PhraseElement (SimpleNLG 4.5.0 API)

java.lang.Object
- simplenlg.framework.NLGElement
- - simplenlg.framework.PhraseElement

Direct Known Subclasses:

AdjPhraseSpec, AdvPhraseSpec, NPPhraseSpec, PPPhraseSpec, SPhraseSpec, VPPhraseSpec
```
public class PhraseElement
extends NLGElement
```
This class defines a phrase. It covers the expected phrase types: noun phrases, verb phrases, adjective phrases, adverb phrases and prepositional phrases as well as also covering clauses. Phrases can be constructed from scratch by setting the correct features of the phrase elements. However, it is strongly recommended that the PhraseFactory is used to construct phrases.

Version:

4.0

Author:

D. Westwater, University of Aberdeen.

Field Summary
- Fields inherited from class simplenlg.framework.NLGElement
  features

Constructor Summary

Constructors
Constructor and Description

PhraseElement(PhraseCategory newCategory)
Creates a new phrase of the given type.

Constructors
Constructor and Description
`PhraseElement(PhraseCategory newCategory)` Creates a new phrase of the given type.

Method Summary

All Methods Instance Methods Concrete Methods Deprecated Methods
Modifier and Type	Method and Description
`void`	`addComplement(NLGElement newComplement)` Adds a new complement to the phrase element.
`void`	`addComplement(String newComplement)` Adds a new complement to the phrase element.
`void`	`addFrontModifier(NLGElement newFrontModifier)` Adds a new front modifier to the phrase element.
`void`	`addFrontModifier(String newFrontModifier)` Adds a new front modifier to the phrase element.
`void`	`addModifier(Object modifier)` Add a modifier to a phrase Use heuristics to decide where it goes
`void`	`addPostModifier(NLGElement newPostModifier)` Adds a new post-modifier to the phrase element.
`void`	`addPostModifier(String newPostModifier)` Adds a new post-modifier to the phrase element.
`void`	`addPreModifier(NLGElement newPreModifier)` Adds a new pre-modifier to the phrase element.
`void`	`addPreModifier(String newPreModifier)` Adds a new pre-modifier to the phrase element.
`void`	`clearComplements()` Removes all existing complements on the phrase.
`List<NLGElement>`	`getChildren()` This method retrieves the child components of this phrase.
`List<NLGElement>`	`getFrontModifiers()` Retrieves the current list of frony modifiers for the phrase.
`NLGElement`	`getHead()` Retrieves the current head of this phrase.
`List<NLGElement>`	`getPostModifiers()` Retrieves the current list of post modifiers for the phrase.
`List<NLGElement>`	`getPreModifiers()` Retrieves the current list of pre-modifiers for the phrase.
`String`	`printTree(String indent)`
`void`	`setComplement(NLGElement newComplement)` Sets a complement of the phrase element.
`void`	`setComplement(String newComplement)` Sets the complement to the phrase element.
`void`	`setDeterminer(Object newDeterminer)` Deprecated. Use `NPPhraseSpec.setSpecifier(Object)` directly
`void`	`setFrontModifier(NLGElement newFrontModifier)` Set the front modifier for this phrase.
`void`	`setFrontModifier(String newFrontModifier)` Set the frontmodifier for this phrase.
`void`	`setHead(Object newHead)` Sets the head, or main component, of this current phrase.
`void`	`setPostModifier(NLGElement newPostModifier)` Set the postmodifier for this phrase.
`void`	`setPostModifier(String newPostModifier)` Set the postmodifier for this phrase.
`void`	`setPreModifier(NLGElement newPreModifier)` Set the premodifier for this phrase.
`void`	`setPreModifier(String newPreModifier)` Set the premodifier for this phrase.

Methods inherited from class simplenlg.framework.NLGElement
clearAllFeatures, equals, equals, getAllFeatureNames, getAllFeatures, getCategory, getFactory, getFeature, getFeatureAsBoolean, getFeatureAsDouble, getFeatureAsElement, getFeatureAsElementList, getFeatureAsFloat, getFeatureAsInteger, getFeatureAsList, getFeatureAsLong, getFeatureAsString, getFeatureAsStringList, getParent, getRealisation, getTense, hasFeature, isA, isNegated, isPlural, removeFeature, setCategory, setFactory, setFeature, setFeature, setFeature, setFeature, setFeature, setFeature, setNegated, setParent, setPlural, setRealisation, setTense, toString

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
clone, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, wait, wait, wait

- Constructor Detail
  - PhraseElement
```
public PhraseElement(PhraseCategory newCategory)
```
    Creates a new phrase of the given type.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newCategory - the PhraseCategory type for this phrase.
- Method Detail
  - getChildren
```
public List<NLGElement> getChildren()
```
    This method retrieves the child components of this phrase. The list returned will depend on the category of the element.
    - Clauses consist of cue phrases, front modifiers, pre-modifiers, subjects, verb phrases and complements.
    - Noun phrases consist of the specifier, pre-modifiers, the noun subjects, complements and post-modifiers.
    - Verb phrases consist of pre-modifiers, the verb group, complements and post-modifiers.
    - Canned text phrases have no children thus an empty list will be returned.
    - All the other phrases consist of pre-modifiers, the main phrase element, complements and post-modifiers.
    Specified by:
    
    getChildren in class NLGElement
    
    Returns:
    
    a List of NLGElements representing the child elements of this phrase.
  - setHead
```
public void setHead(Object newHead)
```
    Sets the head, or main component, of this current phrase. For example, the head for a verb phrase should be a verb while the head of a noun phrase should be a noun. Strings are converted to StringElements. If null is passed in as the new head then the head feature is removed.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newHead - the new value for the head of this phrase.
  - getHead
```
public NLGElement getHead()
```
    Retrieves the current head of this phrase.
    
    Returns:
    
    the NLGElement representing the head.
  - addComplement
```
public void addComplement(NLGElement newComplement)
```
    Adds a new complement to the phrase element. Complements will be realised in the syntax after the head element of the phrase. Complements differ from post-modifiers in that complements are crucial to the understanding of a phrase whereas post-modifiers are optional.
    
    If the new complement being added is a clause or a CoordinatedPhraseElement then its clause status feature is set to ClauseStatus.SUBORDINATE and it's discourse function is set to DiscourseFunction.OBJECT by default unless an existing discourse function exists on the complement.
    
    Complements can have different functions. For example, the phrase John gave Mary a flower has two complements, one a direct object and one indirect. If a complement is not specified for its discourse function, then this is automatically set to DiscourseFunction.OBJECT.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newComplement - the new complement as an NLGElement.
  - setComplement
```
public void setComplement(NLGElement newComplement)
```
    Sets a complement of the phrase element. If a complement already exists of the same DISCOURSE_FUNCTION, it is removed. This replaces complements set earlier via addComplement(NLGElement)
    
    Parameters:
    
    newComplement - the new complement as an NLGElement.
  - addComplement
```
public void addComplement(String newComplement)
```
    Adds a new complement to the phrase element. Complements will be realised in the syntax after the head element of the phrase. Complements differ from post-modifiers in that complements are crucial to the understanding of a phrase whereas post-modifiers are optional.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newComplement - the new complement as a String. It is used to create a StringElement.
  - setComplement
```
public void setComplement(String newComplement)
```
    Sets the complement to the phrase element. This replaces any complements set earlier.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newComplement - the new complement as a String. It is used to create a StringElement.
  - addPostModifier
```
public void addPostModifier(NLGElement newPostModifier)
```
    Adds a new post-modifier to the phrase element. Post-modifiers will be realised in the syntax after the complements.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPostModifier - the new post-modifier as an NLGElement.
  - addPostModifier
```
public void addPostModifier(String newPostModifier)
```
    Adds a new post-modifier to the phrase element. Post-modifiers will be realised in the syntax after the complements.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPostModifier - the new post-modifier as a String. It is used to create a StringElement.
  - setPostModifier
```
public void setPostModifier(String newPostModifier)
```
    Set the postmodifier for this phrase. This resets all previous postmodifiers to null and replaces them with the given string.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPostModifier - the postmodifier
  - setPostModifier
```
public void setPostModifier(NLGElement newPostModifier)
```
    Set the postmodifier for this phrase. This resets all previous postmodifiers to null and replaces them with the given string.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPostModifier - the postmodifier
  - addFrontModifier
```
public void addFrontModifier(NLGElement newFrontModifier)
```
    Adds a new front modifier to the phrase element.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newFrontModifier - the new front modifier as an NLGElement.
  - addFrontModifier
```
public void addFrontModifier(String newFrontModifier)
```
    Adds a new front modifier to the phrase element.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newFrontModifier - the new front modifier as a String. It is used to create a StringElement.
  - setFrontModifier
```
public void setFrontModifier(String newFrontModifier)
```
    Set the frontmodifier for this phrase. This resets all previous front modifiers to null and replaces them with the given string.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newFrontModifier - the front modifier
  - setFrontModifier
```
public void setFrontModifier(NLGElement newFrontModifier)
```
    Set the front modifier for this phrase. This resets all previous front modifiers to null and replaces them with the given string.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newFrontModifier - the front modifier
  - addPreModifier
```
public void addPreModifier(NLGElement newPreModifier)
```
    Adds a new pre-modifier to the phrase element.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPreModifier - the new pre-modifier as an NLGElement.
  - addPreModifier
```
public void addPreModifier(String newPreModifier)
```
    Adds a new pre-modifier to the phrase element.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPreModifier - the new pre-modifier as a String. It is used to create a StringElement.
  - setPreModifier
```
public void setPreModifier(String newPreModifier)
```
    Set the premodifier for this phrase. This resets all previous premodifiers to null and replaces them with the given string.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPreModifier - the premodifier
  - setPreModifier
```
public void setPreModifier(NLGElement newPreModifier)
```
    Set the premodifier for this phrase. This resets all previous premodifiers to null and replaces them with the given string.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newPreModifier - the premodifier
  - addModifier
```
public void addModifier(Object modifier)
```
    Add a modifier to a phrase Use heuristics to decide where it goes
  - getPreModifiers
```
public List<NLGElement> getPreModifiers()
```
    Retrieves the current list of pre-modifiers for the phrase.
    
    Returns:
    
    a List of NLGElements.
  - getPostModifiers
```
public List<NLGElement> getPostModifiers()
```
    Retrieves the current list of post modifiers for the phrase.
    
    Returns:
    
    a List of NLGElements.
  - getFrontModifiers
```
public List<NLGElement> getFrontModifiers()
```
    Retrieves the current list of frony modifiers for the phrase.
    
    Returns:
    
    a List of NLGElements.
  - printTree
```
public String printTree(String indent)
```
    Overrides:
    
    printTree in class NLGElement
  - clearComplements
```
public void clearComplements()
```
    Removes all existing complements on the phrase.
  - setDeterminer
```
@Deprecated
public void setDeterminer(Object newDeterminer)
```
    Deprecated. Use NPPhraseSpec.setSpecifier(Object) directly
    
    Sets the determiner for the phrase. This only has real meaning on noun phrases and is added here for convenience. Determiners are some times referred to as specifiers.
    
    Parameters:
    
    newDeterminer - the new determiner for the phrase.

Class PhraseElement

Field Summary

Fields inherited from class simplenlg.framework.NLGElement

Constructor Summary

Method Summary

Methods inherited from class simplenlg.framework.NLGElement

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

Constructor Detail

PhraseElement

Method Detail

getChildren

setHead

getHead

addComplement

setComplement

addComplement

setComplement

addPostModifier

addPostModifier

setPostModifier

setPostModifier

addFrontModifier

addFrontModifier

setFrontModifier

setFrontModifier

addPreModifier

addPreModifier

setPreModifier

setPreModifier

addModifier

getPreModifiers

getPostModifiers

getFrontModifiers

printTree

clearComplements

setDeterminer