FlowBuilder (Spring Web Flow 2.5.1.RELEASE API)

All Known Implementing Classes:

AbstractFlowBuilder, FlowModelFlowBuilder
```
public interface FlowBuilder
```
Builder interface used to build a flow definition. The process of building a flow consists of the following steps:
1. Initialize this builder, creating the initial flow definition, by calling init(FlowBuilderContext).
2. Call buildVariables() to create any variables of the flow and add them to the flow definition.
3. Call buildInputMapper() to create and set the input mapper for the flow.
4. Call buildStartActions() to create and add any start actions to the flow.
5. Call buildStates() to create the states of the flow and add them to the flow definition.
6. Call buildGlobalTransitions() to create any transitions shared by all states of the flow and add them to the flow definition.
7. Call buildEndActions() to create and add any end actions to the flow.
8. Call buildOutputMapper() to create and set the output mapper for the flow.
9. Call buildExceptionHandlers() to create the exception handlers of the flow and add them to the flow definition.
10. Call getFlow() to return the fully-built Flow definition.
11. Dispose this builder, releasing any resources allocated during the building process by calling dispose().
Implementations should encapsulate flow construction logic, either for a specific kind of flow, for example, an OrderFlowBuilder built in Java code, or a generic flow builder strategy, like the XmlFlowBuilder, for building flows from an XML-definition.
Flow builders are used by the FlowAssembler, which acts as an assembler (director). Flow Builders may be reused, however, exercise caution when doing this as these objects are not thread safe. Also, for each use be sure to call init, followed by the build* methods, getFlow, and dispose completely in that order.
This is a good example of the classic GoF builder pattern.
Author:

Keith Donald, Erwin Vervaet

See Also:

Flow, FlowBuilderContext, FlowAssembler

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Abstract Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`void`	`buildEndActions()` Builds any end actions to execute when the flow ends.
`void`	`buildExceptionHandlers()` Creates and adds all exception handlers to the flow built by this builder.
`void`	`buildGlobalTransitions()` Builds any transitions shared by all states of the flow.
`void`	`buildInputMapper()` Builds the input mapper responsible for mapping flow input on start.
`void`	`buildOutputMapper()` Builds the output mapper responsible for mapping flow output on end.
`void`	`buildStartActions()` Builds any start actions to execute when the flow starts.
`void`	`buildStates()` Builds the states of the flow.
`void`	`buildVariables()` Builds any variables initialized by the flow when it starts.
`void`	`dispose()` Shutdown the builder, releasing any resources it holds.
`Flow`	`getFlow()` Get the fully constructed and configured Flow object.
`java.lang.String`	`getFlowResourceString()` Returns a string describing the location of the flow resource; the logical location where the source code can be found.
`boolean`	`hasFlowChanged()` As the underlying flow managed by this builder changed since the last build occurred?
`void`	`init(FlowBuilderContext context)` Initialize this builder.

- Method Detail
  - init
```
void init(FlowBuilderContext context)
   throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Initialize this builder. This could cause the builder to open a stream to an externalized resource representing the flow definition, for example.
    
    Parameters:
    
    context - the flow builder context
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildVariables
```
void buildVariables()
             throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds any variables initialized by the flow when it starts.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildInputMapper
```
void buildInputMapper()
               throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds the input mapper responsible for mapping flow input on start.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildStartActions
```
void buildStartActions()
                throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds any start actions to execute when the flow starts.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildStates
```
void buildStates()
          throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds the states of the flow.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildGlobalTransitions
```
void buildGlobalTransitions()
                     throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds any transitions shared by all states of the flow.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildEndActions
```
void buildEndActions()
              throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds any end actions to execute when the flow ends.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildOutputMapper
```
void buildOutputMapper()
                throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Builds the output mapper responsible for mapping flow output on end.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building the flow
  - buildExceptionHandlers
```
void buildExceptionHandlers()
                     throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Creates and adds all exception handlers to the flow built by this builder.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building this flow
  - getFlow
```
Flow getFlow()
      throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Get the fully constructed and configured Flow object. Called by the builder's assembler (director) after assembly. When this method is called by the assembler, it is expected flow construction has completed and the returned flow is fully configured and ready for use.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building this flow
  - dispose
```
void dispose()
      throws FlowBuilderException
```
    Shutdown the builder, releasing any resources it holds. A new flow construction process should start with another call to the init(FlowBuilderContext) method.
    
    Throws:
    
    FlowBuilderException - an exception occurred building this flow
  - hasFlowChanged
```
boolean hasFlowChanged()
```
    As the underlying flow managed by this builder changed since the last build occurred?
    
    Returns:
    
    true if changed, false if not
  - getFlowResourceString
```
java.lang.String getFlowResourceString()
```
    Returns a string describing the location of the flow resource; the logical location where the source code can be found. Used for informational purposes.
    
    Returns:
    
    the flow resource string

Interface FlowBuilder

Method Summary

Method Detail

init

buildVariables

buildInputMapper

buildStartActions

buildStates

buildGlobalTransitions

buildEndActions

buildOutputMapper

buildExceptionHandlers

getFlow

dispose

hasFlowChanged

getFlowResourceString