/*
 *  JFLAP - Formal Languages and Automata Package
 * 
 * 
 *  Susan H. Rodger
 *  Computer Science Department
 *  Duke University
 *  August 27, 2009

 *  Copyright (c) 2002-2009
 *  All rights reserved.

 *  JFLAP is open source software. Please see the LICENSE for terms.
 *
 */





package automata;

import java.util.*;

/**
 * The automaton simulator object simulates the behavior of an automaton. It
 * takes an automaton object and an input string and runs the machine on the
 * given input. This is the root class for the simulators of all forms of
 * automata, including FSA, PDA, and Turing machines.
 * 
 * @author Ryan Cavalcante
 */

public abstract class AutomatonSimulator {
	/**
	 * Creates an instance of <CODE>AutomatonSimulator</CODE>.
	 */
	public AutomatonSimulator(Automaton automaton) {
		myAutomaton = automaton;
		myConfigurations = new HashSet();
	}

	/**
	 * Returns an array of Configuration objects that represent the possible
	 * initial configuration of the automaton, before any input has been
	 * processed.
	 * 
	 * @param input
	 *            the input string.
	 */
	public abstract Configuration[] getInitialConfigurations(String input);

	/**
	 * Simulates one step for a particular configuration, adding all possible
	 * configurations reachable in one step to set of possible configurations.
	 * 
	 * @param config
	 *            the configuration to simulate the one step on
	 * @param blockStep
	 */
	public abstract ArrayList stepConfiguration(Configuration config);

	/**
	 * Returns true if the simulation of the input string on the automaton left
	 * the machine in an accept state (the criteria for "accept" is defined
	 * differently for the different automata).
	 * 
	 * @return true if the simulation of the input string on the automaton left
	 *         the machine in an "accept" state.
	 */
	public abstract boolean isAccepted();

	/**
	 * Runs the automaton on the input string.
	 * 
	 * @param input
	 *            the input string to be run on the automaton
	 * @return true if the automaton accepts the input
	 */
	public abstract boolean simulateInput(String input);
	
	/**The default constructor */
	public Automaton getAutomaton() {
		return myAutomaton;
	}

	/** The automaton that the string will be run on. */
	protected Automaton myAutomaton;

	/**
	 * The set of configurations the machine could possibly be in at a given
	 * moment in the simulation.
	 */
	protected Set myConfigurations;
}