Run "ant" through classes

Question

Hello,
I have a project that has a small distribution network and can draw splines about the amount of power the consumers and producers consume and produce.
This works.
Now I want to let a thread "scout" the entire network, searching for producers and starting from the consumers.
Main:public void startAnts() {
        ca0.startAnt(ca0);
        se0.startAnt(se0);
    }Consumer:
public void startAnt(Element e) {
        Ant a = new Ant(e);
        a.start();
    }Ant:
public Ant(Element e) {
        startLocation = e;
        System.out.println("eAnt " + startLocation.toString() + " speaking: ");
        System.out.println("==================================");
        scout(); //this should check if the consumer is connected, see to what it is connected to, "walk" to that connected element, save route in arrayList, ...
}So I just wan't to know how to get to the element that is connected to the consumer (is also an element).
Small network example:
pc1 is connected to a substation1 via cable1,
substation1 is connected to substation5 via cable3,
substation5 has a producer2 connected via cable6
The ant(thread) starts at pc1, looks at connections, looks what's on the other side, goes to substation1.
In substation1 he looks at connections, sees cable3, cable3 connected to substation5, go to substation5.
In substation5 he looks at connections, sees cable6, cable3 connected to producer2, go to producer2.
Save the path.
The choice in picking a connection is picked randomly, so it could be that the thread walks connections twice.
Hope this is a bit clear.
Edited by: Lektroluv on Jan 11, 2010 10:42 AM

Answer 1

paulcw wrote:
Lektroluv wrote:
paulcw wrote:
If you have a producer/consumer pair, a typical way of doing this is to instantiate one, then pass it to the constructor of the other when you instantiate that one.Can you give me a small example?
Producer p = new Producer();
Consumer c = new Consumer(p);
Ant a = new Ant(e);Seems the OP already knows about this concept, so I think there must be more to what he is asking. But beats me what it is.