/**
 * Represents the discriminator for inheritance purposes for this class.
 * @since 2.3
 */
public interface DiscriminatorMetadata extends Metadata {
    /**
     * Method to set the discriminator column.
     * 
     * @param column Name of the discriminator clumn
     */
    DiscriminatorMetadata setColumn(String column);

    /**
     * Accessor for the discriminator column name
     * 
     * @return The column name
     */
    String getColumn();

    /**
     * Method to set the discriminator value (when using "value-map" strategy).
     * 
     * @param val Value for the discriminator for this class
     */
    DiscriminatorMetadata setValue(String val);

    /**
     * Accessor for the discriminator value (when using "value-map" strategy).
     * 
     * @return The value
     */
    String getValue();

    /**
     * Method to set the discriminator strategy.
     * 
     * @param strategy The strategy
     */
    DiscriminatorMetadata setStrategy(DiscriminatorStrategy strategy);

    /**
     * Accessor for the discriminator strategy.
     * 
     * @return The strategy
     */
    DiscriminatorStrategy getStrategy();

    /**
     * Method to set whether indexed.
     * 
     * @param indexed Whether indexed (true | false | unique)
     */
    DiscriminatorMetadata setIndexed(Indexed indexed);

    /**
     * Accessor for whether indexed (true|false|unique)
     * 
     * @return Indexed?
     */
    Indexed getIndexed();

    /**
     * Accessor for all column(s) defined on the discriminator.
     * 
     * @return The column(s)
     */
    ColumnMetadata[] getColumns();

    /**
     * Add a new column for this discriminator.
     * 
     * @return The ColumnMetadata
     */
    ColumnMetadata newColumnMetadata();

    /**
     * Accessor for the number of columns defined for this discriminator.
     * 
     * @return The number of columns
     */
    int getNumberOfColumns();

    /**
     * Method to set the index metadata for the discriminator
     * 
     * @return The IndexMetadata
     */
    IndexMetadata newIndexMetadata();

    /**
     * Accessor for any index metadata for the discriminator
     * 
     * @return Index metadata
     */
    IndexMetadata getIndexMetadata();
}