/*
 *    GeoTools - The Open Source Java GIS Toolkit
 *    http://geotools.org
 *
 *    (C) 2011, Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo)
 *    (C) 2003-2005, Open Geospatial Consortium Inc.
 *    
 *    All Rights Reserved. http://www.opengis.org/legal/
 */
package org.opengis.geometry.coordinate;

import java.util.List;
import org.opengis.geometry.primitive.CurveSegment;
import org.opengis.annotation.UML;

import static org.opengis.annotation.Obligation.*;
import static org.opengis.annotation.Specification.*;


/**
 * A sequence of line segments, each having a parameterization like the one
 * {@link LineSegment}. The class essentially combines a
 * {@link List List<LineSegment>} into a single object,
 * with the obvious savings of storage space.
 *
 *
 * @source $URL: http://svn.osgeo.org/geotools/trunk/modules/library/opengis/src/main/java/org/opengis/geometry/coordinate/LineString.java $
 * @version <A HREF="http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/as">ISO 19107</A>
 * @author Martin Desruisseaux (IRD)
 * @since GeoAPI 1.0
 *
 * @see GeometryFactory#createLineString
 */
@UML(identifier="GM_LineString", specification=ISO_19107)
public interface LineString extends CurveSegment {
    /**
     * Returns a sequence of positions between which the curve is linearly interpolated.
     * The first position in the sequence is the {@linkplain #getStartPoint start Point}
     * of this {@code LineString}, and the last point in the sequence is the
     * {@linkplain #getEndPoint end point} of this {@code LineString}.
     *
     * @return The control points between which the curve is linearly interpolated.
     */
    @UML(identifier="controlPoint", obligation=MANDATORY, specification=ISO_19107)
    PointArray getControlPoints();

    /**
     * Decomposes a line string into an equivalent sequence of line segments.
     *
     * @return The sequence of line segments.
     */
    @UML(identifier="asGM_LineSegment", obligation=MANDATORY, specification=ISO_19107)
    List<LineSegment> asLineSegments();
}