Type Parameters:

V - Type of the Java object representing the data.

TBuilder - Type of the builder for creating a new instance of the data type described by this descriptor.

All Superinterfaces:

Serializable

All Known Subinterfaces:

IAnyValueDescriptor, IBooleanValueDescriptor, IConstValueDescriptor<V>, IFloatValueDescriptor, IIntegerValueDescriptor, IListValueDescriptor<V>, IMapValueDescriptor<V>, INullValueDescriptor, IRecordValueDescriptor, IStringValueDescriptor, ITupleValueDescriptor, IUnionValueDescriptor<D>, IVoidValueDescriptor
```
public interface IValueDescriptor<V,TBuilder extends IValueBuilder<V>>
extends Serializable
```
Base class for all value descriptors that describe the shape of (mostly JSON-like) data. A value descriptor indicates the type a value must have and may impose additional restrictions on the allowed values.
```
 
 IValueBuilderFactory f = ValueBuilderFactory.getInstance();
 IListValueDescriptor descriptor = f.listBuilder(f.string()).description("i18n.key").build();
 
 // Obtain a list of available properties, to create an overview table etc.
 List<IProperty> properties = descriptor.getKnownProperties("Root");
 
 // Property[path=Root, type=List, description="i18n.key"]
 System.out.println(properties.get(0));
 
 // Property[path=Root[i], type=String, description="Root[i]"]
 System.out.println(properties.get(1));
 
 List<String> list = descriptor.builder().set(0, "foo").set(1, "bar").build();
 
 // ["foo", "bar"]
 System.out.println(list);
 
```
Since:

7.0.0

Author:

XIMA MEDIA GmbH

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods Default Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`boolean`	`acceptsValue(Object value)`
`default IBooleanValueDescriptor`	`asBoolean()`	Casts this descriptor to a boolean value descriptor type.
`default <T> IConstValueDescriptor<T>`	`asConst()`	Casts this descriptor to a constant value descriptor type.
`default IFloatValueDescriptor`	`asFloat()`	Casts this descriptor to a float value descriptor type.
`default IIntegerValueDescriptor`	`asInteger()`	Casts this descriptor to an integer value descriptor type.
`default <T> IListValueDescriptor<T>`	`asList()`	Casts this descriptor to a list value descriptor type.
`default <T> IMapValueDescriptor<T>`	`asMap()`	Casts this descriptor to a map value descriptor type.
`default INullValueDescriptor`	`asNull()`	Casts this descriptor to a null value descriptor type.
`default IRecordValueDescriptor`	`asRecord()`	Casts this descriptor to a record value descriptor type.
`default IStringValueDescriptor`	`asString()`	Casts this descriptor to a string value descriptor type.
`default ITupleValueDescriptor`	`asTuple()`	Casts this descriptor to a tuple value descriptor type.
`default <E> IUnionValueDescriptor<E>`	`asUnion()`	Casts this descriptor to a union value descriptor type.
`default IVoidValueDescriptor`	`asVoid()`	Casts this descriptor to a void value descriptor type.
`TBuilder`	`builder()`	Creates a new value builder for creating a value that conforms to the restrictions imposed by this value descriptor.
`EValueType`	`getBaseType()`
`V`	`getDefaultValue()`
`String`	`getDescription()`
`String`	`getFullType()`
`Class<?>`	`getJavaClass()`
`List<IProperty>`	`getKnownProperties(String basePath)`
`default boolean`	`is(Class<? extends IValueDescriptor> clazz)`
`default <TItem,TDesc extends IValueDescriptor<TItem,? extends IValueBuilder<TItem>>> TDesc`	`unwrap(Class<? extends TDesc> clazz)`	Casts this descriptor to the given type.

- Method Detail
  - acceptsValue
```
boolean acceptsValue(Object value)
```
    Parameters:
    
    value - A value to check.
    
    Returns:
    
    true when the given value conforms to the restrictions imposed by this value descriptor, false otherwise.
  - asBoolean
```
default IBooleanValueDescriptor asBoolean()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a boolean value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a boolean value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asConst
```
default <T> IConstValueDescriptor<T> asConst()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a constant value descriptor type.
    
    Type Parameters:
    
    T - Type of the constant.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a constant value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asFloat
```
default IFloatValueDescriptor asFloat()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a float value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a float value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asInteger
```
default IIntegerValueDescriptor asInteger()
```
    Casts this descriptor to an integer value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to an integer value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asList
```
default <T> IListValueDescriptor<T> asList()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a list value descriptor type.
    
    Type Parameters:
    
    T - Type of the elements contained in the list.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a list value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asMap
```
default <T> IMapValueDescriptor<T> asMap()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a map value descriptor type.
    
    Type Parameters:
    
    T - Type of the values contained in the map.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a map value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asNull
```
default INullValueDescriptor asNull()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a null value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a null value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asRecord
```
default IRecordValueDescriptor asRecord()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a record value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a record value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asString
```
default IStringValueDescriptor asString()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a string value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a string value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asTuple
```
default ITupleValueDescriptor asTuple()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a tuple value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a tuple value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asUnion
```
default <E> IUnionValueDescriptor<E> asUnion()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a union value descriptor type.
    
    Type Parameters:
    
    E - Type of the union discriminator.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a union value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - asVoid
```
default IVoidValueDescriptor asVoid()
```
    Casts this descriptor to a void value descriptor type.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to a void value descriptor.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the desired type.
  - builder
```
TBuilder builder()
```
    Creates a new value builder for creating a value that conforms to the restrictions imposed by this value descriptor.
    
    Returns:
    
    A new value builder for values as indicated by this value descriptor.
  - getBaseType
```
EValueType getBaseType()
```
    Returns:
    
    The basic type of value described by this value descriptor.
  - getDefaultValue
```
V getDefaultValue()
```
    Returns:
    
    The default value used if no explicit is provided when a value for this descriptor is created.
  - getDescription
```
String getDescription()
```
    Returns:
    
    Description for this value. This is passed through as set when the descriptor was created. May be either a localized message or an I18N key.
  - getFullType
```
String getFullType()
```
    Returns:
    
    The full value type of this value descriptors, including the type of list elements or map values.
  - getJavaClass
```
Class<?> getJavaClass()
```
    Returns:
    
    The Java class of the values described by this descriptor.
  - getKnownProperties
```
List<IProperty> getKnownProperties(String basePath)
```
    Parameters:
    
    basePath - Prefix added to the property paths.
    
    Returns:
    
    A list of all properties known to exist when a value of this type is created. For example, if a record has required properties, these properties are included in the returned list.
  - is
```
default boolean is(Class<? extends IValueDescriptor> clazz)
```
    Parameters:
    
    clazz - Class to check.
    
    Returns:
    
    Whether this descriptor can be cast to the given class.
    
    See Also:
    
    unwrap(Class)
  - unwrap
```
default <TItem,TDesc extends IValueDescriptor<TItem,? extends IValueBuilder<TItem>>> TDesc unwrap(Class<? extends TDesc> clazz)
```
    Casts this descriptor to the given type. Make sure you are certain it is of the given type.
    
    Type Parameters:
    
    TItem - Type of the values described by the descriptor.
    
    TDesc - Type of the descriptor.
    
    Parameters:
    
    clazz - Class to which to cast this descriptor.
    
    Returns:
    
    This value descriptor cast to the given type.
    
    Throws:
    
    ClassCastException - When this descriptor cannot be cast to the given type.
    
    See Also:
    
    is(Class)

Interface IValueDescriptor<V,​TBuilder extends IValueBuilder<V>>

Method Summary

Method Detail

acceptsValue

asBoolean

asConst

asFloat

asInteger

asList

asMap

asNull

asRecord

asString

asTuple

asUnion

asVoid

builder

getBaseType

getDefaultValue

getDescription

getFullType

getJavaClass

getKnownProperties

is

unwrap

Interface IValueDescriptor<V,TBuilder extends IValueBuilder<V>>