/**
 *    '$RCSfile: ConditionInterface.java,v $'
 *
 *     '$Author: leinfelder $'
 *       '$Date: 2009-01-08 01:24:08 $'
 *   '$Revision: 1.5 $'
 *
 *  For Details: http://kepler.ecoinformatics.org
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2003 The Regents of the University of California.
 * All rights reserved.
 *
 * Permission is hereby granted, without written agreement and without
 * license or royalty fees, to use, copy, modify, and distribute this
 * software and its documentation for any purpose, provided that the
 * above copyright notice and the following two paragraphs appear in
 * all copies of this software.
 *
 * IN NO EVENT SHALL THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY
 * FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
 * ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN
 * IF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
 * OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 *
 * THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTIES,
 * INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
 * MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE SOFTWARE
 * PROVIDED HEREUNDER IS ON AN "AS IS" BASIS, AND THE UNIVERSITY
 * OF CALIFORNIA HAS NO OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE, SUPPORT,
 * UPDATES, ENHANCEMENTS, OR MODIFICATIONS.
 */
package org.ecoinformatics.datamanager.database;


/**
 * This interface represents a Condition in where clause in SQL query.
 * Condition means "field1=1" or join
 * @author tao
 *
 */
public interface ConditionInterface 
{
	//Constants, Class fields
	public static final String LIKE_OPERATOR = "LIKE";
	public static final String NOT_LIKE_OPERATOR = "NOT LIKE";
	public static final String EQUAL_OPERATOR = "=";
	public static final String NOT_EQUAL_OPERATOR = "!=";
	public static final String LESS_THAN_OPERATOR = "<";
	public static final String LESS_THAN_OR_EQUALS_OPERATOR = "<=";
	public static final String GREATER_THAN_OPERATOR = ">";
	public static final String GREATER_THANOR_EQUALS_OPERATOR = ">=";
	public static final String SPACE  = " ";
	public static final String SINGLEQUOTE = "'";
	public static final String BLANK = "";
	public static final String SEPERATER = ".";
	public static final String AS = "AS";
	public static final String LEFT_PARENSIS = "(";
	public static final String RIGHT_PARENSIS = ")";
	
	public static final String[] STRING_OPERATOR_LIST = { 
                                                         LIKE_OPERATOR, 
                                                         NOT_LIKE_OPERATOR, 
                                                         EQUAL_OPERATOR, 
                                                         NOT_EQUAL_OPERATOR
                                                        };
    
    public static final String[] NUMBER_OPERATOR_LIST = {
        										EQUAL_OPERATOR, 
                                                  LESS_THAN_OPERATOR, 
                                                  LESS_THAN_OR_EQUALS_OPERATOR, 
                                                  GREATER_THAN_OPERATOR, 
                                                  GREATER_THANOR_EQUALS_OPERATOR
                                                        };
    
    /*
     * Instance methods
     */

    /**
     * Transfers a Condition object to a SQL string which 
     * contains the entity's table name and the attributes field names
     * as they are stored in the DB.
     * 
     * @return SQL string for this Condition object
     * @throws UnWellFormedQueryException
     */
   public String toSQLString() throws UnWellFormedQueryException;
   
}