org.semanticweb.owl.model
Interface OWLDescription

All Superinterfaces:

java.lang.Comparable<OWLObject>, OWLObject, OWLPropertyRange

All Known Subinterfaces:

OWLAnonymousDescription, OWLBooleanDescription, OWLCardinalityRestriction<P,F>, OWLClass, OWLDataAllRestriction, OWLDataCardinalityRestriction, OWLDataExactCardinalityRestriction, OWLDataMaxCardinalityRestriction, OWLDataMinCardinalityRestriction, OWLDataSomeRestriction, OWLDataValueRestriction, OWLNaryBooleanDescription, OWLObjectAllRestriction, OWLObjectCardinalityRestriction, OWLObjectComplementOf, OWLObjectExactCardinalityRestriction, OWLObjectIntersectionOf, OWLObjectMaxCardinalityRestriction, OWLObjectMinCardinalityRestriction, OWLObjectOneOf, OWLObjectSelfRestriction, OWLObjectSomeRestriction, OWLObjectUnionOf, OWLObjectValueRestriction, OWLQuantifiedRestriction<P,F>, OWLRestriction<P>, OWLValueRestriction<P,V>

All Known Implementing Classes:

OWLAnonymousDescriptionImpl, OWLCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLClassImpl, OWLDataAllRestrictionImpl, OWLDataCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLDataExactCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLDataMaxCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLDataMinCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLDataSomeRestrictionImpl, OWLDataValueRestrictionImpl, OWLNaryBooleanDescriptionImpl, OWLObjectAllRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectComplementOfImpl, OWLObjectExactCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectIntersectionOfImpl, OWLObjectMaxCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectMinCardinalityRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectOneOfImpl, OWLObjectSelfRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectSomeRestrictionImpl, OWLObjectUnionOfImpl, OWLObjectValueRestrictionImpl, OWLQuantifiedRestrictionImpl, OWLRestrictionImpl, OWLValueRestrictionImpl

public interface OWLDescription
extends OWLObject, OWLPropertyRange

Author: Matthew Horridge
The University Of Manchester
Bio-Health Informatics Group Date: 24-Oct-2006 Represents a class description in OWL. This interface covers named and anonymous classes.

Method Summary

void	accept(OWLDescriptionVisitor visitor) Accepts a visit from an OWLDescriptionVisitor
<O> O	accept(OWLDescriptionVisitorEx<O> visitor)
OWLClass	asOWLClass() If this class description is in fact a named class then this method may be used to obtain the description as an OWLClass without the need for casting.
OWLDescription	getComplementNNF() Gets the negation normal form of the complement of this description.
OWLDescription	getNNF() Gets this description in negation normal form.
boolean	isAnonymous() Determines whether or not this description represents an anonymous class description.
boolean	isLiteral() Determines if this class is a literal.
boolean	isOWLNothing() Determines if this description is the built in class owl:Nothing.
boolean	isOWLThing() Determines if this description is the built in class owl:Thing.

Methods inherited from interface org.semanticweb.owl.model.OWLObject

accept, accept, getSignature

Methods inherited from interface java.lang.Comparable

compareTo

Method Detail

isAnonymous

boolean isAnonymous()

Determines whether or not this description represents an anonymous class description.

Returns:

true if this is an anonymous class description, or false if this is a named class (OWLClass)

isLiteral

boolean isLiteral()

Determines if this class is a literal. A literal being either a named class or the negation of a named class (i.e. A or not(A)).

Returns:

true if this is a literal, or false if this is not a literal.

asOWLClass

OWLClass asOWLClass()

If this class description is in fact a named class then this method may be used to obtain the description as an OWLClass without the need for casting. The general pattern of use is to use the isAnonymous to first check

Returns:

This class description as an OWLClass.

Throws:

OWLRuntimeException - if this class description is not an OWLClass.

isOWLThing

boolean isOWLThing()

Determines if this description is the built in class owl:Thing. This method does not determine if the class is equivalent to owl:Thing.

Returns:

true if this description is owl:Thing, or false if this description is not owl:Thing

isOWLNothing

boolean isOWLNothing()

Determines if this description is the built in class owl:Nothing. This method does not determine if the class is equivalent to owl:Nothing.

Returns:

true if this description is owl:Nothing, or false if this description is not owl:Nothing.

getNNF

OWLDescription getNNF()

Gets this description in negation normal form.

Returns:

The description in negation normal form.

getComplementNNF

OWLDescription getComplementNNF()

Gets the negation normal form of the complement of this description.

Returns:

A description that represents the NNF of the complement of this description.

accept

void accept(OWLDescriptionVisitor visitor)

Accepts a visit from an OWLDescriptionVisitor

Parameters:

visitor - The visitor that wants to visit

accept

<O> O accept(OWLDescriptionVisitorEx<O> visitor)