001    /**
002    The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1 
003    (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. 
004    You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/ 
005    Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis, 
006    WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the 
007    specific language governing rights and limitations under the License. 
008    
009    The Original Code is "Structure.java".  Description: 
010    "Part of an HL7 message: either a segment or group" 
011    
012    The Initial Developer of the Original Code is University Health Network. Copyright (C) 
013    2001.  All Rights Reserved. 
014    
015    Contributor(s): ______________________________________. 
016    
017    Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of the 
018    GNU General Public License (the "GPL"), in which case the provisions of the GPL are 
019    applicable instead of those above.  If you wish to allow use of your version of this 
020    file only under the terms of the GPL and not to allow others to use your version 
021    of this file under the MPL, indicate your decision by deleting  the provisions above 
022    and replace  them with the notice and other provisions required by the GPL License.  
023    If you do not delete the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of 
024    this file under either the MPL or the GPL. 
025    
026    */
027    
028    package ca.uhn.hl7v2.model;
029    
030    import java.io.Serializable;
031    
032    /**
033     * Part of an HL7 message: either a segment or group.  There are certain methods (e.g. Group.get())
034     * that will always return either a segment or a group.  This interface allows methods like this
035     * to declare a return type of Structure instead of Object.  
036     * @author Bryan Tripp (bryan_tripp@sourceforge.net)
037     */
038    public interface Structure extends Serializable {
039    
040      /**
041       * Returns the Message object to which this structure belongs.  This should normally be set at
042       * construction time.  A Structure can only belong to a single Message.  This is primarily 
043       * to avoid a situation where intended changes in one message cause unintended changes 
044       * in another that shares one of the same Structure objects.  
045       */
046      public Message getMessage();
047    
048      /**
049       * Returns the structure's name. 
050       */
051      public String getName(); 
052      
053      /**
054       * Returns the parent group within which this structure exists (may be root 
055       * message group).  
056       */
057      public Group getParent();
058      
059    }