info.pppc.base.system.plugin

Interface IPluginManager

All Superinterfaces:

IOperator

All Known Subinterfaces:

IDiscoveryManager, IRoutingManager, ISemanticManager, ITransceiverManager

All Known Implementing Classes:

PluginManager

public interface IPluginManager
extends IOperator

Each plug-in gets a reference to a manager. This reference enables the plug-in to execute some operation. Furthermore, it enables plug-ins to retrieve additional information about devices and plug-ins that are available.

Author:

Marcus Handte

Method Summary

Methods

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
DeviceDescription	getDeviceDescription(SystemID system) Returns the device description of the specified device.
SystemID[]	getDevices() Returns the system ids of systems that are currently available in the environment.
PluginDescription[]	getPluginDescriptions(SystemID system) Returns all plug-in descriptions of all plug-ins that are currently visible.

Methods inherited from interface info.pppc.base.system.operation.IOperator

performOperation, performOperation

Method Detail

getPluginDescriptions

PluginDescription[] getPluginDescriptions(SystemID system)

Returns all plug-in descriptions of all plug-ins that are currently visible. The array returned by this call is a working copy. I.e. it can be freely manipulated. However, the plug-in descriptions are used system-wide. Thus, changes to a description will be propagated throughout the system. A discovery plug-in should not manipulate any other plug-in description than its own. As discovery is used to signal availability and connectivity, a discovery plug-in should actually never announce this set of plug-in descriptions as this will lead to false connectivity information. Instead a plug-in should announce the plug-ins that are compatible with the corresponding communication technology used during announcement.

Parameters:

system - The system id of the device.

Returns:

A copy of an array that contains all plug-in descriptions of plug-ins that are currently registered at the system.

getDeviceDescription

DeviceDescription getDeviceDescription(SystemID system)

Returns the device description of the specified device. Note that the device description is a global object that should not be changed by discovery plug-ins. Changes to the device description are immediately propagated to other parts of the local system.

Parameters:

system - The system id of the device.

Returns:

The device description of the specified device.

getDevices

SystemID[] getDevices()

Returns the system ids of systems that are currently available in the environment.

Returns:

The available systems.