Package uk.ac.rdg.resc.edal.metadata

Class VariableMetadata

java.lang.Object

uk.ac.rdg.resc.edal.metadata.VariableMetadata

All Implemented Interfaces:

Serializable

Direct Known Subclasses:

DiscreteLayeredVariableMetadata

public class VariableMetadata
extends Object
implements Serializable

Describes a variable held within a Dataset. Variables can be hierarchically nested.

Author:

Guy Griffiths, Jon Blower

See Also:

Serialized Form

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor	Description
VariableMetadata(Parameter parameter, HorizontalDomain hDomain, VerticalDomain zDomain, TemporalDomain tDomain)	Constructs a VariableMetadata object holding metadata about a plottable variable.
VariableMetadata(Parameter parameter, HorizontalDomain hDomain, VerticalDomain zDomain, TemporalDomain tDomain, boolean scalar)	Constructs a VariableMetadata object holding metadata about a variable.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
Set<VariableMetadata>	getChildren()	Returns a Set containing the children of this VariableMetadata, or an empty Set if there are none.
VariableMetadata	getChildWithRole(String role)	Returns all child VariableMetadata with the designated role
Dataset	getDataset()	The dataset to which this variable belongs
HorizontalDomain	getHorizontalDomain()	Returns the horizontal domain of the variable.
String	getId()
Parameter	getParameter()	Describes what is being measured by the values of this variable.
VariableMetadata	getParent()	Returns the VariableMetadata of the parent object, or null if this VariableMetadata has no parent
TemporalDomain	getTemporalDomain()	Returns the temporal domain of the variable
Map<String,Object>	getVariableProperties()
VerticalDomain	getVerticalDomain()	Returns the vertical domain of the variable
boolean	isScalar()
void	setDataset(Dataset dataset)	Recursively set the dataset for this VariableMetadata
void	setParent(VariableMetadata parent, String relationshipToParent)	Sets the parent-child relationship of this VariableMetadata and another one.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Detail

VariableMetadata

public VariableMetadata(Parameter parameter,
                        HorizontalDomain hDomain,
                        VerticalDomain zDomain,
                        TemporalDomain tDomain)

Constructs a VariableMetadata object holding metadata about a plottable variable.

Note that the this VariableMetadata object will not have a Dataset associated with it, since these objects are usually created before being attached to a Dataset. It is expected that when Dataset is created it will set itself using the setDataset(Dataset) method

Parameters:

parameter - The Parameter which the variable is measuring - the ID is used as the variable ID and must be unique amongst its siblings

hDomain - The HorizontalDomain on which the variable is measured

zDomain - The VerticalDomain on which the variable is measured

tDomain - The TemporalDomain on which the variable is measured

VariableMetadata

public VariableMetadata(Parameter parameter,
                        HorizontalDomain hDomain,
                        VerticalDomain zDomain,
                        TemporalDomain tDomain,
                        boolean scalar)

Constructs a VariableMetadata object holding metadata about a variable.

Note that the this VariableMetadata object will not have a Dataset associated with it, since these objects are usually created before being attached to a Dataset. It is expected that when Dataset is created it will set itself using the setDataset(Dataset) method

Parameters:

parameter - The Parameter which the variable is measuring - the ID is used as the variable ID and must be unique amongst its siblings

hDomain - The HorizontalDomain on which the variable is measured

zDomain - The VerticalDomain on which the variable is measured

tDomain - The TemporalDomain on which the variable is measured

scalar - Whether or not this VariableMetadata can be read as a scalar quantity

Method Detail

setDataset

public void setDataset(Dataset dataset)

Recursively set the dataset for this VariableMetadata

Parameters:

dataset -

getId

public String getId()

Returns:

The identifier of the variable.

getDataset

public Dataset getDataset()

The dataset to which this variable belongs

getParameter

public Parameter getParameter()

Describes what is being measured by the values of this variable.

getHorizontalDomain

public HorizontalDomain getHorizontalDomain()

Returns the horizontal domain of the variable.

getVerticalDomain

public VerticalDomain getVerticalDomain()

Returns the vertical domain of the variable

getTemporalDomain

public TemporalDomain getTemporalDomain()

Returns the temporal domain of the variable

getParent

public VariableMetadata getParent()

Returns the VariableMetadata of the parent object, or null if this VariableMetadata has no parent

getChildren

public Set<VariableMetadata> getChildren()

Returns a Set containing the children of this VariableMetadata, or an empty Set if there are none. This method may not return null

setParent

public void setParent(VariableMetadata parent,
                      String relationshipToParent)

Sets the parent-child relationship of this VariableMetadata and another one.

Parameters:

parent - The parent VariableMetadata object

relationshipToParent - A String representing the relationship this VariableMetadata has with its parent. This is an arbitrary value which can be used to access getChildWithRole(String)

getChildWithRole

public VariableMetadata getChildWithRole(String role)

Returns all child VariableMetadata with the designated role

Parameters:

role - The role to search for

Returns:

The child VariableMetadata which has this role, or null if there are none

isScalar

public boolean isScalar()

Returns:

Whether this VariableMetadata represents a scalar quantity. VariableMetadata which doesn't is generally used for grouping other VariableMetadata.

getVariableProperties

public Map<String,Object> getVariableProperties()

Returns:

A Map of arbitrary properties which this variable has associated with it. This can be used to record any additional required information about the variable.