/**
* Compared the value represented by element and the one of row number <code>pos</code>. <code>
* elements</code> will be converted to a compatible type to this column. if element > pos returns
* 1. if element < pos retruns -1. if the are equal returns 0. if one of the representation does
* not hold a value, it is considered smaller than the other.
*/
public int compareRows(Object element, int pos) {
// validating the objects to be compared
int val = validate(element, pos);
if (val <= 1) {
return val;
}
// retrieving the object from pos
Object obj = getObject(pos);
// if they are of the smae type - comparing them
if (element.getClass().equals(obj.getClass())) {
return compareObjects(element, obj);
}
// if both are numbers - comparing them as doubles.
if (element instanceof Number && obj instanceof Number) {
return SparseDoubleColumn.compareDoubles(
SparseDoubleColumn.toDouble(element), SparseDoubleColumn.toDouble(obj));
}
// they are probably not mutually comparable...
// if this is an object column, i.e. the type of the objects is unknown
// converting both of the objects into strings and comparing them
if (ColumnTypes.OBJECT == getType()) {
return SparseStringColumn.toStringObject(element)
.compareTo(SparseStringColumn.toStringObject(obj));
}
// this is not an object column - converting element to the type of this
// column, and comparing the objects.
switch (getType()) {
case (ColumnTypes.BYTE_ARRAY):
element = SparseByteArrayColumn.toByteArray(element);
break;
case (ColumnTypes.CHAR_ARRAY):
element = SparseCharArrayColumn.toCharArray(element);
break;
case (ColumnTypes.STRING):
element = SparseStringColumn.toStringObject(element);
break;
default:
break;
}
return compareObjects(element, obj);
}
/**
* Inserts a new entry in the Column at position <code>pos</code>. All entries at row numbers
* greater than <codE>pos</code> are moved down the column to the next row.
*
* @param newEntry the newEntry to insert
* @param pos the position to insert at
*/
public void insertRow(Object newEntry, int pos) {
switch (getType()) {
case ColumnTypes.BYTE_ARRAY:
newEntry = SparseByteArrayColumn.toByteArray(newEntry);
break;
case ColumnTypes.CHAR_ARRAY:
newEntry = SparseCharArrayColumn.toCharArray(newEntry);
break;
case ColumnTypes.STRING:
newEntry = SparseStringColumn.toStringObject(newEntry);
break;
}
super.insertRow(newEntry, pos);
}
/**
* If the item at pos is a char[], return it. Otherwise converts it to a char[] using
* SparseCharArrayColumn's method.
*
* @param row the row number
* @return the value at row # row represented with a chars array. If no such value exists returns
* null.
*/
public char[] getChars(int row) {
Object obj = elements.get(row);
return SparseCharArrayColumn.toCharArray(obj);
}