All Known Implementing Classes:

XmlStorageElement
```
public interface ICStorageElement
```
This interface represents an generic element in a storage tree. These trees are rooted at ICSettingsStorage elements. This abstract storage mechanism is used, e.g. with the ICProjectDescription and ICConfigurationDescription for storing custom data in the settings file (.cproject) or in a database.

See Also:

ICSettingsStorage, ICProjectDescription, ICConfigurationDescription

Restriction:

This interface is not intended to be implemented by clients.

Restriction:

This interface is not intended to be extended by clients.

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
Modifier and Type	Method	Description
`void`	`clear()`	Erases all children, attributes and any value set on this ICStorageElement
`ICStorageElement`	`createChild(java.lang.String name)`	Create a child ICStorageElement with the given name.
`ICStorageElement`	`createCopy()`	Create a deep copy of the current ICStorageElement such that name, children, attributes and value are the same.
`boolean`	`equals(ICStorageElement other)`	Tests whether this storage element is exactly equal to other To be equal all name, children attributes and value must be equal between the two ICStorageElements
`java.lang.String`	`getAttribute(java.lang.String name)`	Return the String of attribute value for name.
`java.lang.String[]`	`getAttributeNames()`	Returns a string array of attribute names
`ICStorageElement[]`	`getChildren()`	Returns an array of the ICStorageElement children of this ICStorageElement or an empty array if no children were found
`ICStorageElement[]`	`getChildrenByName(java.lang.String name)`	Returns the children ICStorageElements with name name
`java.lang.String`	`getName()`	Returns the name of this ICStorageElement
`ICStorageElement`	`getParent()`	Return the parent IStorageElement or null if this ICStorageElement doesn't have a parent
`java.lang.String`	`getValue()`	Returns the String value of this element or null if there is no String value set.
`boolean`	`hasAttribute(java.lang.String name)`	Return whether this ICStorageElement contains an attribute value for name
`boolean`	`hasChildren()`	Returns true if this storage element has child ICStorageElements
`ICStorageElement`	`importChild(ICStorageElement element)`	Imports an existing ICStorageElemtn as a child of this ICStorageElement
`void`	`removeAttribute(java.lang.String name)`	Remove an attribute from this ICStorageElement
`void`	`removeChild(ICStorageElement el)`	Removes the ICStorageElement from the set of child ICSotrageElements
`void`	`setAttribute(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String value)`	Set an attribute on this ICStorageElement
`void`	`setValue(java.lang.String value)`	Sets a String value on the ICStorageElement

- Method Detail
  - getAttribute
```
java.lang.String getAttribute(java.lang.String name)
```
    Return the String of attribute value for name. If attribute is not found (hasAttribute(name) is false) this method returns null
    
    Parameters:
    
    name -
    
    Returns:
    
    String value or null if hasAttribute is false
  - hasAttribute
```
boolean hasAttribute(java.lang.String name)
```
    Return whether this ICStorageElement contains an attribute value for name
    
    Parameters:
    
    name -
    
    Returns:
    
    boolean indicating existence of attribute with name name
    
    Since:
    
    5.1
  - getAttributeNames
```
java.lang.String[] getAttributeNames()
```
    Returns a string array of attribute names
  - getParent
```
ICStorageElement getParent()
```
    Return the parent IStorageElement or null if this ICStorageElement doesn't have a parent
    
    Returns:
    
    ICStorageElement parent or null
  - setAttribute
```
void setAttribute(java.lang.String name,
                  java.lang.String value)
```
    Set an attribute on this ICStorageElement
    
    Parameters:
    
    name -
    
    value -
  - removeAttribute
```
void removeAttribute(java.lang.String name)
```
    Remove an attribute from this ICStorageElement
    
    Parameters:
    
    name -
  - createChild
```
ICStorageElement createChild(java.lang.String name)
```
    Create a child ICStorageElement with the given name.
    
    Parameters:
    
    name -
    
    Returns:
    
    new ICStorageElement representing the child
  - getChildren
```
ICStorageElement[] getChildren()
```
    Returns an array of the ICStorageElement children of this ICStorageElement or an empty array if no children were found
    
    Returns:
    
    ICStorageElement[] of children or empty array
  - getChildrenByName
```
ICStorageElement[] getChildrenByName(java.lang.String name)
```
    Returns the children ICStorageElements with name name
    
    Parameters:
    
    name - String name of children to be returned
    
    Returns:
    
    ICStorageElement[] of children may be the empty list if no children with name found
    
    Since:
    
    5.1
  - hasChildren
```
boolean hasChildren()
```
    Returns true if this storage element has child ICStorageElements
    
    Returns:
    
    boolean indicating whether this ICStorageElement has children
    
    Since:
    
    5.1
  - clear
```
void clear()
```
    Erases all children, attributes and any value set on this ICStorageElement
  - getName
```
java.lang.String getName()
```
    Returns the name of this ICStorageElement
  - removeChild
```
void removeChild(ICStorageElement el)
```
    Removes the ICStorageElement from the set of child ICSotrageElements
    
    Parameters:
    
    el -
  - getValue
```
java.lang.String getValue()
```
    Returns the String value of this element or null if there is no String value set. NB a pure whitespace value is considered to be null
    
    Returns:
    
    String or null
  - setValue
```
void setValue(java.lang.String value)
```
    Sets a String value on the ICStorageElement
    
    Parameters:
    
    value -
  - importChild
```
ICStorageElement importChild(ICStorageElement element)
                      throws java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException
```
    Imports an existing ICStorageElemtn as a child of this ICStorageElement
    
    Parameters:
    
    element -
    
    Returns:
    
    ICStorageElement a handle on the newly imported ICStorageElement
    
    Throws:
    
    java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException
  - createCopy
```
ICStorageElement createCopy()
                     throws java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException,
                            org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException
```
    Create a deep copy of the current ICStorageElement such that name, children, attributes and value are the same.
    However this is implemented it should appear to the user that a deep copy of the elements within has occurred. [ Though the implementation may be copy-on-write if the underlying data structure is suitable. ]
    
    getParent() of the clone should be equal to the original element.getParent(). However the clone() doesn't appear in the parent's getChildren() array.
    
    Returns:
    
    ICStorageElement deep copy of this ICStorageElement
    
    Throws:
    
    java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException
    
    org.eclipse.core.runtime.CoreException
    
    Since:
    
    5.1
  - equals
```
boolean equals(ICStorageElement other)
```
    Tests whether this storage element is exactly equal to other To be equal all name, children attributes and value must be equal between the two ICStorageElements
    
    Parameters:
    
    other -
    
    Returns:
    
    boolean indicating equality
    
    Since:
    
    5.1

Interface ICStorageElement

Method Summary

Method Detail

getAttribute

hasAttribute

getAttributeNames

getParent

setAttribute

removeAttribute

createChild

getChildren

getChildrenByName

hasChildren

clear

getName

removeChild

getValue

setValue

importChild

createCopy

equals