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<div class="breadcrumb"><a class="nav" href="s5.html" rel="section">&sect;5&nbsp;Team Activation</a></div>
<div class="sect depth2" id="s5.4">
<h2 class="sect">&sect;5.4&nbsp;Guard predicates<a class="img" href="s5.4.html"
title="PermaLink to &sect;5.4&nbsp;Guard predicates"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h2>
<div class="syntaxlink"><a href="sA.7.html" title="&sect;A.7&nbsp;Guard predicates" class="syntax">&rarr;&nbsp;Syntax&nbsp;&sect;A.7</a></div>
<p>The effect of callins can further be controlled using so called guard predicates.
Guards appear at four different levels:
</p>
<ul>
<li>callin method binding</li>
<li>role method</li>
<li>role class</li>
<li>team class</li>
</ul>
<p>Guards can be specified as <em>regular</em> guards or <code>base</code> guards,
which affects the exact point in the control flow, where the guard will be evaluated.
</p>
<div class="subsect depth3" id="s5.4.a">
<h4 class="subsect">(a)&nbsp;<span class="title">General syntax for guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.a.html"
title="PermaLink to (a)&nbsp;General syntax for guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A guard is declared using the keyword <code>when</code> followed by a
boolean expression in parentheses:
</p>
<div class="listing plain"><pre><em><b>when</b> (</em><i>predicateExpression</i><em>)</em></pre></div>
<p>Depending on the kind of guard different objects are in scope using
special identifiers like <code>this</code>, <code>base</code>.<br />
Any predicate expression that evaluates to <code>true</code> enables
the callin binding(s) to which it applies.
Evaluation to <code>false</code> disables the callin binding(s).
</p>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth3" id="s5.4.b">
<h4 class="subsect">(b)&nbsp;<span class="title">No side effects</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.b.html" title="PermaLink to (b)&nbsp;No side effects"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A guard predicate should have no side effects.
A compiler should optionally check this condition, but inter-procedural analysis
actually depends on the availability of appropriate means to mark any method as side-effect free.
</p>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth3" id="s5.4.c">
<h4 class="subsect">(c)&nbsp;<span class="title">Exceptions</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.c.html" title="PermaLink to (c)&nbsp;Exceptions"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A guard predicate should not throw any exceptions.
Yet, any exception thrown within a guard predicate cause the guard to evaluate to <code>false</code>
rather than propagating the exception, meaning that the evaluation of a guard predicate will never
interrupt the current base behaviour.<br />
A compiler should flag any checked exception that is thrown within a guard.
Such diagnosis should by default be treated as an error, with the option of configuring
its severity to warning or ignore.
</p>
</div>
<div class="sect depth3" id="s5.4.1">
<h3 class="sect">&sect;5.4.1&nbsp;Regular guards<a class="img" href="s5.4.1.html"
title="PermaLink to &sect;5.4.1&nbsp;Regular guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a><span class="toplink"><a href="#top">&uarr;&nbsp;&sect;5.4</a></span></h3>
<p>This group of guards evaluates within the context of a given role.
These guards are evaluated <em>after</em> a callin target is lifted and
<em>before</em> a callin bound role method is invoked.
</p>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.1.a">
<h4 class="subsect">(a)&nbsp;<span class="title">Method binding guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.1.a.html"
title="PermaLink to (a)&nbsp;Method binding guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A guard may be attached to a callin method binding as in:
</p>
<div class="listing plain"><pre><b>void</b> roleMethod(<b>int</b> ir) <b>&lt;-</b> <b>after</b> <b>void</b> baseMethod(<b>int</b> ib)
<b>when</b> (ir &gt; MyTeam.this.threshold);</pre></div>
<p>Such a guard only affects the callin binding to which it is attached,
i.e., this specific callin binding is only effective,
if the predicate evaluates to <code>true</code>.
<br />
The following values are within the scope of the predicate expression,
and thus can be used to express the condition:
</p>
<ul>
<li>The role instance denoted by <code>this</code>.<br />
Features of the role instance can also be accessed relative to
<code>this</code> with or without explicit qualifying <code>this</code>.
</li>
<li>The team instance denoted by a qualified this reference as in
<code>MyTeam.this</code>.
</li>
<li>If the callin binding includes signatures (as in the example above):
Parameters of the role method.<br />
If parameter mappings are involved, they will be evaluated before evaluating the guard.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.1.b">
<h4 class="subsect">(b)&nbsp;<span class="title">Method guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.1.b.html" title="PermaLink to (b)&nbsp;Method guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A method guard is similar to a method binding guard, but it applies
to all callin method bindings of this method.<br />
A method guard is declared between the method signature and the method body:
</p>
<div class="listing plain"><pre><b>void</b> roleMethod(<b>int</b> ir)
<b>when</b> (ir &gt; MyTeam.this.threshold) { <i>body statements</i> }</pre></div>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.1.c">
<h4 class="subsect">(c)&nbsp;<span class="title">Role level guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.1.c.html"
title="PermaLink to (c)&nbsp;Role level guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>When a guard is specified at the role level, i.e., directly before the
class body of a role class, it applies to all callin method bindings of
the role class:
</p>
<div class="listing plain"><pre><b>protected</b> <b>class</b> MyRole
<b>when</b> (value &gt; MyTeam.this.threshold)
{
<b>int</b> value;
<i>other <b>class</b> body declarations</i>
}</pre></div>
<p>The following values are within the scope of the predicate expression:
</p>
<ul>
<li>The role instance denoted by <code>this</code> (explicit or implicit, see above).
Thus, in the example <code>value</code> will be interpreted as a field of the enclosing role.
</li>
<li>The team instance denoted by a qualified this reference as in <code>MyTeam.this</code></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.1.d">
<h4 class="subsect">(d)&nbsp;<span class="title">Team level guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.1.d.html"
title="PermaLink to (d)&nbsp;Team level guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A guard specified in the header of a team class may disable the callin
bindings of all contained role classes. The syntax corresponds to the syntax
of role level guards.<br />
The only value directly available within team level guard is the
team instance (denoted by <code>this</code>) and its features.
</p>
</div>
<p>Of course all guards can also access any visible static feature of a visible class.
</p>
<p>Even if a guard has no direct effect, because, e.g., a role class has no callin
bindings (maybe not even a role-base binding), predicates at such abstract
levels are useful, because all predicates are inherited by all sub classes
(explicit and implicit).
</p>
</div>
<div class="sect depth3" id="s5.4.2">
<h3 class="sect">&sect;5.4.2&nbsp;Base guards<a class="img" href="s5.4.2.html"
title="PermaLink to &sect;5.4.2&nbsp;Base guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a><span class="toplink"><a href="#top">&uarr;&nbsp;&sect;5.4</a></span></h3>
<p>The intention behind base guards is to prevent lifting of a callin-target
if a guard evaluates to <code>false</code> and thus refuses to invoke the
callin bound role method. Using base guards it is easier to prevent any
side-effects caused by a callin binding, because lifting could cause side-effects
at two levels:
</p>
<ul>
<li>Creating a role on-demand already is a side-effect (observable e.g.
by the reflective function <code><a href="s6.1.html" title="&sect;6.1&nbsp;Reflection" class="sect">hasRole (&sect;6.1)</a></code>)
</li>
<li>Role creation triggers execution of a role constructor
(see <a href="s2.3.1.c.html"
title="&sect;2.3.1.(c)&nbsp;Custom lifting constructor"
class="sect">custom lifting constructor (&sect;2.3.1.(c))</a>)
which could produce arbitrary side-effects.
</li>
</ul>
<p>Both kinds of side-effects can be avoided using a base guard which prevents
unnecessary lifting.
</p>
<p>Any guard (5.4.1 (b)-(e)) can be turned into a base guard by adding
the modifier <code>base</code> as in:
</p>
<div class="listing plain"><pre><b>protected</b> <b>class</b> MyRole <b>playedBy</b> MyBase
<em><b>base</b> when</em> (base.value &gt; MyTeam.this.threshold)
{
<i><b>class</b> body declarations</i>
}</pre></div>
<p>However, different scoping rules apply for the identifiers
that can be used in a base guard:
</p>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.2.a">
<h4 class="subsect">(a)&nbsp;<span class="title">Base object reference</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.2.a.html"
title="PermaLink to (a)&nbsp;Base object reference"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>In all base guard predicates the special identifier <code>base</code>
can be used to denote the base object that is about to be lifted.
</p>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.2.b">
<h4 class="subsect">(b)&nbsp;<span class="title">Method binding guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.2.b.html"
title="PermaLink to (b)&nbsp;Method binding guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>A base method binding guard may access parameters as passed to the
base method. Parameter mappings are not considered.<br />
Additionally, for <code>after</code> callin bindings, the identifier <code>result</code>
may be used to refer to the result of the base method (if any).
</p>
<div class="note">
<h5>Note:</h5>
<p>In order to achieve the same effect of accessing
the base method's result, a regular binding guard (not a base guard)
must use a suitable parameter mapping (see <a href="s4.4.c.html"
title="&sect;4.4.(c)&nbsp;Mapping the result of a base method"
class="sect">&sect;4.4.(c)</a>).
</p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.2.c">
<h4 class="subsect">(c)&nbsp;<span class="title">Method guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.2.c.html" title="PermaLink to (c)&nbsp;Method guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>In contrast to regular method guards, a <em>base</em> guard attached to a role method
cannot access any method parameters. See the next item (d) for values that are actually in scope.
</p>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.2.d">
<h4 class="subsect">(d)&nbsp;<span class="title">Role level guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.2.d.html"
title="PermaLink to (d)&nbsp;Role level guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>Role level base guards may use these values:
</p>
<ul>
<li>The base instance using the special identifier <code>base</code>.
</li>
<li>The team instance using a qualified this references (<code>MyTeam.this</code>).
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.2.e">
<h4 class="subsect">(e)&nbsp;<span class="title">Team level guards</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.2.e.html"
title="PermaLink to (e)&nbsp;Team level guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>Team level base guards have the same scope as role level base guards (d).
However, the type of the role instance is not known here, i.e., here <code>base</code>
has the static type <code>java.lang.Object</code>.
</p>
</div>
<div class="subsect depth4" id="s5.4.2.f">
<h4 class="subsect">(f)&nbsp;<span class="title">Unbound roles</span><a class="img" href="s5.4.2.f.html" title="PermaLink to (f)&nbsp;Unbound roles"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a></h4>
<p>In contrast to regular guards, base guards cannot be attached to
unbound role classes nor to their methods.<br />
Only team level base guards are independent of role binding.
</p>
</div><img src="../images/guards.png" alt="Overview: Guard predicates" /></div>
<div class="sect depth3" id="s5.4.3">
<h3 class="sect">&sect;5.4.3&nbsp;Multiple guards<a class="img" href="s5.4.3.html"
title="PermaLink to &sect;5.4.3&nbsp;Multiple guards"><img style="vertical-align:text-top;margin-left:5px;" src="../images/permalink.png"
alt="" /></a><span class="toplink"><a href="#top">&uarr;&nbsp;&sect;5.4</a></span></h3>
<p>Due to the different ranges of applicability different guards may affect the same method binding.
In that case all applicable guards are conjoined using a logical <code>and</code>.<br />
Any guard is interpreted as the conjunction of these predicates (if present):
</p>
<ul>
<li>The direct predicate expression of the guard.</li>
<li>The next outer guard along the chain
<em>method binding -&gt; method -&gt; role level -&gt; team level</em></li>
<li>The guard at the same level that is inherited from the <em>implicit</em> super role.
</li>
<li>The guard at the same level that is inherited from the <em>explicit</em> super role.
</li>
</ul>
<h5 class="listing">Example code (Guard Predicates):</h5>
<div class="listing example frame">
<table class="listing">
<tr class="line odd">
<td class="ln">1</td>
<td><pre><b>public</b> <b>team</b> <b>class</b> ATM {</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line even">
<td class="ln">2</td>
<td><pre> <b>private</b> Bank myBank;</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line odd">
<td class="ln">3</td>
<td><pre> <b>public</b> <b>class</b> ForeignAccount <b>playedBy</b> Account</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line even">
<td class="ln">4</td>
<td><pre> <em><b>base</b> when</em> (!ATM.this.myBank.equals(<em>base</em>.getBank()))</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line odd">
<td class="ln">5</td>
<td><pre> {</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line even">
<td class="ln">6</td>
<td><pre> <b>callin</b> <b>void</b> debitWithFee(<b>int</b> amount) {</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line odd">
<td class="ln">7</td>
<td><pre> base.debitWithFee(fee+amount);</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line even">
<td class="ln">8</td>
<td><pre> }</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line odd">
<td class="ln">9</td>
<td><pre> <b>void</b> debitWithFee(<b>int</b> i) <b>&lt;-</b> <b>replace</b> <b>void</b> debit(<b>int</b> amount)</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line even">
<td class="ln">10</td>
<td><pre> <em><b>base</b> when</em> (amount &lt; 1000);</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line odd">
<td class="ln">11</td>
<td><pre> }</pre></td>
</tr>
<tr class="line even">
<td class="ln">12</td>
<td><pre>}</pre></td>
</tr>
</table>
</div>
<div class="codecomment">
<h5>Effects:</h5>
The team in this example causes that an additional fee has to be payed while debiting
less than 1000 Euros from a "foreign" account.
<ul>
<li>The base guard in line 4 ensures that <code>Account</code> objects only get
<code>ForeignAccount</code> roles, if they belong to a different bank than the
surrounding <code>ATM</code> team.<br />
It accesses the bank of the base via the <code>base</code> identifier.
</li>
<li>The method binding guard in line 10 restricts the callin to
<code>debitWithFee</code> to calls where the base method argument
<code>amount</code> is lower than 1000.
</li>
<li>A call to <code>Account.debit</code> causes a replace callin to
<code>debitWithFee</code><em> only</em> if <em>both</em> predicates evaluate to true.
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
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OT/J version 1.3 &mdash; last modified: 2011-05-15
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