001    /**
002    The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1 
003    (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. 
004    You may obtain a copy of the License at http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/ 
005    Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis, 
006    WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the 
007    specific language governing rights and limitations under the License. 
008    
009    The Original Code is "Composite.java".  Description: 
010    "Represents the category of HL7 data types that contain more than one component (e.g" 
011    
012    The Initial Developer of the Original Code is University Health Network. Copyright (C) 
013    2001.  All Rights Reserved. 
014    
015    Contributor(s): ______________________________________. 
016    
017    Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of the 
018    GNU General Public License (the  ?GPL?), in which case the provisions of the GPL are 
019    applicable instead of those above.  If you wish to allow use of your version of this 
020    file only under the terms of the GPL and not to allow others to use your version 
021    of this file under the MPL, indicate your decision by deleting  the provisions above 
022    and replace  them with the notice and other provisions required by the GPL License.  
023    If you do not delete the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of 
024    this file under either the MPL or the GPL. 
025    
026    */
027    
028    package ca.uhn.hl7v2.model;
029    
030    /**
031     * <p>Represents the category of HL7 data types that contain more than one component (e.g. CE).
032     * Implementing classes (i.e. composite data types) should initialize their components
033     * either when they are initialized or when they are first accessed.  Only leaf values
034     * (values of primitives) should ever be returned as null.</p>
035     * @author Bryan Tripp (bryan_tripp@sourceforge.net)
036     */
037    public interface Composite extends Type {
038    
039      /**
040       * Returns an array containing the components of this field.
041       */
042      public Type[] getComponents();
043    
044      /**
045       * Returns the single component of this composite at the specified position (starting at 0).
046       */
047      public Type getComponent(int number) throws DataTypeException;
048    
049    }