001    // Copyright 2004, 2005 The Apache Software Foundation
002    //
003    // Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
004    // you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
005    // You may obtain a copy of the License at
006    //
007    //     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
008    //
009    // Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
010    // distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
011    // WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
012    // See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
013    // limitations under the License.
014    
015    package org.apache.hivemind;
016    
017    /**
018     * Interface typically used by configuration items that wish to be ordered.
019     * Each item must provide a name, and lists: names of items which should precede
020     * the item, and names of items to follow.
021     * 
022     * @author Howard M. Lewis Ship
023     */
024    public interface Orderable
025    {
026        /**
027         * Returns the name of the item, which is used to establish sort order.
028         */
029        public String getName();
030    
031        /**
032         * Returns a comma-seperated list of the names of other items. This item will precede
033         * all such items. The special
034         * value <code>*</code> indicates that the item should precede all items.
035         * 
036         * @return the list, the value <code>*</code>, or null
037         */
038    
039        public String getFollowingNames();
040    
041        /**
042         * As {@link #getFollowingNames()}, but the identified items will precede this item.
043         */
044    
045        public String getPrecedingNames();
046    }