1 /*
2 * Created on 16-Apr-2004
3 */
4 package ca.uhn.hl7v2.protocol;
5
6 import java.util.List;
7
8 import ca.uhn.hl7v2.HL7Exception;
9 import ca.uhn.hl7v2.model.Message;
10 import ca.uhn.hl7v2.parser.Parser;
11
12 /**
13 * <p>A convenient way for the initiator of a message exchange to send a
14 * message to a remote server and await the response in the same thread.</p>
15 *
16 * <p>Acknowledgements, threading, and accept-level retries are handled by
17 * an associated <code>Processor</code>.</p>
18 *
19 * <p>Recall that acknowledgement requirements are specified in MSH fields 15
20 * and 16 (see HL7 v2.5 chapter 2), so the sender has control. If no response is
21 * needed, and you would like this call to return right away, specify that no
22 * acknowledgements are required.</p>
23 *
24 * @author <a href="mailto:bryan.tripp@uhn.on.ca">Bryan Tripp</a>
25 * @version $Revision: 1.1 $ updated on $Date: 2007-02-19 02:24:38 $ by $Author: jamesagnew $
26 */
27 public interface Initiator {
28
29 /**
30 * Encodes a message, sends it to a remote system, awaits the response,
31 * parses it, and returns it. The response may be null if the message doesn't
32 * require an application-level acknowledgement.
33 *
34 * @param theMessage the message to send to the remote system
35 * @return the response from the remote system
36 */
37 Message../../ca/uhn/hl7v2/model/Message.html#Message">Message sendAndReceive(Message theMessage) throws HL7Exception;
38
39 /**
40 * @return the <code>Parser</code> that is used to encode outbound messages
41 * and parse inbound ones. It may be of interest to set certain parameters
42 * of this parser, for example whether to use XML encoding.
43 */
44 Parser getParser();
45
46 /**
47 * @return the <code>Processor</code> instance that is used to perform the message
48 * exchange
49 */
50 Processor getUnderlyingProcessor();
51
52 /**
53 * @return the list of fields that will be included as metadata when a <code>Message</code>
54 * is converted to a <code>Transportable</code>. Each field is a <code>Terser</code>
55 * path (type String).
56 */
57 List<String> getMetadataFields();
58
59 }