IAction.java

/**
 * Copyright (c) 2011, SOCIETIES Consortium (WATERFORD INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (TSSG), HERIOT-WATT UNIVERSITY (HWU), SOLUTA.NET 
 * (SN), GERMAN AEROSPACE CENTRE (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.) (DLR), Zavod za varnostne tehnologije
 * informacijske družbe in elektronsko poslovanje (SETCCE), INSTITUTE OF COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS (ICCS), LAKE
 * COMMUNICATIONS (LAKE), INTEL PERFORMANCE LEARNING SOLUTIONS LTD (INTEL), PORTUGAL TELECOM INOVAÇÃO, SA (PTIN), IBM Corp., 
 * INSTITUT TELECOM (ITSUD), AMITEC DIACHYTI EFYIA PLIROFORIKI KAI EPIKINONIES ETERIA PERIORISMENIS EFTHINIS (AMITEC), TELECOM 
 * ITALIA S.p.a.(TI),  TRIALOG (TRIALOG), Stiftelsen SINTEF (SINTEF), NEC EUROPE LTD (NEC))
 * All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following
 * conditions are met:
 *
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *
 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following
 *    disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING,
 * BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT 
 * SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
 * DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS
 * INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING
 * NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */

package org.societies.api.css.devicemgmt;

import java.util.Dictionary;
import java.util.List;

import org.societies.utilities.annotations.SocietiesExternalInterface;
import org.societies.utilities.annotations.SocietiesExternalInterface.SocietiesInterfaceType;

/**
 * Interface used to invoke action in a device 
 * @author Rafik (Trialog)
 *
 */
@SocietiesExternalInterface(type = SocietiesInterfaceType.PROVIDED)
public interface IAction {
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @return a list of action input arguments
	 */
	public List<String> getInputArgumentNames();
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @return A string that will be used to get and/or invoke the action.
	 */
	public String getName();
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @return a list of action output arguments
	 */
	public List <String> getOutputArgumentNames();
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @param argumentName: the name of the state variable
	 * @return a device state variable
	 */
	public IDeviceStateVariable getStateVariable (String argumentName);
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @param arguments
	 * @return 
	 */
	public Dictionary<String, Object> invokeAction(Dictionary<String, Object> arguments);
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @return Humane readable action description
	 */
	public String getActionDescription();
	
	/**
	 * 
	 * @return Humane readable action name
	 */
	public String getActionName();

}