/**

 The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1 

 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. 

 You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/ 

 Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis, 

 WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the 

 specific language governing rights and limitations under the License. 

 The Original Code is "Rule.java".  Description: 

 "A testable rule to which HL7 messages should conform" 

 The Initial Developer of the Original Code is University Health Network. Copyright (C) 

 2002.  All Rights Reserved. 

 Contributor(s): ______________________________________. 

 Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of the 

 GNU General Public License (the  �GPL�), in which case the provisions of the GPL are 

 applicable instead of those above.  If you wish to allow use of your version of this 

 file only under the terms of the GPL and not to allow others to use your version 

 of this file under the MPL, indicate your decision by deleting  the provisions above 

 and replace  them with the notice and other provisions required by the GPL License.  

 If you do not delete the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of 

 this file under either the MPL or the GPL. 

  */

 package ca.uhn.hl7v2.validation;

 import java.io.Serializable;

 /**

  * <p>

  * A testable rule to which HL7 messages (at least certain specific message)

  * should conform. 

  * <p>

  * There are three kinds of rules:

  * <ul>

  * <li>PrimitiveTypeRule: Called when the values of simple datatypes are set,

  * like the existing hard-coded datatype validations (e.g.

  * TNFollowsNorthAmericanFormat).</li>

  * <li>MessageRule: Called when complete message content is to be checked on a

  * parsed message (e.g. conformance profile).</li>

  * <li>EncodingRule: Applied to an encoded message (e.g. validation against a

  * .xml Schema, a rule that prohibits empty tags, etc.).</li>

  * </ul>

  * </p>

  * 

  * @author Bryan Tripp

  */

 public interface Rule<T> extends Serializable {

         /**

          * Returns a text description of the rule. This description may be used as a

          * message in exceptions generated if validation against the rule fails, or

          * in a user interface for rule configuration.

      *

      * @return rule description

          */

         public String getDescription();

         /**

          * Returns a string indicating the section of the HL7 standard from which this rule

          * is derived (if applicable). Like the description, this may be used in an

          * exception message or configuration UI.

      *

      * @return HL7 specification section reference

          */

         public String getSectionReference();

         /**

          * Applies to rule to an object to be checked

          * 

          * @param value object to be checked

          * @return an (potentially empty) array of ValidationExceptions

          */

         public ValidationException[] apply(T value);

 }