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Java > Open Source Codes > org > eclipse > compare > structuremergeviewer > IDiffElement


1 /*******************************************************************************
2  * Copyright (c) 2000, 2006 IBM Corporation and others.
3  * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
4  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
5  * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
6  * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
7  *
8  * Contributors:
9  * IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation
10  *******************************************************************************/
11 package org.eclipse.compare.structuremergeviewer;
12
13 import org.eclipse.compare.ITypedElement;
14
15 /**
16  * An <code>IDiffElement</code> is used in the <code>DiffTreeViewer</code>
17  * to display the kind of change detected as the result of a two-way or three-way compare.
18  * <p>
19  * The base interface <code>ITypedElement</code> provides a name, a type, and an image.
20  * <code>IDiffElement</code> adds API for maintaining a parent relationship.
21  * <p>
22  * <code>DiffTreeViewer</code> works on a tree of <code>IDiffElements</code>.
23  * Leaf elements must implement the
24  * <code>IDiffElement</code> interface, inner nodes the <code>IDiffContainer</code> interface.
25  * <p>
26  * <code>IDiffElement</code>s are typically created as the result of performing
27  * a compare with the <code>Differencer</code>.
28  * <p>
29  * Clients may implement this interface, or use one of the standard implementations,
30  * <code>DiffElement</code>, <code>DiffContainer</code>, or <code>DiffNode</code>.
31  *
32  * @see DiffTreeViewer
33  * @see DiffElement
34  * @see DiffContainer
35  * @see DiffNode
36  */
37 public interface IDiffElement extends ITypedElement {
38     
39     /**
40      * Returns the kind of difference as defined in <code>Differencer</code>.
41      *
42      * @return the kind of difference as defined in <code>Differencer</code>
43      */
44     int getKind();
45
46     /**
47      * Returns the parent of this element.
48      * If the object is the root of a hierarchy <code>null</code> is returned.
49      *
50      * @return the parent of this element, or <code>null</code> if the element has no parent
51      */
52     IDiffContainer getParent();
53
54     /**
55      * Sets the parent of this element.
56      *
57      * @param parent the new parent of this element, or <code>null</code> if this
58      * element is to have no parent
59      */
60     void setParent(IDiffContainer parent);
61 }
62
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