SemanticNetwork
Class SemanticNetwork

java.lang.Object
  |
  +--SemanticNetwork.SemanticNetwork

public class SemanticNetwork

extends java.lang.Object

Defines a semantic network of concept instances. Each contains an arbitrary number of attribute and relationship instances that describe it and relate it to other concept instances, respectively. It also contains a concept node that binds it to a knowledge base to provide implicit background details.

Version:

Created 25 August 2003

Author:

Dan Tappan

See Also:

KnowledgeBase

Field Summary

private java.util.HashMap	m_concept_instances
private java.lang.String	m_description
private KnowledgeBase	m_knowledge_base
private java.lang.String	m_name

Constructor Summary

SemanticNetwork(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String description)
Creates a new empty semantic network.

Method Summary

void	addAttributeInstance(AttributeInstance attribute_instance) Adds an attribute instance to this semantic network and binds it to a concept instance.
void	addConceptInstance(ConceptInstance concept_instance) Adds a concept instance to this semantic network and binds it to a concept instance.
void	addRelationshipInstance(RelationshipInstance relationship_instance) Adds a relationship instance to this semantic network and binds it to a concept instance.
void	exportToVisioViewer(java.lang.String filename) Exports the semantic network to a file that the Visio viewer can depict.
SemanticNetwork	getClone(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String description) Returns a mixed deep and shallow clone of this semantic network.
ConceptInstance	getConceptInstance(java.lang.String concept_label) Returns a concept instance in this semantic network.
java.util.Set	getConceptInstanceNames() Returns a list of concept instance names in this semantic network.
java.util.Collection	getConceptInstances() Returns a list of concept instances in this semantic network.
java.lang.String	getDescription() Returns the description of this semantic network.
KnowledgeBase	getKnowledgeBase() Returns the knowledge base this semantic network is linked to.
java.lang.String	getName() Returns the name of this semantic network.
void	linkKnowledgeBase(KnowledgeBase knowledge_base) Links this semantic network to the knowledge base supporting it.
java.lang.String	serialize() Returns a serialized representation of this semantic network.
java.lang.String	toHTMLString() Returns an indented HTML string representation of this object to be displayed by the Representation Viewer.
java.lang.String	toString() Returns a string representation of this object.
void	validate() Verifies that all concept instances are connected to a concept node in the knowledge base and that all concept instances each relationship instance is directed to are present in this semantic network.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

m_name

private java.lang.String m_name

m_description

private java.lang.String m_description

m_concept_instances

private java.util.HashMap m_concept_instances

m_knowledge_base

private KnowledgeBase m_knowledge_base

Constructor Detail

SemanticNetwork

public SemanticNetwork(java.lang.String name,
                       java.lang.String description)

Creates a new empty semantic network.

Parameters:

name - - the name of the network

description - - an optional description

Method Detail

addAttributeInstance

public void addAttributeInstance(AttributeInstance attribute_instance)
                          throws java.lang.Exception

Adds an attribute instance to this semantic network and binds it to a concept instance. Call validate() after all instances have been added to verify that the semantic network was properly built.

Parameters:

attribute_instance - - the attribute instance

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - - if the attribute instance is already present in the concept instance or the concept instance is not present in the semantic network

See Also:

validate()

addConceptInstance

public void addConceptInstance(ConceptInstance concept_instance)
                        throws java.lang.Exception

Adds a concept instance to this semantic network and binds it to a concept instance. Call validate() after all instances have been added to verify that the semantic network was properly built.

Parameters:

concept_instance - - the concept instance

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - - if the concept instance is already present in the semantic network

See Also:

validate()

addRelationshipInstance

public void addRelationshipInstance(RelationshipInstance relationship_instance)
                             throws java.lang.Exception

Adds a relationship instance to this semantic network and binds it to a concept instance. Call validate() after all instances have been added to verify that the semantic network was properly built.

Parameters:

relationship_instance - - the relationship instance

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - - if the relation instance is already present in the concept instance or the concept instance is not present in the semantic network

See Also:

validate()

exportToVisioViewer

public void exportToVisioViewer(java.lang.String filename)
                         throws java.lang.Exception

Exports the semantic network to a file that the Visio viewer can depict. It does not open Visio.

Parameters:

filename - - the fully qualified output filename

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - - if the export fails

getClone

public SemanticNetwork getClone(java.lang.String name,
                                java.lang.String description)
                         throws java.lang.Exception

Returns a mixed deep and shallow clone of this semantic network. See the individual clone methods for specifics.

To ensure a valid clone, validate() is called on this semantic network.

Parameters:

name - - the name of the cloned network

description - - an optional description

Returns:

the clone

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - - if validation fails

See Also:

validate(), AttributeInstance.getClone(), ConceptInstance.getClone(), RelationshipInstance.getClone()

getConceptInstance

public ConceptInstance getConceptInstance(java.lang.String concept_label)

Returns a concept instance in this semantic network.

Returns:

the concept instance, or null if it is not present in the semantic network

getConceptInstances

public java.util.Collection getConceptInstances()

Returns a list of concept instances in this semantic network.

Returns:

the list

See Also:

ConceptInstance

getConceptInstanceNames

public java.util.Set getConceptInstanceNames()

Returns a list of concept instance names in this semantic network.

Returns:

the list

See Also:

ConceptInstance

getDescription

public java.lang.String getDescription()

Returns the description of this semantic network.

Returns:

the description

getName

public java.lang.String getName()

Returns the name of this semantic network.

Returns:

the name

getKnowledgeBase

public KnowledgeBase getKnowledgeBase()

Returns the knowledge base this semantic network is linked to.

Returns:

the knowledge base

See Also:

linkKnowledgeBase(KnowledgeBase.KnowledgeBase)

linkKnowledgeBase

public void linkKnowledgeBase(KnowledgeBase knowledge_base)

Links this semantic network to the knowledge base supporting it.

Parameters:

knowledge_base - - the knowledge base

See Also:

getKnowledgeBase()

serialize

public java.lang.String serialize()

Returns a serialized representation of this semantic network.

Returns:

the serialization

toHTMLString

public java.lang.String toHTMLString()

Returns an indented HTML string representation of this object to be displayed by the Representation Viewer.

Returns:

the String representation

See Also:

RepresentationViewer

toString

public java.lang.String toString()

Returns a string representation of this object.

Overrides:

toString in class java.lang.Object

Returns:

the String representation

See Also:

Support.toPrettyString(java.lang.String)

validate

public void validate()
              throws java.lang.Exception

Verifies that all concept instances are connected to a concept node in the knowledge base and that all concept instances each relationship instance is directed to are present in this semantic network.

It also builds or updates the links from the nodes in this semantic network to the knowledge base.

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - - if any concept instance does not satisfy the requirements