Eclipse GEF
2.1

org.eclipse.gef
Interface ConnectionEditPart

All Superinterfaces:
EditPart, GraphicalEditPart, IAdaptable
All Known Implementing Classes:
AbstractConnectionEditPart

public interface ConnectionEditPart
extends GraphicalEditPart

A specialization of GraphicalEditPart for representing connections. ConnectionEditParts must join a source and target EditPart. Its Figure is typically a line between two "nodes", with possible decorations on that line.

In GEF, ConnectionEditParts are structural features of their source and target "nodes", which are EditParts. However, the model does not have this requirement. The application may store the connection model in any way, or there may even be no real model. The burden is on the source and target EditPart to obtain their appropriate connections in the methods getModelSourceConnections() and getModelTargetConnections(). How this is done is application specific.

Since ConnectionEditParts are features of their node EditPart, it is those EditParts that must create and manage the connection. Creation is performed by whichever end happens to "intialize" itself first. Therefore an end always looks first in the EditPartRegistry to see if the connection was already created by the other end.

ConnectionEditParts are EditParts, and therefore can have children. This is a common way to implement labels and other selectable decorations on connections. Similarly, a ConnectionEditPart can also be a "node", meaning it can serve as the source or target of some other ConnectionEditPart. This makes connection to connection possible.

IMPORTANT: The need to display something as a line does not automatically mean that a ConnectionEditPart is required. There are several situations in which ConnectionEditParts should not be used. You should use ConnectionEditParts in general if:


Field Summary
 
Fields inherited from interface org.eclipse.gef.EditPart
SELECTED, SELECTED_NONE, SELECTED_PRIMARY
 
Method Summary
 EditPart getSource()
           
 EditPart getTarget()
           
 void setSource(EditPart source)
          Sets the source of this connection.
 void setTarget(EditPart target)
          Sets thetarget of this connection.
 
Methods inherited from interface org.eclipse.gef.GraphicalEditPart
addNodeListener, getContentPane, getFigure, getSourceConnections, getTargetConnections, removeNodeListener, setLayoutConstraint
 
Methods inherited from interface org.eclipse.gef.EditPart
activate, addEditPartListener, addNotify, deactivate, eraseSourceFeedback, eraseTargetFeedback, getChildren, getCommand, getDragTracker, getEditPolicy, getModel, getParent, getRoot, getSelected, getTargetEditPart, getViewer, hasFocus, installEditPolicy, isActive, isSelectable, performRequest, refresh, removeEditPartListener, removeEditPolicy, removeNotify, setFocus, setModel, setParent, setSelected, showSourceFeedback, showTargetFeedback, understandsRequest
 
Methods inherited from interface org.eclipse.core.runtime.IAdaptable
getAdapter
 

Method Detail

getSource

public EditPart getSource()
Returns:
the EditPart at the source end of this connection.

getTarget

public EditPart getTarget()
Returns:
the EditPart at the target end of this connection.

setSource

public void setSource(EditPart source)
Sets the source of this connection.

Parameters:
source - the source of this connection

setTarget

public void setTarget(EditPart target)
Sets thetarget of this connection.

Parameters:
target - the target of this connection

Eclipse GEF
2.1

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