NAME

       StateVar - state variable subject base class

SYNOPSIS

       #include <Unidraw/statevar.h>

DESCRIPTION

       StateVar  is  the  base  class  for  state  variable  subjects.  State variables provide a
       standard way to represent and access state that can be modified by  the  user  or  through
       dataflow.   State  variable subjects store the state, while state variable views provide a
       graphical interface for examining and potentially modifying the state  in  their  subject.
       The  StateVar  class  defines the protocol for state variable subjects.  It is an abstract
       class and thus cannot be instantiated.

PUBLIC OPERATIONS

       Connector* GetBinding()
              Return the connector to which the state variable  is  bound  to  support  dataflow.
              Data  flows  through  connected  connectors with bound state variables: the library
              automatically assigns one bound state variable's state to another's.  The direction
              of  this  assignment depends on the participating connectors. See Connector(3U) for
              details on how to bind state  variables  to  connectors  and  how  to  specify  the
              direction of flow.

       virtual void Attach(StateVarView*)
       virtual void Detach(StateVarView*)
              Attach  associates  the  subject  with  a  view,  represented  by  an instance of a
              StateVarView subclass.  Detach  dissociates  a  previously  attached  view.   These
              operations do not ensure that the argument is an appropriate view of the subject.

       virtual void Notify()
              Notify  iterates  through  the views, calling each one's Update operation to notify
              the view that the subject has potentially changed.  Notify is usually called by the
              subject's state-modifying operations.

       virtual StateVar& operator = (StateVar&)
              The  assignment  operation  should  be  redefined  to  carry  out subclass-specific
              assignment semantics.  Typically this operator calls the parent classes' assignment
              operator  and  then  performs  additional assignments of its own.  This operator is
              used during dataflow to transfer state variable values.

       virtual StateVar* Copy()
              Return a copy of the state variable.  Subclasses should redefine this operation  to
              return an instance of their type.

       virtual void Read(istream&)
       virtual void Write(ostream&)
              Read  and  write  the  state  variable's  contents  to  a stream to support catalog
              operations.  Read and write  typically  call  first  the  corresponding  operations
              defined  by  their  parent  class, and then they read or write their class-specific
              state.  Note that you must ensure that the objects are read in the same order  they
              are written.

       virtual ClassId GetClassId()
       virtual boolean IsA(ClassId)
              GetClassId returns the unique class identifier for the StateVar subclass, while IsA
              returns whether the instance is of a class or subclass corresponding to  the  given
              identifier.   IsA  typically checks the given identifier against the instance's own
              (as defined by its GetClassId  operation)  and,  failing  that,  calls  its  parent
              classes'  IsA operation.  All subclasses must redefine GetClassId and IsA to ensure
              that their identifiers are unique and that instances are written and read properly.

PROTECTED OPERATIONS

       StateVar()
              The constructor is protected to prevent instantiation.

SEE ALSO

       Catalog(3U), Connector(3U),  Creator(3U),  StateVarView(3U),  classes(3U),  istream(3C++),
       ostream(3C++)