/* The interface for actors with multiple fire methods that can be separately scheduled
 * in the Sequence and Process Directors.

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 */
package ptolemy.domains.sequence.kernel;

import java.util.List;

import ptolemy.actor.IOPort;
import ptolemy.kernel.util.IllegalActionException;

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//// MultipleFireMethodsInterface

/** The interface for actors with multiple fire methods that can be separately scheduled
 *  in the Sequence and Process Directors.
 *
 *  @author Charles Shelton
 *  @version $Id: MultipleFireMethodsInterface.java 70398 2014-10-22 23:44:32Z cxh $
 *  @see SequencedModelDirector
 *  @see SequenceScheduler
 *  @see SequenceSchedule
 *  @since Ptolemy II 10.0
 *  @Pt.ProposedRating Red (cshelton)
 *  @Pt.AcceptedRating Red (cshelton)
 */
public interface MultipleFireMethodsInterface {

    /** Return the name of the default fire method for this actor.
     *
     *  @return The string name of the default fire method for the actor.
     *   If the actor does not have multiple fire methods, return null.
     */
    public String getDefaultFireMethodName();

    /** Return the list of strings that represent the names of
     *  all the fire methods the actor has.
     *
     *  @return The list of fire method names strings.
     */
    public List<String> getFireMethodNames();

    /** Return the list of input ports associated with the given method name.
     *  If the method has no input ports, return an empty list. If the actor
     *  does not have multiple methods, return null.
     *
     *  @param methodName The specified method name.
     *  @return The list of input ports associated with the method name.
     */
    public List<IOPort> getMethodInputPortList(String methodName);

    /** Return the output port associated with the given method name, if there is one.
     *  If the method does not have any outputs, or the actor does not have multiple
     *  fire methods, return null
     *
     *  @param methodName The specified name of the method.
     *  @return The output port associated with this method, or null is there is none.
     */
    public IOPort getMethodOutputPort(String methodName);

    /** Return the number of fire methods the actor has.
     *  @return the number of fire methods the actor has, which should be
     *   at least one.
     */
    public int numFireMethods();

    /** Set the fire method to the method that matches the specified
     *  string name.
     *  @param methodName The name of the method to be used.
     *  @exception IllegalActionException If the specified fire method cannot be found
     *   in the actor.
     */
    public void setFireMethod(String methodName) throws IllegalActionException;
}