/*
 *    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.parameter;

import java.util.List;
import org.opengis.metadata.Identifier;
import org.opengis.annotation.UML;
import org.opengis.annotation.Extension;

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


/**
 * The definition of a group of related parameters used by an operation method.
 *
 *
 * @source $URL: http://svn.osgeo.org/geotools/trunk/modules/library/opengis/src/main/java/org/opengis/parameter/ParameterDescriptorGroup.java $
 * @version <A HREF="http://portal.opengeospatial.org/files/?artifact_id=6716">Abstract specification 2.0</A>
 * @author  Martin Desruisseaux (IRD)
 * @author  Jody Garnett (Refractions Research)
 * @since   GeoAPI 2.0
 *
 * @see ParameterValueGroup
 * @see ParameterDescriptor
 */
@UML(identifier="CC_OperationParameterGroup", specification=ISO_19111)
public interface ParameterDescriptorGroup extends GeneralParameterDescriptor {
    /**
     * Creates a new instance of {@linkplain ParameterValueGroup parameter value group}
     * initialized with the {@linkplain ParameterDescriptor#getDefaultValue default values}.
     * The {@linkplain ParameterValueGroup#getDescriptor parameter value descriptor}
     * for the created group will be {@code this} object.
     *
     * The number of {@link ParameterValue} objects included must be between the
     * {@linkplain ParameterDescriptor#getMinimumOccurs minimum} and
     * {@linkplain ParameterDescriptor#getMaximumOccurs maximum occurences} required.
     * For example:
     * <ul>
     * <li>For {@link ParameterDescriptor} with cardinality 1:* a {@link ParameterValue} will
     *     be included with the {@linkplain ParameterDescriptor#getDefaultValue default value}
     *     (even if this default value is null).</li>
     * <li>For {@link ParameterDescriptor} with cardinality 0:* no entry is required.
     *     {@link ParameterValue} entries may be created only as needed.</li>
     * </ul>
     *
     * @return A new parameter instance initialized to the default value.
     */
    @Extension
    ParameterValueGroup createValue();

    /**
     * Returns the parameters in this group.
     *
     * @return The descriptor of this group.
     */
    @UML(identifier="includesParameter", obligation=MANDATORY, specification=ISO_19111)
    List<GeneralParameterDescriptor> descriptors();

    /**
     * Returns the parameter descriptor in this group for the specified
     * {@linkplain Identifier#getCode identifier code}.
     *
     * @param  name The case insensitive {@linkplain Identifier#getCode identifier code} of the
     *              parameter to search for.
     * @return The parameter for the given identifier code.
     * @throws ParameterNotFoundException if there is no parameter for the given identifier code.
     */
    @Extension
    GeneralParameterDescriptor descriptor(String name) throws ParameterNotFoundException;
}