com.agentfactory.platform.core
Class Agent

java.lang.Object
  java.util.Observable
      com.agentfactory.platform.core.Agent

All Implemented Interfaces:

java.util.Observer

public abstract class Agent
extends java.util.Observable
implements java.util.Observer

This class represents the embodiment of an agent within the AgentFactory runtime environment. Memebers include the agents name and various objects used by the AF platform's services. This class is abstract and must be instantiated for a given agent oriented programming language. A number of abstract methods are defined, each of these will have to be made concrete to provide the logical elements of a successful agent implementation. There is an arguement that some of the meta information contained here could be contained in the agent's own mental state. For example, the agent's beliefs could easily include information about the agent's name and required services. Rather than holding that information in the mental state, we hold it here. We do this because: (1) it cuts down on the information that needs to be reasoned about by the agent; (2) it removes the need to enforece the use of specific self knowledge actuators; (3) since this information is meta information about the state of the agent implementation, it is subalbe to store the information out of the agent's mental state. TODO - robertr - 13-Aug-2004 - Code review on migration.

Field Summary

static int	ACTIVE FIPA ACTIVE STATE
AgentPlatform	agentPlatform The AF Platform on which the agent is running.
protected java.util.Vector	args The arguements supplied to the agent interpreter
protected FIPAMessageQueue	fipaMessageQueue A Queue of FIPA compliant messages.
static int	INITIATED FIPA INITIATED STATE
java.lang.String	name The agent's name.
protected int	state Indicate the state of the agent.
static int	SUSPENDED FIPA SUSPENDED STATE
static int	TERMINATED FIPA TERMINATED STATE
static int	TERMINATING
protected int	timeSlice The amount of time that the agent has for execution...
static int	TRANSIT FIPA TRANSIT STATE
static int	WAITING FIPA WAITING STATE

Constructor Summary

Agent(java.lang.String name, java.lang.String inType, AgentPlatform platform, java.util.Vector arguments)
The main constructor for the Agent class.

Method Summary

void	addAgentID(AgentID id) Methods concerned with the Agent's Addressbook.
boolean	bindToService(java.lang.String serviceID) this method attempts to bind the agent to a specified service.
void	changeAIDName(java.lang.String inName) Change the AID Name.
boolean	containsBoundServiceByName(java.lang.String serviceName)
abstract void	endOfTimeSlice()
abstract void	execute()
AgentID	getAgentID()
AgentID	getAgentID(java.lang.String inName) Retrives the AgentID associated with the given name.
java.util.Collection	getAgentIDs()
AgentPlatform	getAgentPlatform() Get a handle to the AgentPlatform on which this agent is running
java.util.Vector	getAvailableMTSServices() Return the services available.
java.util.Enumeration	getBoundServices() Get the services that the agent is acutally bound to on this platform.
FIPAMessageQueue	getMessageQueue() Get the agent's message queuee
java.lang.String	getName() Get the agent's name.
PlatformService	getService(java.lang.String name)
int	getState() Get the State of the Agent Interperter.
int	getTimeSlice() Get the current time slice
abstract java.lang.String	getType()
abstract void	initialise(java.lang.String content) Called directly by the ScriptHandler class, this method is used to initialized a given type of agent.
abstract void	kill()
void	metaRegistration() Perform meta registration to activate FIPA type services.
void	notify(java.lang.String message) OBSERVER METHODS
void	removeAgentID(java.lang.String inName) Remove an agent ID from the agent's addressbook
void	resume()
void	setState(int state) Set the state of the agent interperter.
void	setTimeSlice(int timeSlice) Set the current time slice
abstract void	step()
void	suspend()
abstract void	terminate()
java.lang.String	toString()
void	update(java.util.Observable o, java.lang.Object arg)

Methods inherited from class java.util.Observable

addObserver, clearChanged, countObservers, deleteObserver, deleteObservers, hasChanged, notifyObservers, notifyObservers, setChanged

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

INITIATED

public static final int INITIATED

FIPA INITIATED STATE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

ACTIVE

public static final int ACTIVE

FIPA ACTIVE STATE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

WAITING

public static final int WAITING

FIPA WAITING STATE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

SUSPENDED

public static final int SUSPENDED

FIPA SUSPENDED STATE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

TRANSIT

public static final int TRANSIT

FIPA TRANSIT STATE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

TERMINATED

public static final int TERMINATED

FIPA TERMINATED STATE

See Also:

Constant Field Values

TERMINATING

public static final int TERMINATING

See Also:

Constant Field Values

state

protected int state

Indicate the state of the agent. The state can only be in one of the states explicitly defined above.

timeSlice

protected int timeSlice

The amount of time that the agent has for execution...

name

public java.lang.String name

The agent's name.

fipaMessageQueue

protected FIPAMessageQueue fipaMessageQueue

A Queue of FIPA compliant messages.

agentPlatform

public AgentPlatform agentPlatform

The AF Platform on which the agent is running.

args

protected java.util.Vector args

The arguements supplied to the agent interpreter

Constructor Detail

Agent

public Agent(java.lang.String name,
             java.lang.String inType,
             AgentPlatform platform,
             java.util.Vector arguments)
      throws AgentConfigurationException

The main constructor for the Agent class. Agent Classes should subclass this method, calling this super constructor and initialising their own state.

Parameters:

inName - - A String object that hods the given name of an agent

inType - - A String object that holds the type of the agent

inAgentPlatform - - An AgentPlatform objet that is running this agent interpreter.

inArguements - - A Vector object containing any arguements supplied to the interpreter. These will have been defined in the platform configuration file and are all String objects.

Throws:

AgentConfigurationException - - Thrown if there were any problems instantiating the agent instance.

Method Detail

metaRegistration

public void metaRegistration()

Perform meta registration to activate FIPA type services. This method is called by the agent platform following construction of the agent object.

setState

public void setState(int state)

Set the state of the agent interperter.

Parameters:

state - - The state to which the agent is to be set.

getState

public int getState()

Get the State of the Agent Interperter.

Returns:

one of the valid fipa states (specified as constants above)

getMessageQueue

public FIPAMessageQueue getMessageQueue()

Get the agent's message queuee

Returns:

FIPAMessageQueue - the agent's unique message queue.

bindToService

public boolean bindToService(java.lang.String serviceID)

this method attempts to bind the agent to a specified service. The return value indicates the success or failure of the binding attempt.

Parameters:

serviceID - the id of the service that the agent is to attempt to bind to

Returns:

true if the agent binds to the service, false otherwise#

getAvailableMTSServices

public java.util.Vector getAvailableMTSServices()

Return the services available.

Returns:

Vector the services that the agent needs and are available on the current platform.

getBoundServices

public java.util.Enumeration getBoundServices()

Get the services that the agent is acutally bound to on this platform.

Returns:

Enumeration - the services that the agent needs and are available on the current platform.

containsBoundServiceByName

public boolean containsBoundServiceByName(java.lang.String serviceName)

getService

public PlatformService getService(java.lang.String name)

addAgentID

public void addAgentID(AgentID id)

Methods concerned with the Agent's Addressbook. This method allows the addition of agent-identifiers to the agents' internal address list.

Parameters:

id - an AgentID

getAgentID

public AgentID getAgentID(java.lang.String inName)

Retrives the AgentID associated with the given name.

Parameters:

inName - the name of the agent whose ID is required.

Returns:

an AgentID

removeAgentID

public void removeAgentID(java.lang.String inName)

Remove an agent ID from the agent's addressbook

Parameters:

inName - The name of the agent that is to be removed from the addressbook.

changeAIDName

public void changeAIDName(java.lang.String inName)

Change the AID Name.

Parameters:

inName -

getAgentID

public AgentID getAgentID()

getAgentIDs

public java.util.Collection getAgentIDs()

getName

public java.lang.String getName()

Get the agent's name.

Returns:

String - The agent's name.

getAgentPlatform

public AgentPlatform getAgentPlatform()

Get a handle to the AgentPlatform on which this agent is running

Returns:

AgentPlatform

getTimeSlice

public int getTimeSlice()

Get the current time slice

setTimeSlice

public void setTimeSlice(int timeSlice)

Set the current time slice

Parameters:

timeSlice - the new time slice value

update

public void update(java.util.Observable o,
                   java.lang.Object arg)

Specified by:

update in interface java.util.Observer

notify

public void notify(java.lang.String message)

OBSERVER METHODS

suspend

public void suspend()

resume

public void resume()

kill

public abstract void kill()

step

public abstract void step()

terminate

public abstract void terminate()

getType

public abstract java.lang.String getType()

endOfTimeSlice

public abstract void endOfTimeSlice()

execute

public abstract void execute()

initialise

public abstract void initialise(java.lang.String content)

Called directly by the ScriptHandler class, this method is used to initialized a given type of agent.

toString

public java.lang.String toString()

Overrides:

toString in class java.lang.Object