Leaf.java

/*
 * This file or a portion of this file is licensed under the terms of
 * the Globus Toolkit Public License, found in file ../GTPL, or at
 * http://www.globus.org/toolkit/download/license.html. This notice must
 * appear in redistributions of this file, with or without modification.
 *
 * Redistributions of this Software, with or without modification, must
 * reproduce the GTPL in: (1) the Software, or (2) the Documentation or
 * some other similar material which is provided with the Software (if
 * any).
 *
 * Copyright 1999-2004 University of Chicago and The University of
 * Southern California. All rights reserved.
 */
package org.griphyn.vdl.classes;

import org.griphyn.vdl.classes.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.io.Serializable;

/**
 * <code>Leaf</code> is an abstract base class for leaf nodes in the
 * instance tree. FIXME: The content value is actually handled in the
 * child classes, and needs to be unified into this class. 
 *
 * @author Jens-S. Vöckler
 * @author Yong Zhao
 * @version $Revision$
 *
 * @see Text
 * @see Use
 * @see LFN
 */
public abstract class Leaf extends VDL implements Cloneable, Serializable
{
  /**
   * Creates and returns a copy of this object.
   * @return a new instance.
   */
  public abstract Object clone();

  /**
   * This is the name for a value element. 
   * @deprecated Originally we thought to employ this value, but it is
   * currently unused. 
   */
  transient private String m_value;

  /**
   * Accessor method. Obtains the current state of the thus named attribute.
   *
   * @return the current state of the m_name attribute.
   * @see #setValue(String)
   * @deprecated the attribute is currently unused.
   */
  public String getValue()
  { 
    return this.m_value; 
  }

  /**
   * Accessor method. Sets the attribute of same name to a new value.
   *
   * @param value is the new value to overwrite the current state with.
   * @see #getValue()
   * @deprecated the name attribute is currently unused.
   */
  public void setValue( String value )
  { 
    this.m_value = value; 
  }
}