/*
 * Copyright 2010 (C) Tom Parker <thpr@users.sourceforge.net>
 * 
 * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
 * the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
 * Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option)
 * any later version.
 * 
 * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS
 * FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public License for more
 * details.
 * 
 * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
 * along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
 * 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
 */
package pcgen.cdom.base;

import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Collections;

import pcgen.cdom.enumeration.GroupingState;
import pcgen.core.PlayerCharacter;

public interface PrimitiveCollection<T>
{
	
	PrimitiveCollection INVALID = new PrimitiveCollection()
	{

		@Override
		public GroupingState getGroupingState()
		{
			return GroupingState.INVALID;
		}

		@Override
		public String getLSTformat(boolean useAny)
		{
			return "ERROR";
		}

		@Override
		public Class getReferenceClass()
		{
			return Object.class;
		}

		@Override
		public Collection getCollection(PlayerCharacter pc, Converter c)
		{
			return Collections.emptyList();
		}
	};

	public <R> Collection<? extends R> getCollection(PlayerCharacter pc, Converter<T, R> c);

	/**
	 * Returns the GroupingState for this PrimitiveCollection. The GroupingState
	 * indicates how this PrimitiveCollection can be combined with other
	 * PrimitiveCollections.
	 * 
	 * @return The GroupingState for this PrimitiveCollection.
	 */
	public GroupingState getGroupingState();

	/**
	 * Returns the Class object representing the Class that this
	 * PrimitiveCollection evaluates.
	 * 
	 * @return Class object representing the Class that this PrimitiveCollection
	 *         evaluates
	 */
	public Class<? super T> getReferenceClass();

	/**
	 * Returns a representation of this PrimitiveCollection, suitable for
	 * storing in an LST file.
	 * 
	 * @param useAny
	 *            use "ANY" for the global "ALL" reference when creating the LST
	 *            format
	 * @return A representation of this PrimitiveCollection, suitable for
	 *         storing in an LST file.
	 */
	public String getLSTformat(boolean useAny);

	/**
	 * Implemented as a similar result as Collections.emptyList() vs.
	 * Collections.EMPTY_LIST. The former allows one to avoid generic warnings
	 * in "runtime" code, as FIXED.invalid() would here.
	 */
	public static PrimLibrary FIXED = new PrimLibrary()
	{
		@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
		@Override
		public <PCT> PrimitiveCollection<PCT> invalid()
		{
			return INVALID;
		}
	};

	public interface PrimLibrary
	{
		<PCT> PrimitiveCollection<PCT> invalid();
	}

}