/*=========================================================================
                                                                                
  Program:   bbtk
  Module:    $RCSfile: bbtkBlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor.h,v $
  Language:  C++
  Date:      $Date: 2008/04/04 08:04:05 $
  Version:   $Revision: 1.1 $
                                                                                
  Copyright (c) CREATIS (Centre de Recherche et d'Applications en Traitement de
  l'Image). All rights reserved. See Doc/License.txt or
  http://www.creatis.insa-lyon.fr/Public/bbtk/License.html for details.
                                                                                
     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notices for more information.
                                                                                
=========================================================================*/

/**
 *  \file 
 *  \brief Class bbtk::BlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor : abstract descriptor of an input or an output of a black box (has a name, a description and type)
 */
/**
 * \class bbtk::BlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor
 * \brief Abstract descriptor of an input or an output of a black box (has a name, a description and type)
 */

#ifndef __bbtkBlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor_h__
#define __bbtkBlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor_h__

#include "bbtkSystem.h"
#include "bbtkData.h"
#include "bbtkRTTI.h"


namespace bbtk
{
  class BBTK_EXPORT BlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor
  {
  public:
    /// Ctor with name and description
    BlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor(TypeInfo creator_type_info,
				  const std::string& name,
				  const std::string& description,
				  bool copy_construct = true)
      : mCreatorTypeInfo(creator_type_info),
	mName(name), 
	mDescription(description),
	mCopyConstruct(copy_construct)
    {}
    
    /// Returns the TypeInfo of the BlackBoxDescriptor which created this descriptor
    TypeInfo GetCreatorTypeInfo() { return mCreatorTypeInfo; }
    /// Returns the name of the in/output
    const std::string& GetName() const { return mName; }
    /// Returns the description of the in/output
    const std::string& GetDescription() const { return mDescription; }
    /// Returns the type of the in/output
    virtual TypeInfo GetTypeInfo() const = 0;
    /// Returns the name of the type of the in/output
    virtual std::string GetTypeName() const = 0;
    /// Returns the name of the type of the in/output
    virtual std::string GetHumanTypeName() const = 0;
    /// Returns true iff the type is a pointer to class 
    virtual bool IsPointerType() const = 0;
    /// Returns true iff the in/output must be copied 
    /// by the copy constructor of the box
    bool GetCopyConstruct() const { return mCopyConstruct; }

  protected:
    /// Default ctor is reserved to children
    BlackBoxInputOutputDescriptor() : mCreatorTypeInfo(typeid(void)),
				      mName(""), mDescription(""),
				      mCopyConstruct(true)
				{}
  private:

    /// The TypeInfo of the BlackBoxDescriptor which created this descriptor
    TypeInfo mCreatorTypeInfo;
    /// The name of the input/output
    std::string mName;
    /// The description of the input/output
    std::string mDescription;
    /// Does the in/output has to be copied by copy constructor 
    /// default = true. Must be set to false if it is 
    /// initialized by the user in bbUserCopyConstructor 
    /// (typically if it is a pointer)
    bool mCopyConstruct;
  };
  
}
// namespace bbtk
#endif