--- a/gnv-artifacts/src/main/java/de/intevation/gnv/state/State.java	Wed Mar 31 13:48:07 2010 +0000
+++ b/gnv-artifacts/src/main/java/de/intevation/gnv/state/State.java	Thu Apr 01 09:15:36 2010 +0000
@@ -13,18 +13,45 @@
 import org.w3c.dom.Node;
 
 /**
+ * This interface describes the basic method a concrete state class needs to
+ * implement.
+ * 
  * @author <a href="mailto:tim.englich@intevation.de">Tim Englich</a>
  * @author <a href="mailto:ingo.weinzierl@intevation.de">Ingo Weinzierl</a>
  * @author <a href="mailto:sascha.teichmann@intevation.de">Sascha L. Teichmann</a>
  */
 public interface State extends Serializable {
 
+    /**
+     * Setup the state.
+     *
+     * @param configuration State configuration.
+     */
     public void setup(Node configuration);
 
+    /**
+     * Return the id of the state.
+     *
+     * @return the id.
+     */
     public String getID();
 
+    /**
+     * Return the description of the state.
+     *
+     * @return the description of the state.
+     */
     public String getDescription();
 
+    /**
+     * This method is called when an artifacts retrieves a describe request. It
+     * creates the user interface description of the current state.
+     *
+     * @param document Describe doucment.
+     * @param rootNode Parent node for all new xml elements.
+     * @param context The CallContext.
+     * @param uuid The uuid of an artifact.
+     */
     public void describe(
         Document    document,
         Node        rootNode,
@@ -32,36 +59,124 @@
         String      uuid
     );
 
+    /**
+     * This method is used to insert new data into this state. Concrete
+     * subclasses should valide the input before saving it.
+     *
+     * @param context The CallContext.
+     * @param inputData New InputData items.
+     * @param uuid The uuid of an artifact.
+     * @return a document with an error or sucess message.
+     * @throws StateException
+     */
     public Document feed(
         CallContext context, Collection<InputData> inputData, String uuid)
     throws StateException;
 
+    /**
+     * Set the previous state.
+     *
+     * @param state The previous state.
+     */
     public void setParent(State state);
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the previous state.
+     *
+     * @return the previous state.
+     */
     public State getParent();
 
+    /**
+     * Retrieve a collection of required input values.
+     *
+     * @return required input values.
+     */
     public Collection<InputValue> getRequiredInputValues();
 
+    /**
+     * Retrieves a map with InputData items.
+     *
+     * @return a map with InputData items.
+     */
     public Map<String, InputData> inputData();
 
+    /**
+     * Use this method to feed a state with some data.
+     *
+     * @param inputData InputData collection.
+     * @param uuid UUID of an artifact.
+     * @throws StateException
+     */
     public void putInputData(Collection<InputData> inputData, String uuid)
     throws StateException;
 
+    /**
+     * Retrieves a collection with the InputData stored in this state.
+     *
+     * @return An InputData collection.
+     * @throws StateException
+     */
     public Collection<InputData> getInputData() throws StateException;
 
+    /**
+     * This method is called to advance to a next or previous state.
+     *
+     * @param uuid The uuid of an artifact.
+     * @param context The CallContext object.
+     * @throws StateException
+     */
     public void advance(String uuid, CallContext context)
     throws StateException;
 
+    /**
+     * This method is called when the state is created.
+     *
+     * @param uuid The uuid of an artifact.
+     * @param context The CallContext object.
+     * @throws StateException
+     */
     public void initialize(String uuid, CallContext context)
     throws StateException;
 
+    /**
+     * This method can be used to reset the state.
+     *
+     * @param uuid The uuid of an artifact.
+     */
     public void reset(String uuid);
 
+    /**
+     * This method is called when the lifetime of an artifact ends or if the
+     * user decides to step back to a previous state.
+     *
+     * @param globalContext The CallContext.
+     */
     public void endOfLife(Object globalContext);
 
+    /**
+     * This method is used to put some InputData objects into an artifact before
+     * the parameterization begins.
+     *
+     * @param preSettings
+     */
     public void setPreSettings(Map<String,InputData> preSettings);
 
+    /**
+     * This method retrieves a map with InputData objects which have been
+     * inserted into this state before the parameterization has started. The key
+     * used to store the objects is the name of the state.
+     *
+     * @return map with InputData objects.
+     */
     public Map<String,InputData> getPreSettings();
 
+    /**
+     * Method to remove the data stored at a state which should not be
+     * serialized while an artifact is exported.
+     * 
+     * @param context The CallContext
+     */
     public void cleanup(Object context);
 }
+// vim:set ts=4 sw=4 si et sta sts=4 fenc=utf-8 :
\ No newline at end of file