Application: gvSIG desktop

/**

 * gvSIG. Desktop Geographic Information System.

 *

 * Copyright (C) 2007-2013 gvSIG Association.

 *

 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or

 * modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License

 * as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 3

 * of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

 *

 * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,

 * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

 * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the

 * GNU General Public License for more details.

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

 * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software

 * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston,

 * MA  02110-1301, USA.

 *

 * For any additional information, do not hesitate to contact us

 * at info AT gvsig.com, or visit our website www.gvsig.com.

 */

package org.gvsig.metadata;

import java.util.Set;

import org.gvsig.metadata.exceptions.MetadataException;

import org.gvsig.tools.dynobject.DynObject;

/**

 * Metadata is information or data about data {@link http

 * ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metadata}.

 * <p>

 * This interface extends DynObject to add anything needed over the DynObject

 * model to be able to be used as a Metadata model.

 * </p>

 * 

 * @author gvSIG Team

 * @author <a href="mailto:cordin@disid.com">C?sar Ordi?ana</a>

 * @author <a href="mailto:reinhold@uji.es">cmartin</a>

 * @version $Id$

 * 

 */

public interface Metadata extends DynObject {

        /**

         * Returns the unique identifier of the Metadata.

         * 

         * @return the Metadata identifier

         */

        public Object getMetadataID() throws MetadataException;

        /**

         * Returns the name of the Metadata, which allows to identify the type in

         * the Metadata registry.

         * 

         * @return the Metadata name

         */

        public String getMetadataName() throws MetadataException;

        /**

         * Returns an unsorted set of child Metadata objects.

         * 

         * @return an unsorted set of child Metadata objects

         */

        public Set getMetadataChildren() throws MetadataException;

}