blackboard.data.discussionboard
Class Forum

java.lang.Object
  blackboard.data.BbObject
      blackboard.data.discussionboard.Forum

All Implemented Interfaces:

IBbObject, Identifiable, Positionable, java.lang.Cloneable

public class Forum
extends BbObject
implements Positionable

The Forum class provides a representation of a discussion board forum within the Bb Course Management System.

Since:

Bb 5.5

Version:

$Revision: #1 $ $Date: 2007/06/27 $

Field Summary

static DataType

DATA_TYPE

Fields inherited from class blackboard.data.BbObject

_bbAttributes

Fields inherited from interface blackboard.data.Positionable

POS_UNDEFINED

Constructor Summary

Forum()
Creates an instance of Forum with default property values.

Method Summary

void	appendTopLevelThread(Message msg) Appends the given Message to the current list of top level message threads currently defined for this Forum.
java.lang.String	getAvgPostPosition() Returns the average post position associated with this Forum
java.lang.String	getAvgPostSize() Returns the average post size associated with this Forum
Id	getConferenceId() Returns the parent conference Id associated with this Forum
DataType	getDataType() Returns the DataType identifier for this object.
FormattedText	getDescription() Returns the description of this Forum
java.util.Calendar	getEndDate() Returns the End date restriction on this Forum.
boolean	getIsAvailable() Returns whether this Conference is available.
boolean	getIsAvailableWithinDateRestrictions() Convenience method that returns whether this form is available within the date restrictions (if any ).
java.lang.String	getMaxPostSize() Returns the maximum post size associated with this Forum
java.lang.String	getMinPostSize() Returns the minimum post size associated with this Forum
java.lang.String	getMostRecentPost() Returns the most recent post date associated with this Forum
int	getPosition() Returns the position of this Forum.
ForumProperties	getProperties() Returns the ForumProperties associated with this Forum
java.util.Calendar	getStartDate() Returns the Start date restriction on this Forum.
ForumStatus	getStatus() Returns the ForumStatus associated with this Forum
java.lang.String	getTitle() Returns the title associated with this Forum
BbList	getTopLevelThreads() Returns the list of top level message threads for this Forum.
void	setAvgPostPosition(int avgPostPosition) Sets the average post positon for this Forum
void	setAvgPostSize(java.lang.String avgPostSize) Sets the average post size for this Forum
void	setConferenceId(Id iConfId) Sets the conference Id value for this Forum
void	setDescription(FormattedText desc) Sets the description of this Forum
void	setEndDate(java.util.Calendar endDate) Sets the end date restriction on this forum.
void	setIsAvailable(boolean bIsAvailable) Sets whether this Conference is available.
void	setMaxPostSize(java.lang.String maxPostSize) Sets the maximum post size for this Forum
void	setMinPostSize(java.lang.String minPostSize) Sets the minimum post size for this Forum
void	setMostRecentPost(java.lang.String mostRecentPost) Sets the most recent post date for this Forum
void	setPosition(int nPos) Sets the position of this Forum.
void	setProperties(ForumProperties properties) Sets the ForumProperties value for this Forum
void	setStartDate(java.util.Calendar startDate) Sets the start date restriction on this forum.
void	setStatus(ForumStatus status) Sets the ForumStatus value for this Forum
void	setTitle(java.lang.String strTitle) Sets the title associated with this Forum
void	setTopLevelThreads(BbList msgs) Sets the list of top level message threads for this Forum.
void	validate() Validates the contents of this Forum.

Methods inherited from class blackboard.data.BbObject

clone, getBbAttributes, getCreatedDate, getId, getModifiedDate, persist, setCreatedDate, setId, setModifiedDate, toString

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

DATA_TYPE

public static final DataType DATA_TYPE

Constructor Detail

Forum

public Forum()

Creates an instance of Forum with default property values.

Method Detail

getConferenceId

public Id getConferenceId()

Returns the parent conference Id associated with this Forum

Returns:

conference Id value for this forum

setConferenceId

public void setConferenceId(Id iConfId)

Sets the conference Id value for this Forum

Parameters:

iConfId - the conference Id value to use for this forum

getIsAvailable

public boolean getIsAvailable()

Returns whether this Conference is available.

Returns:

true if this conference is available, false otherwise

setIsAvailable

public void setIsAvailable(boolean bIsAvailable)

Sets whether this Conference is available.

Parameters:

bIsAvailable - true if this conference is available, false otherwise

getStartDate

public java.util.Calendar getStartDate()

Returns the Start date restriction on this Forum. If there is no restriction, this will be null.

Returns:

the start date restriction on this Forum

Since:

Bb 7.3

setStartDate

public void setStartDate(java.util.Calendar startDate)

Sets the start date restriction on this forum. Set to null to remove any restriction.

Parameters:

startDate - the start date restriction to set on the forum

Since:

Bb 7.3

getEndDate

public java.util.Calendar getEndDate()

Returns the End date restriction on this Forum. If there is no restriction, this will be null.

Returns:

the end date restriction on this Forum

Since:

Bb 7.3

setEndDate

public void setEndDate(java.util.Calendar endDate)

Sets the end date restriction on this forum. Set to null to remove any restriction.

Parameters:

endDate - the end date restriction to set on the forum

Since:

Bb 7.3

getIsAvailableWithinDateRestrictions

public boolean getIsAvailableWithinDateRestrictions()

Convenience method that returns whether this form is available within the date restrictions (if any ). If there are no date restrictions, will return the same result as getIsAvailable

Since:

Bb 7.3

getPosition

public int getPosition()

Returns the position of this Forum. This position should be used when displaying forums relative to each other. Position values are zero-based (the first element has a position value of zero, not one).

Specified by:

getPosition in interface Positionable

Returns:

the position of this forum within its current context. If this value has not been set or is unknown its value will be Positionable.POS_UNDEFINED.

setPosition

public void setPosition(int nPos)

Sets the position of this Forum. Position values are zero-based (the first element has a position value of zero, not one).

Specified by:

setPosition in interface Positionable

Parameters:

nPos - the new position value of this forum. This value should be a positive value.

getTitle

public java.lang.String getTitle()

Returns the title associated with this Forum

Returns:

the title value of this forum as a String

setTitle

public void setTitle(java.lang.String strTitle)

Sets the title associated with this Forum

Parameters:

strTitle - a String containing the title for this forum

getMostRecentPost

public java.lang.String getMostRecentPost()

Returns the most recent post date associated with this Forum

Returns:

the most recent post date of this forum as a String

setMostRecentPost

public void setMostRecentPost(java.lang.String mostRecentPost)

Sets the most recent post date for this Forum

Parameters:

mostRecentPost - the most recent post date to use for this Forum

getMinPostSize

public java.lang.String getMinPostSize()

Returns the minimum post size associated with this Forum

Returns:

the minimum post size of this conference

setMinPostSize

public void setMinPostSize(java.lang.String minPostSize)

Sets the minimum post size for this Forum

Parameters:

minPostSize - the minimum post size to use for this Forum

getMaxPostSize

public java.lang.String getMaxPostSize()

Returns the maximum post size associated with this Forum

Returns:

the maximum post size of this conference

setMaxPostSize

public void setMaxPostSize(java.lang.String maxPostSize)

Sets the maximum post size for this Forum

Parameters:

maxPostSize - the maximum post size to use for this Forum

getAvgPostSize

public java.lang.String getAvgPostSize()

Returns the average post size associated with this Forum

Returns:

the average post size of this conference

setAvgPostSize

public void setAvgPostSize(java.lang.String avgPostSize)

Sets the average post size for this Forum

Parameters:

avgPostSize - the average post size to use for this Forum

getAvgPostPosition

public java.lang.String getAvgPostPosition()

Returns the average post position associated with this Forum

Returns:

the average post position of this conference

setAvgPostPosition

public void setAvgPostPosition(int avgPostPosition)

Sets the average post positon for this Forum

Parameters:

avgPostPosition - the average post position to use for this Forum

getStatus

public ForumStatus getStatus()

Returns the ForumStatus associated with this Forum

Returns:

the ForumStatus value of this conference

setStatus

public void setStatus(ForumStatus status)

Sets the ForumStatus value for this Forum

Parameters:

status - the ForumStatus value to use for this Forum

setProperties

public void setProperties(ForumProperties properties)

Sets the ForumProperties value for this Forum

Parameters:

properties - the ForumProperties value to use for this Forum

getProperties

public ForumProperties getProperties()

Returns the ForumProperties associated with this Forum

Returns:

the ForumProperties value of this conference

getDescription

public FormattedText getDescription()

Returns the description of this Forum

Returns:

a {FormattedText} representing the description of this forum

setDescription

public void setDescription(FormattedText desc)

Sets the description of this Forum

Parameters:

desc - a FormattedText containing the description of this forum

getTopLevelThreads

public BbList getTopLevelThreads()

Returns the list of top level message threads for this Forum.

Returns:

a BbList with the top level threads for this forum

setTopLevelThreads

public void setTopLevelThreads(BbList msgs)

Sets the list of top level message threads for this Forum.

When top level threads are added to a forum in this manner, no enforcement of the relationship between a forum and its messages is performed. It is therefore the responsibility of the caller to have properly enforced these constraints. If enforcement of the elements of the relationship is desired, use appendTopLevelThread(Message) instead.

Parameters:

msgs - a BbList containing the set of top level message threads to use for this forum

appendTopLevelThread

public void appendTopLevelThread(Message msg)

Appends the given Message to the current list of top level message threads currently defined for this Forum.

This method enforces all constraints in the relationship of a top level thread and a forum. First, the parent/child relationship between a forum and a message is enforced by calling Message.setForumId(Id), passing in the local forum id value, on the provided Message prior to adding it to the list of top level threads. Top level thread do not have parent messages so an unset id value (Id.UNSET_ID is also enforced for the message parent id value.

Parameters:

msg - the Message to append to the current list of top level message threads

getDataType

public DataType getDataType()

Returns the DataType identifier for this object. Can be used to uniquely identify the "type" of this data object.

Specified by:

getDataType in interface IBbObject

Specified by:

getDataType in interface Identifiable

Specified by:

getDataType in class BbObject

Returns:

the DataType for this object

validate

public void validate()
              throws ValidationException

Validates the contents of this Forum. Internal consistency checks are also performed.

Specified by:

validate in interface IBbObject

Overrides:

validate in class BbObject

Throws:

ValidationException - if validation of this object fails