1 files changed, 34 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/src/jcgp/backend/population/MutableElement.java b/src/jcgp/backend/population/MutableElement.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8548e63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/jcgp/backend/population/MutableElement.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+package jcgp.backend.population;
+
+public interface MutableElement {
+	
+	/**
+	 * This method sets the indexed connection to the specified new connection.
+	 * Implementing classes may choose to ignore the given index (such as in the
+	 * case of outputs, which only have one connection).
+	 * 
+	 * @param index
+	 * @param newConnection
+	 */
+	public void setConnection(int index, Connection newConnection);
+	
+	/**
+	 * This method returns true if and only if:</br>
+	 * 	- the elements being compared are not the same instance;</br>
+	 *  - the connections of the compared elements are not the same instance;</br>
+	 *  - the elements have the same function (in the case of Node);</br>
+	 *  - the grid position of the elements themselves are the same;</br>
+	 *  - the grid position of all equivalent connections are the same;</br></br>
+	 * 
+	 * The relationship computed by this method is:</br>
+	 *  - symmetric: a.copyOf(b) == b.copyOf(a);</br>
+	 *  - not reflexive: a.copyOf(a) returns false;</br>
+	 *  - not transitive: if a.copyOf(b) is true and b.copyOf(c) is true, a.copyOf(c) is
+	 *    not necessarily true since it is possible that a == c.</br>
+	 * 
+	 * @param m
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	boolean copyOf(MutableElement m);
+	
+}