block MUST have unique names. otherwise, you may get ClassCastExceptions

Parameters:

inputName - the name of the block to retrieve

Returns:

Input or null if the sub input doesn't exit

getOutput

public Output getOutput(String outputName)

Retrieve a nested output by name. Note that for this to work correctly, all added items in the block MUST have unique names. otherwise, you may get ClassCastExceptions

Parameters:

outputName - the name of the block to retrieve

Returns:

Output or null if the sub output doesn't exit

getTransition

public Transition getTransition(String transitionName)

Retrieve a nested transition by name. Note that for this to work correctly, all added items in the block MUST have unique names. otherwise, you may get ClassCastExceptions

Parameters:

transitionName - the name of the block to retrieve

Returns:

Transition or null if the sub Transition doesn't exit

getFormEncoding

public String getFormEncoding()

Retrieve the form encoding attribute of this block

Returns:

java.lang.String or null

getFormMethod

public String getFormMethod()

Get the form method whether GET or POST

Returns:

java.lang.String either GET or POST

getFormTransition

public Transition getFormTransition()

Get the Form Transition

Returns:

com.jcorporate.expresso.core.controller.Transition

getInputs

public Vector getInputs()

Get the nested Inputs

Returns:

java.util.Vector of Inputs

getNumContents

public int getNumContents()

Get the number of elements contained within the nested block

Returns:

integer describing the size of the nested contents

getOutputs

public Vector getOutputs()

Retrieve a list of Outputs nested wtihin this block

Returns:

java.util.Vector of nested Outputs

getTransitions

public Vector getTransitions()

Retrieve a list of Transitions nested wtihin this block

Returns:

java.util.Vector of nested Transitions

isForm

public boolean isForm()

Return true if the form attribute for this block has been set

Returns:

boolean true if the attribute form has been set to true for this block

setForm

public void setForm(String isForm)
             throws ControllerException

Set whether this form is true or not.

Parameters:

isForm - either 'true' or 'false' (lower case)

Throws:

ControllerException - if the methods are invalid

setFormEncoding

public void setFormEncoding(String encoding)
                     throws ControllerException

Set the encoding attribute for the block form

Parameters:

encoding - java.lang.String

Throws:

ControllerException - if the attribute is unable to be thrown

setFormMethod

public void setFormMethod(String method)
                   throws ControllerException

Set the form method.

Parameters:

method - The string get or post (lower case)

Throws:

ControllerException - upon invalid argument

setFormTransition

public void setFormTransition(Transition a)
                       throws ControllerException

Sets the form transition

Parameters:

a - a Transition that is the equiv of the 'submit' button on the form.

Throws:

ControllerException - if the transition is null

toXML

public FastStringBuffer toXML(FastStringBuffer stream)

Concert the object to an xml fragment.

Overrides:

toXML in class ControllerElement

Parameters:

stream - an instantiated FastStringBuffer to which we are supposed to append to.

Returns:

a fleshed out FastStringBuffer (usually the stream parameter)

toNestedXML

protected FastStringBuffer toNestedXML(FastStringBuffer stream,
                                       String blockLabel,
                                       Vector elements)