package com.quantum.model;

import com.quantum.IQuantumConstants;

/**
 * @author BC
 */
public interface Entity extends BookmarkHolder {
    
    public static final String TABLE_TYPE = IQuantumConstants.Table;
    public static final String VIEW_TYPE = IQuantumConstants.View;
    public static final String SEQUENCE_TYPE = IQuantumConstants.Sequence;
    
    public String getName();
    public String getSchema();
    public String getType();
    public Column[] getColumns();
    public Index[] getIndexes();
    public Column getColumn(String columnName);
    /**
     * Returns a String with the qualified name of the Entity.
     * That is, "schema.name". The difference with getQualifiedName() 
     * is that the schema may be absent if it's not defined in the bookmark
	 */
	public String getCondQualifiedName();
    
    /**
     * @return - TRUE if the entity exists in the database<br />
     *         - FALSE if the entity does not exist in the database<br />
     *         - null if it's not known whether or not the 
     *           entity exists in the database.
     */
    public Boolean exists();
    /**
     * Some databases support mixed-case table names.  Queries issued
     * against these tables must be quoted.
     * @return
     */
    public String getQuotedTableName();
}