notio
Class Referent

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--notio.Referent

public class Referent
extends java.lang.Object
implements java.io.Serializable

A class for storing the referent of a concept. A referent consists of a quantifier, a designator, and a descriptor (nested graph). A null quantifier indicates that the enclosing concept is existentially quantified. A null designator indicates that the enclosing concept is unspecified. A null descriptor indicates that the enclosing concept is undescribed. A combination of a null quantifier, null designator, and null descriptor indicates that the enclosing concept is a generic concept. A concept that has no referent at all (null) is also considered to be a generic concept.

See Also:
Serialized Form

Constructor Summary
Referent()
          Constructs a new referent with no quantifier, designator or descriptor.
Referent(Designator newDesignator)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified designator.
Referent(Designator newDesignator, Graph newDescriptor)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified designator and descriptor.
Referent(Graph newDescriptor)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified descriptor.
Referent(Macro newQuantifier)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier.
Referent(Macro newQuantifier, Designator newDesignator)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier and designator.
Referent(Macro newQuantifier, Designator newDesignator, Graph newDescriptor)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier, designator, and descriptor.
Referent(Macro newQuantifier, Graph newDescriptor)
          Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier and descriptor.
 
Method Summary
 Referent copy(CopyingScheme copyScheme)
          Performs a copy operation on this referent according to the the specified CopyingScheme.
 Referent copy(CopyingScheme copyScheme, java.util.Hashtable substitutionTable)
          Performs a copy operation on this referent according to the the specified CopyingScheme.
 Graph getDescriptor()
          Returns this referent's descriptor.
 Designator getDesignator()
          Returns this referent's designator.
 Concept getEnclosingConcept()
          Returns the concept that encloses this referent.
 Macro getQuantifier()
          Returns this referent's quantifier.
 boolean isContext()
          Returns true if this referent forms a context.
static MatchResult matchReferents(Referent first, Referent second, MatchingScheme matchingScheme)
          Compares two referents to decide if they match.
 void setDescriptor(Graph newDescriptor)
          Sets this referent's descriptor.
 void setDesignator(Designator newDesignator)
          Sets this concept's designator.
 void setQuantifier(Macro newQuantifier)
          Sets this referent's quantifier.
 
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait
 

Constructor Detail

Referent

public Referent(Macro newQuantifier,
                Designator newDesignator,
                Graph newDescriptor)
Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier, designator, and descriptor. The quantifier may be null, indicating existential quantification. The designator may be null, indicating an unspecified referent. The descriptor may be null, indicating an undescribed referent.
Parameters:
newQuantifier - the quantifier for this referent.
newDesignator - the designator for this referent.
newDescriptor - the descriptor for this referent.

Referent

public Referent(Macro newQuantifier,
                Designator newDesignator)
Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier and designator. The quantifier may be null, indicating existential quantification. The designator may be null, indicating an unspecified referent. The decriptor is initialized to null, indicating an undescribed referent.
Parameters:
newQuantifier - the quantifier for this referent.
newDesignator - the designator for this referent.

Referent

public Referent(Macro newQuantifier,
                Graph newDescriptor)
Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier and descriptor. The quantifier may be null, indicating existential quantification. The descriptor may be null, indicating an undescribed referent. The designator is initialized to null, indicating an unspecified referent.
Parameters:
newQuantifier - the quantifier for this referent.
newDescriptor - the descriptor for this referent.

Referent

public Referent(Designator newDesignator,
                Graph newDescriptor)
Constructs a new referent with the specified designator and descriptor. The designator may be null, indicating an unspecified referent. The descriptor may be null, indicating an undescribed referent. The quantifier is initialized to null, indicating existential quantification.
Parameters:
newDesignator - the designator for this referent.
newDescriptor - the descriptor for this referent.

Referent

public Referent(Macro newQuantifier)
Constructs a new referent with the specified quantifier. The quantifier may be null, indicating existential quantification. The designator is initialized to null, indicating an unspecified referent. The decriptor is initialized to null, indicating an undescribed referent.
Parameters:
newQuantifier - the quantifier for this referent.

Referent

public Referent(Designator newDesignator)
Constructs a new referent with the specified designator. The designator may be null, indicating an unspecified referent. The quantifier is initialized to null, indicating existential quantification. The decriptor is initialized to null, indicating an undescribed referent.
Parameters:
newDesignator - a single designator for this referent.

Referent

public Referent(Graph newDescriptor)
Constructs a new referent with the specified descriptor. The descriptor may be null, indicating an undescribed referent. The quantifier is initialized to null, indicating existential quantification. The designator is initialized to null, indicating an unspecified referent.
Parameters:
newDescriptor - the descriptor for this referent.

Referent

public Referent()
Constructs a new referent with no quantifier, designator or descriptor. This is automatically a 'generic' referent. The quantifier is initialized to null, indicating existential quantification. The designator is initialized to null, indicating an unspecified referent. The decriptor is initialized to null, indicating an undescribed referent.
Method Detail

setQuantifier

public void setQuantifier(Macro newQuantifier)
Sets this referent's quantifier. Null indicates existential quantification.
Parameters:
newQuantifier - this referent's new quantifier.

setDesignator

public void setDesignator(Designator newDesignator)
Sets this concept's designator. Null indicates an unspecified referent.
Parameters:
newDesignator - this referent's new designator or null.

setDescriptor

public void setDescriptor(Graph newDescriptor)
Sets this referent's descriptor. Null indicates undescribed.
Parameters:
newDescriptor - this referent's new descriptor.

getQuantifier

public Macro getQuantifier()
Returns this referent's quantifier. Null indicates existential quantification.
Returns:
this concept's quantifier.

getDesignator

public Designator getDesignator()
Returns this referent's designator. Null indicates an unspecified referent.
Returns:
this referent's designator or null.

getDescriptor

public Graph getDescriptor()
Returns this referent's descriptor. Null indicates an undescribed referent.
Returns:
this referent's descriptor or null.

isContext

public boolean isContext()
Returns true if this referent forms a context. A referent forms a context if it has a descriptor.
Returns:
true if this referent forms a context.

getEnclosingConcept

public Concept getEnclosingConcept()
Returns the concept that encloses this referent.
Returns:
the concept that encloses this referent.

copy

public Referent copy(CopyingScheme copyScheme)
Performs a copy operation on this referent according to the the specified CopyingScheme. The result may be a new referent or simply a reference to this referent depending on the scheme. Coreference sets will be copied as required by the CopyingScheme.
Parameters:
copyScheme - the copying scheme used to control the copy operation.
Returns:
the result of the copy operation.

copy

public Referent copy(CopyingScheme copyScheme,
                     java.util.Hashtable substitutionTable)
Performs a copy operation on this referent according to the the specified CopyingScheme. The result may be a new referent or simply a reference to this referent depending on the scheme. Coreference sets will be copied as required by the CopyingScheme.
Parameters:
copyScheme - the copying scheme used to control the copy operation.
substitutionTable - a hashtable containing copied objects available due to earlier copy operations.
Returns:
the result of the copy operation.

matchReferents

public static MatchResult matchReferents(Referent first,
                                         Referent second,
                                         MatchingScheme matchingScheme)
Compares two referents to decide if they match. The exact semantics of matching are determined by the matching scheme.
Parameters:
first - the first referent being matched.
second - the second referent being matched.
matchingScheme - the matching scheme that determines how the match is performed.
Returns:
true if the two referents match according to the scheme's criteria.


Copyright 1998-1999 Finnegan Southey