Package org.biojava.ontology

Interface Triple

All Superinterfaces:

Annotatable, Changeable, Term

All Known Subinterfaces:

ComparableTriple

All Known Implementing Classes:

SimpleComparableTriple, Triple.Impl

public interface Triple
extends Term

A triple in an ontology. This is two terms and a relationship between them, similar to RDF and other similar logic systems.

For documentation purposes, a Triple may provide a name. However, a Triple may also be named as "(subject, object, predicate)" if no specific name is provided.

Since:

1.4

Author:

Thomas Down, Matthew Pocock

See Also:

ComparableTriple

Nested Class Summary

Nested Classes

Modifier and Type	Interface	Description
static class	Triple.Impl	Basic in-memory implementation of a Triple in an ontology This can be used to implement Ontology.createTriple

Nested classes/interfaces inherited from interface org.biojava.bio.Annotatable

Annotatable.AnnotationForwarder

Field Summary

Fields inherited from interface org.biojava.bio.Annotatable

ANNOTATION

Fields inherited from interface org.biojava.ontology.Term

ONTOLOGY

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
boolean	equals(Object obj)	Check to see if an object is an equivalent Triple.
Term	getObject()	Return the object term of this triple.
Term	getPredicate()	Return a Term which defines the type of relationship between the subject and object terms.
Term	getSubject()	Return the subject term of this triple
int	hashCode()	The hashcode for a Triple.

Methods inherited from interface org.biojava.bio.Annotatable

getAnnotation

Methods inherited from interface org.biojava.utils.Changeable

addChangeListener, addChangeListener, isUnchanging, removeChangeListener, removeChangeListener

Methods inherited from interface org.biojava.ontology.Term

addSynonym, getDescription, getName, getOntology, getSynonyms, removeSynonym, setDescription

Method Detail

getSubject

Term getSubject()

Return the subject term of this triple

Returns:

the subject term

getObject

Term getObject()

Return the object term of this triple.

Returns:

the object term

getPredicate

Term getPredicate()

Return a Term which defines the type of relationship between the subject and object terms.

Returns:

the predicate

hashCode

int hashCode()

The hashcode for a Triple.

This must be implemented as:

 return getSubject().hashCode() +
   31 * getObject().hashCode() +
   31 * 31 * getPredicate().hashCode();
 

If you do not implement hashcode in this way then you have no guarantee that your Triple objects will be found in an ontology and that they will not be duplicated.

Overrides:

hashCode in class Object

equals

boolean equals(Object obj)

Check to see if an object is an equivalent Triple.

Two triples are equivalent if they have the same subject, object and predicate fields.

 if (! (o instanceof Triple)) {
     return false;
 }
 Triple to = (Triple) o;
 return to.getSubject() == getSubject() &&
        to.getObject() == getObject() &&
        to.getPredicate() == getPredicate();
 

If you do not implement equals in this way then you have no guarantee that your Triple objects will be found in an ontology and that they will not be duplicated.

Overrides:

equals in class Object