### 2.1.2 Overview over Generic Part of the CPI

The CPI provides for abstractions to implement constraint systems from scratch. Five classes provide the required functionality. They allow to implement new constraint system at a high level of abstraction without sacrificing efficiency (e.g., it is straightforward to take advantage of wake-up lists for distinct wake-up events [lower bound changed, upper bound changed etc.]).

This part of the CPI is based on the principles developed by [Hol90].

The following classes are provided:

`OZ_CtDefinition`

  The class `OZ_CtDefinition` serves as an identifier for a particular constraint system and defines certain parameters for that constraint system, as for example the number of wake-up lists. See Section 2.1 of ``The Mozart Constraint Extensions Reference'' for details.

`OZ_Ct`

  The class `OZ_Ct` represents the actual constraint attached to a constrained variable. See Section 2.4 of ``The Mozart Constraint Extensions Reference'' for details.

`OZ_CtVar`

  The class `OZ_CtVar` provides access to a constrained variable in the constraint store. Amongst other things, it provides the following services:

  - handling of local and global variables transparently (trailing).

  - Making the actual constraints in the store accessible from within a propagator to allow to manipulate them.

  - Triggering the scanning of appropriate wake-up lists (using `OZ_CtProfile`).

  See Section 2.5 of ``The Mozart Constraint Extensions Reference'' for details.

`OZ_CtProfile`

  The class `OZ_CtProfile` stores characteristic parameters of a constraint (called its profile) to determine the wake-up list(s) to be scanned. Typically, this happens when a propagator is left. See Section 2.3 of ``The Mozart Constraint Extensions Reference'' for details.

`OZ_CtWakeUp`

  An instance of the class `OZ_CtWakeUp` controls which wake-up lists have to be scanned and is produced by comparing the current state of a constraint and a previously taken constraint profile. See Section 2.2 of ``The Mozart Constraint Extensions Reference'' for details.

Further, there is a function `OZ_mkCtVariable()` that allows to create a new constrained variable according to a given definition and a given constraint. Additionally, the class `OZ_Expect` provides the member function `OZ_Expect::expectGenCtVar()` to handle constrained variables appropriately.

To demonstrate the usage of this part of the CPI, constraints over real-intervals are implemented in Section 2.2.