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Jadex Rules is a small lightweight rule engine, which currently employs the well-known Rete algorithm for highly efficient rule matching. Jadex rules is therefore similar to other rule engines like JESS and Drools. Despite the similarities there are also important differences between these systems: * Jadex Rules is very small and intended to be used as component of other software. Even though rules can be specified in a Java dialect as well as (a small variation of) the CLIPS language its primary usage is on the API level. Jadex Rules is currently the core component of the Jadex BDI reasoning engine. * Jadex Rules cleanly separates between state and rule representation. This allows the state implementation as well as the matcher to be flexibly exchanged. Some experiments have e.g. been conducted with a Jena representation. Regarding the matcher, it is planned to support also the Treat algorithm, which has a lower memory footprint than Rete. * Jadex Rules pays close attention to rule debugging. The state as well as the rete engine can be observed at runtime. The rule debugger provides functionalities to execute a rule program stepwise and also use rule breakpoints to stop the execution at those points.

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package jadex.rules.rulesystem;

import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.List;


/**
 *  The agenda interface for a rule system.
 */
public interface IAgenda
{
	/**
	 *  Fire one activated rule.
	 */
	public void	fireRule();
	
	/**
	 *  Get the current activations.
	 *  @return The activations.
	 */
	public Collection getActivations();
	
	/**
	 *  Test if the agenda is empty.
	 *  @return True if is empty.
	 */
	public boolean isEmpty();
	
	/**
	 *  Get the state of the agenda.
	 *  Changes whenever the activation list changes.
	 */
	public int getState();
	
	//-------- debugging methods --------
	
	/**
	 *  The last activation. Represents the last rule that has been
	 *  executed (or that is currently executing, if still running).
	 *  @return null, when no rule has been executed or when fireRule
	 *    has been called on an empty agenda.	
	 */ 
	public Activation getLastActivation();

	/**
	 *  Get the next activation.
	 *  @return The next activation.
	 */ 
	public Activation getNextActivation();

	/**
	 *  Set the next activation.
	 */ 
	public void	setNextActivation(Activation next);
	
	/**
	 *  Get the history mode.
	 */
	public boolean	isHistoryEnabled();
	
	/**
	 *  Set the history mode.
	 */
	public void	setHistoryEnabled(boolean enabled);

	/**
	 *  Get the history.
	 *  @return null, if history not enabled.
	 */
	public List	getHistory();

	/**
	 *  Add an agenda listener.
	 */
	public void	addAgendaListener(IAgendaListener listener);
	
	/**
	 *  Remove an agenda listener.
	 */
	public void	removeAgendaListener(IAgendaListener listener);
}