net.sf.mmm.util.query.api.expression

Interface Expression

All Known Implementing Classes:

ConjunctionExpression, ConstantExpression, SingleExpression

public interface Expression

An Expression or predicate that checks a value or property.

Since:

8.0.0

Author:

hohwille

See Also:

Expressions

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
default Expression	and(Expression... terms)
Expression	combine(Conjunction conjunction, Collection<Expression> terms)
default Expression	combine(Conjunction conjunction, Expression... terms)
boolean	evaluate()
void	format(ExpressionFormatter formatter, Bracketing bracketing)
boolean	isConstant()
Expression	negate()
default Expression	or(Expression... terms)

Method Detail

evaluate

boolean evaluate()

Returns:

true if the expression is fulfilled, false otherwise.

See Also:

Predicate.test(Object)

negate

Expression negate()

Returns:

the negation of this Expression.

combine

Expression combine(Conjunction conjunction,
                   Collection<Expression> terms)

Parameters:

conjunction - the Conjunction.

terms - the Collection of the Expressions to combine with this one.

Returns:

a new Expression combining this Expression with the given Expressions using the given Conjunction.

combine

default Expression combine(Conjunction conjunction,
                           Expression... terms)

Parameters:

conjunction - the Conjunction.

terms - the array of the Expressions to combine with this one.

Returns:

a new Expression combining this Expression with the given Expressions using the given Conjunction.

or

default Expression or(Expression... terms)

Parameters:

terms - the array of the Expressions to combine with this one.

Returns:

a new Expression combining this Expression with the given Expressions using a logical OR.

and

default Expression and(Expression... terms)

Parameters:

terms - the array of the Expressions to combine with this one.

Returns:

a new Expression combining this Expression with the given Expressions using a logical AND.

isConstant

boolean isConstant()

Returns:

true if this is a constant expression that evaluates to a fixed result, false otherwise.

format

void format(ExpressionFormatter formatter,
            Bracketing bracketing)

Parameters:

formatter - the ExpressionFormatter where to append this Expression.

bracketing - the Bracketing.

resolveNegativeConjunctions - true if negative Conjunctions should be resolved via negation (e.g. !(a OR b) instead of a NOR b), false otherwise.