note
	description: "[
				Utility class to traverse object graphs starting at a root object.
		
		
				When traversing a graph the class distinguishes four different types of references:
				
					(1) Normal references
					(2) References with copy-semantics, which are usually seen when attaching 
						an expanded object to an ANY reference
					(3) User-defined expanded objects, embedded inside another object. 
						Semantically this is a special case of a copy-semantics reference.
					(4) Language-defined expanded objects (INTEGER, POINTER etc) embedded inside another object. 
						Semantically, this is a special case of a copy-semantics reference.
						
				This class will follow all reference types except (4). 
				
				During traversal the agent on_processing_object_action will be called for each object
				and the agent on_processing_reference_action for each reference, if present. This includes
				references to objects that have already been processed.
				
				The algorighm has two output values: visited_objects and visited_types:
				Any standard object without copy-semantics (i.e. reference type (1)) will be stored
				by aliasing inside visited_object. For references of type (2) and (3) a copy will be stored.
				The visited_types hash table contains the dynamic type id of all types encountered during 
				traversal. The key and value in the hashtable are the same.
				
				Setting is_skip_copy_semantics_reference to true means that references of (2) and (3) will
				not be stored in visited_types. Note that this is the only effect of this setting - i.e.
				the traversal algorithm will still follow the references, the agents will be called, and the
				visited_types array will be extended anyway.
		
				NOTE:
				
				Due to a limitation in the reflection library, references of type (2) and (3) within TUPLE 
				and references of type (3) within SPECIAL cannot be handled without causing a copy. This is 
				problematic for agents, especially when they want to change the object. Therefore
				the algorithm will raise an exception when an agent is attached.
				In read-only situations it may be acceptable to use a copy of an object. Therefore to disable the
				exception behaviour you can set is_exception_on_copy_suppressed to True.
				
				NOTE:
				
				To maintain backwards compatibility the traversal algorithm will silently ignore any kind of 
				exception and just return normally, with traversed_objects set to whatever value it had before 
				invoking traverse. In order to get exceptions you need to set is_exception_propagated to True.
	]"
	library: "Free implementation of ELKS library"
	legal: "See notice at end of class."
	status: "See notice at end of class."
	author: "Stephanie Balzer"
	date: "$Date: 2017-03-23 19:18:26 +0000 (Thu, 23 Mar 2017) $"
	revision: "$Revision: 100033 $"

deferred class interface
	OBJECT_GRAPH_TRAVERSABLE

feature -- Access

	root_object: detachable ANY
			-- Starting point of graph traversing

	on_processing_object_action: detachable PROCEDURE [REFLECTED_OBJECT]
			-- Action called on every object in the object graph.
			-- Note: The argument is reused later for a different object. Do not alias it.

	on_processing_reference_action: detachable PROCEDURE [REFLECTED_OBJECT, REFLECTED_OBJECT]
			-- Action called on every reference in the object graph.
			-- Note: The arguments are reused later for different objects. Do not alias them.

	object_action: detachable PROCEDURE [separate ANY]
			-- Action called on every object in object graph

	visited_objects: detachable ARRAYED_LIST [separate ANY]
			-- List referencing objects of object graph that have been visited in traverse.

	visited_types: detachable HASH_TABLE [INTEGER_32, INTEGER_32]
			-- List of all types encountered during traversal
	
feature -- Status report

	has_failed: BOOLEAN
			-- Was the last traversal successful?

	is_root_object_set: BOOLEAN
			-- Is starting point of graph traversing set?

	is_object_action_set: BOOLEAN
			-- Is procedure to call on every object set?

	has_reference_with_copy_semantics: BOOLEAN
			-- Does the traversed graph of objects contain reference with copy semantics?

	is_skip_transient: BOOLEAN
			-- Do we skip transient attribute during traversal?

	is_skip_copy_semantics_reference: BOOLEAN
			-- Do we skip copy semantics reference from visited_objects during traversal?

	is_exception_on_copy_suppressed: BOOLEAN
			-- Do we suppress an exception when object_action is called on a copied object?
			-- A copy happens when encountering tuples containing copy-semantics references
			-- or with SPECIAL[XX], where XX is a user-defined expanded type.

	is_exception_propagated: BOOLEAN
			-- Does the algorithm propagate any exceptions to the user?
	
feature -- Element change

	set_root_object (an_object: like root_object)
			-- Set root_object with 'an_object'.
		require
			an_object_not_void: an_object /= Void
		ensure
			root_object_set: root_object = an_object and is_root_object_set

	set_on_processing_object_action (an_action: like on_processing_object_action)
			-- Set on_processing_object_action with an_action
		require
			an_action_not_void: an_action /= Void
		ensure
			on_processing_object_action_set: on_processing_object_action = an_action

	set_on_processing_reference_action (an_action: like on_processing_reference_action)
			-- Set on_processing_object_action with an_action
		require
			an_action_not_void: an_action /= Void
		ensure
			on_processing_reference_action_set: on_processing_reference_action = an_action

	set_is_skip_transient (v: like is_skip_transient)
			-- Set is_skip_transient with v.
		ensure
			is_skip_transient_set: is_skip_transient = v

	set_is_skip_copy_semantics_reference (v: like is_skip_copy_semantics_reference)
			-- Set is_skip_copy_semantics_reference with v.
		ensure
			is_skip_copy_semantics_reference_set: is_skip_copy_semantics_reference = v

	set_is_exception_on_copy_suppressed (v: like is_exception_on_copy_suppressed)
			-- Set set_is_exception_on_copy_suppressed with v.
		ensure
			is_exception_on_copy_suppressed_set: is_exception_on_copy_suppressed = v

	set_is_exception_propagated (v: like is_exception_propagated)
			-- Set is_exception_propagated with v.
		ensure
			is_exception_propagated_set: is_exception_propagated = v
	
feature -- Basic operations

	frozen traverse
			-- Traverse object structure starting at 'root_object' and call object_action
			-- on every object in the graph.
		require
			root_object_available: is_root_object_set

	wipe_out
			-- Clear current to default values
		ensure
			visited_objects_reset: visited_objects = Void
			object_action_not_set: not is_object_action_set
			root_object_not_set: not is_root_object_set
	
note
	copyright: "Copyright (c) 1984-2017, Eiffel Software and others"
	license: "Eiffel Forum License v2 (see http://www.eiffel.com/licensing/forum.txt)"
	source: "[
		Eiffel Software
		5949 Hollister Ave., Goleta, CA 93117 USA
		Telephone 805-685-1006, Fax 805-685-6869
		Website http://www.eiffel.com
		Customer support http://support.eiffel.com
	]"

end -- class OBJECT_GRAPH_TRAVERSABLE

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