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Functions of StrawType

 

These are some of the useful functions provided (statically) within the StrawType object.

Function Purpose

string2Vector(...) Breaks apart a string representation of a class name (with an optional delimiter, ``.'' by default.).

class2Vector(...) Breaks apart the name of the Class object into a Vector.

vector2String(...) Merges a Vector into a String representation. For example: {a b C} becomes a.b.C. (the delimiter can be specified).

vector2Class(...) Generates a Class object for the given Vector of Strings. So {a b C} will generate a class object for a.b.C. This will generate an exception if there if Java can't find the class file for the object.

straw2Package(...) Generates the name of the package that holds extensions to the Straw. For example, if the argument is a.b.C, the function returns a.b.c.

getPackageOf(...) Returns the package that this object is part of. So if the Straw is \a.b.C}, the function returns a.b.

package2Straw(...) Returns the super-type of all objects in the package. For example, given \a.b.c}, the function returns a.b.C.

package2Class(...) Same as above, but returns the Class object rather than a String. Throws an exception if Java can't find the class for the specific Straw.

toTie(...) Returns the equivalent ``tie'' name for a Class or the String name of the object. For example, if the object is bale.C, the function returns: tie.C.

toTieClass(...) Same as above but returns a Class representations. Exceptions as above.

toValidTie(...) Same as above but will walk back through a Straw's hierarchy until it finds a valid (i.e. Java recognizable) Tie extension. For example, submitting needle.filetype.Postscript, will return tie.Filetype (because tie.filetype.Postscript doesn't exist). The function returns Tie if it can't do any better.

toBale(...) Same as toTie above but generates a bale.

toBaleClass(...) Same as toTieClass above but generates a bale Class.

toNeedle(...) Same as toTie above but generates a needle.

toNeedleClass(...) Same as toTieClass above but generates a needle Class.

getSupertypes(...) Finds all valid supertypes of a given Straw.

isValid(...) verify that Java can load an object with the given name.



Copyright 1998, Eytan Adar (eytan@alum.mit.edu)