org.jactr.core.production.action
Interface IAction

All Known Subinterfaces:

IBufferAction

All Known Implementing Classes:

AddAction, BindAction, DefaultAction, ExecuteAction, ModifyAction, OutputAction, ProxyAction, RemoveAction, ScriptableAction, SleepAction, StopAction

public interface IAction

The action interface provides three methods that all actions must specify. The action is used by the IProduction when all its conditions can be matched and the production is actually selected to fire.

Author:

harrison

Method Summary

IAction	bind(java.util.Map<java.lang.String,java.lang.Object> variableBindings) Bind is called during the creation of an instantiation of a produciton.
void	dispose() Dispose is called to explicitly release resources when we are done with the IAction.
double	fire(IInstantiation instantiation, double firingTime) One the IInstantiation is fully bound and has been selected for firing, all of its Actions? fire methods are called.

Method Detail

bind

IAction bind(java.util.Map<java.lang.String,java.lang.Object> variableBindings)
             throws CannotInstantiateException

Bind is called during the creation of an instantiation of a produciton. By the time this gets called, we know that all the conditions are matched and all the variables have been assigned. This method merely creates a copy of this action and applies those bindings. the IAction returned by this method will be the actual one that is fired. Normally, an action should not change the contents of variableBindings

Parameters:

variableBindings -

Returns:

Throws:

CannotInstantiateException

fire

double fire(IInstantiation instantiation,
            double firingTime)

One the IInstantiation is fully bound and has been selected for firing, all of its Actions? fire methods are called. In simulated time, all the Actions are fired in parallel. However, in real time they are fired in the order of their definition. IModel is the current model, IProduction is the firing production (IInstantiation, actually), bindings contains the current bindings to that point (since the IAction might create additional bindings for subsequent ones). The method returns the simulated firing time of the action. This is not currently used as the IProduction itself overrides the firing time. It is in place now as a place keeper for the future when we get to the point where we can empirically derive firing times for individual actions.

Parameters:

firingTime - when this production was fired

dispose

void dispose()

Dispose is called to explicitly release resources when we are done with the IAction. Why not rely upon the finalization mechanism and garbage collection? Many of the classes contain circular linkages: parent to child and child to parent. Since the garbage collection contract is not standardized, circular links might prevent objects from being collected. This method should never be called by the programmer. It is called by the containing IProduction, which in turn has its dispose method called by the IModel. You should only call IModel.dispose() when you are done with the model.