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package jcgp.backend.population;
/**
* {@code MutableElement} declares the expected behaviour of any
* part of a chromosome that is mutable, more specifically
* nodes or outputs. Inputs are not mutable since they don't have
* connections or functions.
* <br><br>
* This interface provides a way to deal with mutable elements
* generically without having to specify whether they are nodes
* or outputs. In this way a random mutable element can be picked and
* dealt with more easily, facilitating mutations.
*
* @author Eduardo Pedroni
*
*/
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 the connection index to set.
* @param newConnection the chromosome element to connect to.
*/
public void setConnection(int index, Connection newConnection);
/**
* Asserts if the specified element is a copy of the elements
* this is called on.<br>
* This method returns true if and only if:
* <ul>
* <li>the elements being compared are not the same instance;</li>
* <li>the connections of the compared elements are not the same instance;</li>
* <li>the elements have the same function (in the case of Node);</li>
* <li>the grid position of the elements themselves are the same;</li>
* <li>the grid position of all equivalent connections are the same;</li>
* </ul>
* <br><br>
* The relationship computed by this method is:
* <ul>
* <li>symmetric: a.copyOf(b) == b.copyOf(a);</li>
* <li>not reflexive: a.copyOf(a) returns false;</li>
* <li>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.</li>
*
* @param element the mutable element to compare to.
* @return true if {@code element} is a copy of this element.
*/
boolean copyOf(MutableElement element);
}
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