PatternOrString interface source

Not a trick, but some defined Java language construct (should be from Generics stuff), to avoid Object parameters and be more declarative.

So instead of saying:
public someMethod(Object parm) { }

you can use
public <PatternOrString> void someMethod(PatternOrString parm) { }

Nevertheless you have to cast parm to the correct type inside after having evaluated the type somehow (e.g. with instanceof)

Be Aware: Do not dive too deep into version 1.0.1 though, with version 1.1.0 things are changing dramatically inside at some places (e.g. class Region)

Is 1.1.0 fleshed out enough to use as an early adopter (Is it at a Beta stage yet?) If so, I might just go ahead and transition if it is usable.

And as for the "OR", if you know any java documentation on this, I've never seen it and would like to read up on it.

Thanks so much
-scprotz

--at comment #3
It is really simply Generics<T>, where you can use anything you want as T (at least a valid Java name), in this case we use the text PatternOrString, to say:
the parameter might be a an object of type Pattern or an object of type String (with the "promise": we will check it internally and complain if it is neither String nor Pattern)

We might have used <PleaseUseOnlyPatternOrStringBecauseThisIsWhatIsExpected>

or <YouMightGuessWhatParameterTypesAreAllowed> ;-) but this would not be fair for someone looking at the method signature ;-)

So the Or is simply a meaningful word in this context, no operator or something like this (you might have thought off ;-)

--at comment #2:
You might look at and try to work with version 1.1.0 from the GitHub repo: https://github.com/RaiMan/SikuliX-2014

This only makes sense if you are willing to use Maven.

If not, you have to wait:
I will start with Beta versions in a few days on launchpad (sikuli-setup-1.1.jar, usage similar to version 1.0.1)

Thanks. I didn't see the obvious with the <generics> naming. I was thinking there was some magic "Or" operator, but it makes complete sense now (I guess people get used to seeing <T> and forget that is just convention, not set in stone).

Thanks, and I'll consider working with the Maven version of 1.1.0 to get a jumpstart on it.