Eclipse Community Forums: EMF » opposite reference from Map$Entry to its container

Help

Home

Home » Modeling » EMF » opposite reference from Map$Entry to its container

Show: Today's Messages :: Show Polls :: Message Navigator

opposite reference from Map$Entry to its container [message #989736]

Fri, 07 December 2012 13:18

Istvan Ballok

Messages: 2
Registered: July 2009

Junior Member

Using xcore, it is very easy to model a map data structure:

class Library {
	contains ISBNToBookEntry [] ISBNToBookEntries  
}

class ISBNToBookEntry wraps Map$Entry {
	String key
	contains Book value
}

class Book {}

It is also straightforward to use a bidirectional reference between the book and the entry.

class Library {
	contains ISBNToBookEntry [] ISBNToBookEntries  
}

class ISBNToBookEntry wraps Map$Entry {
	String key
	contains Book value opposite entry
}

class Book {
	refers ISBNToBookEntry entry opposite value
}

However it is not so clear, how a bidirectional reference between the entry and the container should be modeled.

class Library {
	contains ISBNToBookEntry [] ISBNToBookEntries opposite library  
}

class ISBNToBookEntry wraps Map$Entry {
	String key
	contains Book value opposite entry
	refers Library library opposite ISBNToBookEntries
}

class Book {
	refers ISBNToBookEntry entry opposite value
}

This solution is not perfect, because the "Instance Type Name" property on the ISBNToBookEntry class is set to java.util.Map$Entry, and hence EMF does not generate an interface for this type.

To access the library feature in the ISBNToBookEntry we would need to cast the Entry to ISBNToBookEntryImpl.

Can you suggest a better way to achieve a typesafe bidirectional reference between the entry and its container and still profit from the hash based access to the Books in the map in the Library?

Report message to a moderator

Re: opposite reference from Map$Entry to its container [message #989830 is a reply to message #989736]

Sat, 08 December 2012 05:43

Ed Merks

Messages: 33137
Registered: July 2009

Senior Member

Istvan,

It seems more convenient to add a helper operation to Book than for API
clients to work directly with entry instances.

op Library getLibrary()
{
val library = eContainer?.eContainer
if (library instanceof Library)
{
library as Library
}
}

Note that there's no need to model the opposite relationship in the
entry with this approach.

On 07/12/2012 3:10 PM, Istvan Ballok wrote:
> Using xcore, it is very easy to model a map data structure:
>
>
> class Library {
> contains ISBNToBookEntry [] ISBNToBookEntries }
>
> class ISBNToBookEntry wraps Map$Entry {
> String key
> contains Book value
> }
>
> class Book {}
>
>
> It is also straightforward to use a bidirectional reference between
> the book and the entry.
>
>
> class Library {
> contains ISBNToBookEntry [] ISBNToBookEntries }
>
> class ISBNToBookEntry wraps Map$Entry {
> String key
> contains Book value opposite entry
> }
>
> class Book {
> refers ISBNToBookEntry entry opposite value
> }
>
>
> However it is not so clear, how a bidirectional reference between the
> entry and the container should be modeled.
>
>
> class Library {
> contains ISBNToBookEntry [] ISBNToBookEntries opposite library }
>
> class ISBNToBookEntry wraps Map$Entry {
> String key
> contains Book value opposite entry
> refers Library library opposite ISBNToBookEntries
> }
>
> class Book {
> refers ISBNToBookEntry entry opposite value
> }
>
>
> This solution is not perfect, because the "Instance Type Name"
> property on the ISBNToBookEntry class is set to java.util.Map$Entry,
> and hence EMF does not generate an interface for this type.
>
> To access the library feature in the ISBNToBookEntry we would need to
> cast the Entry to ISBNToBookEntryImpl.
>
> Can you suggest a better way to achieve a typesafe bidirectional
> reference between the entry and its container and still profit from
> the hash based access to the Books in the map in the Library?

Ed Merks
Professional Support: https://www.macromodeling.com/

Report message to a moderator