org.semanticweb.owl.explanation.api

Interface ExplanationGenerator<E>

All Known Implementing Classes:

BlackBoxExplanationGenerator, BlackBoxExplanationGenerator2, LaconicExplanationGenerator, LaconicExplanationGeneratorBasedOnDeltaPlus, LaconicExplanationGeneratorBasedOnIncrementalOPlusWithDeltaPlusFiltering, LaconicExplanationGeneratorBasedOnOPlus, LaconicExplanationGeneratorBasedOnOPlusWithDeltaPlusFiltering, SETreeExplanationGenerator

public interface ExplanationGenerator<E>

Author: Matthew Horridge
The University Of Manchester
Information Management Group
Date: 03-Sep-2008

Represents a general purpose interface for obtaining explanations. The interface does not commit to the type of entailment for which an explanation is to be generated. It is also assumed that there could be more than one explanation for a given entailment.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
Set<Explanation<E>>	getExplanations(E entailment) Gets explanations for an entailment.
Set<Explanation<E>>	getExplanations(E entailment, int limit) Gets explanations for an entailment, with limit on the number of explanations returned.

Method Detail

getExplanations

Set<Explanation<E>> getExplanations(E entailment)
                             throws ExplanationException

Gets explanations for an entailment. All explanations for the entailment will be returned.

Parameters:

entailment - The entailment for which explanations will be generated.

Returns:

A set containing all of the explanations. The set will be empty if the entailment does not hold.

Throws:

ExplanationException - if there was a problem generating the explanation.

getExplanations

Set<Explanation<E>> getExplanations(E entailment,
                                    int limit)
                             throws ExplanationException

Gets explanations for an entailment, with limit on the number of explanations returned.

Parameters:

entailment - The entailment for which explanations will be generated.

limit - The maximum number of explanations to generate. This should be a positive integer.

Returns:

A set containing explanations. The maximum cardinality of the set is specified by the limit parameter. The set may be empty if the entailment does not hold, or if a limit of zero or less is supplied.

Throws:

ExplanationException - if there was a problem generating the explanation.