org.hd.d.pg2k.webSvr.exhibit
Interface SortIF

All Superinterfaces:

ExprIF, java.io.Serializable

All Known Implementing Classes:

BuiltInFilters.sortByGoodness, BuiltInFilters.sortByName, BuiltInFilters.sortByTimestamp, BuiltInFilters.sortRandomN, BuiltInFilters.sortReverse

public interface SortIF
extends ExprIF

Interface for a class to sort exhibits (for a FilterBean). Sorters must be Serializable so that expressions can be persisted. They must not attempt to cache any reference, direct or indirect, to a DataSourceBean.

Sorter objects must be immutable and the sort() method must be idempotent.

This interface may be used by any operation that needs to operate on the whole (remaining) set of exhibits at once.

A sort routine may return its input array re-arranged, or may return a new array.

In no case must it leave nulls or duplicates in the result, nor may the result be null.

Implementing classes should implement equals() and hashCode() properly.

sort

Name.ExhibitFull[] sort(AllExhibitProperties aep,
                        Name.ExhibitFull[] exhibitNames)

Sorts the given exhibits (specified by full name) in situ; never null.