Chapter 10. Data Types

Table of Contents

10.1. Create a Data Type

Another extension mechanism (besides plug-ins, see Chapter 9, Plug-ins , and filters, see Chapter 11, Filters ) of PETA are data types. A data type provides the facility for strict checking of assertion values and for the definition of their inherent order for comparison operators. It is realized as a java class implementing the de.verit.peta.engine.datatype.Datatype. interface.

The following, demonstrates the usage of a data type. The name of a lecturer can be specified in two formats:

Surname, Forename, Title
Title Forename Surname

Therefore, the both lecturer specifications in the test data ( Mustermann, Georg, Prof. Dr. and Prof. Dr. Georg Mustermann) are valid and refer to the same person. But comparing both values as normal strings would give the result that they are not equal. Therefore, the data type String can not be used to compare the lecturer's names. To handle this, PETA allows the specification of custom data types, which is explained in this chapter.

	Further information
	Detailed information about PETA data types can be found in the PETA-Core Reference Manual.

10.1. Create a Data Type

To create a new data type for lecturer's names, press the New datatype button in the toolbar. In the wizard, set the source folder of the data type's java file to TutorialProject/src and enter a package name. Enter Name as the class name and press the Next button. Enter a description for this data type on the second page and press the Finish button to create a java file in the specified package and open it in the editor.

Figure 10.1. Create new PETA data type

The following code example shows the implementation of the Name data type. The name is internally stored as title forename surname and compared using this internal format.

Example 10.1. Implementation of the Name data type

package de.verit.peta.tutorial.datatype;

import de.verit.peta.engine.datatype.Datatype;

/**
 * Implementation of a peta datatype for the name of persons.
 * A name can be specified as 'title forename surname' or as
 * 'surname, forename, title'.
 */
public class Name implements Datatype {

    /** The embedded value. */
    private String value = null;

    /**
     * @see de.verit.peta.engine.Datatype#init(java.lang.String)
     */
    public final void init(final java.lang.String initValue) {

        String[] splitted = initValue.split(",");
        value = splitted[0].trim();
        for (int i = 1; i < splitted.length; i++) {
            value = splitted[i].trim() + " " + value;
        }

    }

    /**
     * @see de.verit.peta.engine.Datatype#compareTo(Datatype)
     */
    public final int compareTo(final Datatype other) {
        return value.compareTo(((Name) other).value);
    }
}

The new data type can be used in the test cases now. In the tutorial example, it is used to assert, that both lecturers are the same person.

Open the PETA editor with the test case requestCourseList and expand the last event (the client's second event). Drag'n'drop the Add Assertion symbol over the last assertion. In the wizard, enter both courses lectured by the same lecturer as the name, set the operator to == and set the data type to Name . This assertion shall compare the two names received in the document. Therefore, press the left Add document button, press the left Add Constant… button, and enter courseList/course[1]/lecturer . Then, press the Add document and after that the right Add Constant… button, and enter courseList/course[2]/lecturer . Finally, press the OK button to add this assertion.

Figure 10.2. Create new PETA data type


Chapter 9. Plug-ins		Chapter 11. Filters