/*
* 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 org.opengis.geometry.DirectPosition;
import org.opengis.geometry.primitive.Point;
import org.opengis.annotation.UML;
import static org.opengis.annotation.Obligation.*;
import static org.opengis.annotation.Specification.*;
/**
* A type consisting of either a {@linkplain DirectPosition direct position} or of a
* {@linkplain Point point} from which a {@linkplain DirectPosition direct position}
* shall be obtained. The use of this data type allows the identification of a position
* either directly as a coordinate (variant direct) or indirectly as a {@linkplain Point point}
* (variant indirect).
*
* @departure
* ISO 19111 defines {@code Position} like a C/C++ {@code union} of {@code DirectPosition} and
* {@code Point}. Since unions are not allowed in Java, GeoAPI defines {@code Position} as the
* base interface of the above. This leads to a slightly different semantic since ISO defines
* {@link #getDirectPosition} as conditional, while GeoAPI defines it as mandatory by allowing
* the method to return {@code this}.
*
*
* @source $URL: http://svn.osgeo.org/geotools/branches/2.7.x/modules/library/opengis/src/main/java/org/opengis/geometry/coordinate/Position.java $
* @version <A HREF="http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/as">ISO 19107</A>
* @author Martin Desruisseaux (IRD)
* @since GeoAPI 1.0
*
* @issue http://jira.codehaus.org/browse/GEO-87
*/
@UML(identifier="GM_Position", specification=ISO_19107)
public interface Position {
/**
* @deprecated Renamed as {@link #getDirectPosition} for avoiding ambiguity.
*
* @return The direct position.
*/
@Deprecated
@UML(identifier="direct", obligation=CONDITIONAL, specification=ISO_19107)
DirectPosition getPosition();
/**
* Returns the direct position. This method shall never returns {@code null}, but may returns
* {@code this} if invoked on an object which is already a {@code DirectPosition} instance.
*
* @return The direct position (may be {@code this}).
*
* @since GeoAPI 2.2
*/
@UML(identifier="direct", obligation=CONDITIONAL, specification=ISO_19107)
DirectPosition getDirectPosition();
}