Task.java

package org.ag.common.task;

import org.ag.common.agent.Agent;

/**
 * A task for the framework is not a unit of work like a task is in Java concurrent programming, in this framework a
 * task is more like a process to achieve something, for example, one could create a task to find food sources. Tasks
 * can even use another tasks to achieve their goals.
 *
 * The execute(Agent) method executed by agents when they wish to achieve some goal and the task would help them with
 * that.
 *
 * @author Luiz Filipe Abrahao <me@luizfilipe.com>
 *
 */
public interface Task {
    /**
     * Each task type has a name, an identifier that is unique and is used to
     * tell one task to another when it is needed.
     *
     * @return String task type identifier.
     */
    String getName();

    /**
     * Executes a set of instruction that defines the agent's behaviour when
     * executing the task.
     *
     * <p>The parameter <em>agent</em> might seem a bit awkward at first, but it
     * is necessary because the task need to have access to the agent's context
     * when executing, for example: the agent's current node.</p>
     *
     * @param agent Agent that will perform the task.
     */
    void execute(final Agent agent);
}