/* -*- Mode:C++; c-file-style:"gnu"; indent-tabs-mode:nil; -*- */

/*

 * Copyright (c) 2008 INRIA

 *

 * This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify

 * it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as

 * published by the Free Software Foundation;

 *

 * This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,

 * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of

 * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the

 * GNU General Public License for more details.

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License

 * along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software

 * Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307  USA

 *

 * Authors: Mathieu Lacage <mathieu.lacage@sophia.inria.fr>

 */

#ifndef GLOBAL_VALUE_H

#define GLOBAL_VALUE_H

#include <string>

#include <vector>

#include "ptr.h"

#include "attribute.h"

namespace ns3 {

/**

 * \brief hold a so-called 'global value'.

 *

 * Instances of this class are expected to be allocated as static 

 * global variables and should be used to store configurable global state.

 */

class GlobalValue

{

  typedef std::vector<GlobalValue *> Vector;

public:

  typedef Vector::const_iterator Iterator;

  /**

   * \param name the name of this global value.

   * \param help some help text which describes the purpose of this

   *        global value.

   * \param initialValue the value to assign to this global value

   *        during construction.

   * \param checker a pointer to an AttributeChecker which can verify

   *        that any user-supplied value to override the initial

   *        value matches the requested type constraints.

   */

  GlobalValue (std::string name, std::string help,

		Attribute initialValue,

		Ptr<const AttributeChecker> checker);

  /**

   * \returns the name of this GlobalValue.

   */

  std::string GetName (void) const;

  /**

   * \returns the help text of this GlobalValue.

   */

  std::string GetHelp (void) const;

  /**

   * \returns the current value of this GlobalValue.

   */

  Attribute GetValue (void) const;

  /**

   * \returns the checker associated to this GlobalValue.

   */

  Ptr<const AttributeChecker> GetChecker (void) const;

  /**

   * \param value the new value to set in this GlobalValue.

   */

  bool SetValue (Attribute value);

  /**

   * \param name the name of the global value

   * \param value the value to set in the requested global value.

   *

   * Iterate over the set of GlobalValues until a matching name is found

   * and then set its value with GlobalValue::SetValue.

   *

   * This method cannot fail. It will crash if the input is not valid.

   */

  static void Bind (std::string name, Attribute value);

  /**

   * \param name the name of the global value

   * \param value the value to set in the requested global value.

   * \returns true if the value could be set successfully, false otherwise.

   *

   * Iterate over the set of GlobalValues until a matching name is found

   * and then set its value with GlobalValue::SetValue.

   */

  static bool BindFailSafe (std::string name, Attribute value);

  /**

   * \returns an iterator which represents a pointer to the first GlobalValue registered.

   */

  static Iterator Begin (void);

  /**

   * \returns an iterator which represents a pointer to the last GlobalValue registered.

   */

  static Iterator End (void);

private:

  friend class GlobalValueTests;

  static Vector *GetVector (void);

  std::string m_name;

  std::string m_help;

  Attribute m_initialValue;

  Ptr<const AttributeChecker> m_checker;

};

} // namespace ns3

#endif /* GLOBAL_VALUE_H */