# Chain

Artifact: [androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout-core](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout) [View Source](https://cs.android.com/search?q=file:androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain.java+class:androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Chain) Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

*** ** * ** ***


```
public abstract class Chain extends Helper
```

<br />

|---|---|---|
| [java.lang.Object](https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/Object.html) |||
| ↳ | [androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Helper](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper) ||
|   | ↳ | [androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Chain](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain) |

Known direct subclasses [HChain](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/HChain), [VChain](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/VChain)

|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/HChain` |   |
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/VChain` |   |

*** ** * ** ***

## Summary

| ### Nested types |
|---|
| `public inner class https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain.Anchor` |
| `public enum https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain.Style` |

| ### Constants |
|---|---|
| `static final https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Map.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain.Style, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html>` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#styleMap()` |

| ### Protected fields |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/ArrayList.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Ref>` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#references()` |

| ### Public constructors |
|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#Chain(java.lang.String)(https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html name)` |

| ### Public methods |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#addReference(androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Ref)(https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Ref ref)` Add a new reference |
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#addReference(java.lang.String)(https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html ref)` Add a new reference |
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain.Style` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#getStyle()()` |
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#referencesToString()()` convert references to a String representation |
| `void` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain#setStyle(androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Chain.Style)(https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain.Style style)` |

| ### Inherited Constants |
|---|
| From [androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Helper](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper) |---|---| | `static final https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Map.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Constraint.Side, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html>` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#sideMap()` | | `static final https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Map.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper.Type, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html>` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#typeMap()` | |

| ### Inherited fields |
|---|
| From [androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Helper](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper) |---|---| | `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#config()` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Map.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html>` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#configMap()` | | `final https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#name()` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper.HelperType` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#type()` | |

| ### Inherited methods |
|---|
| From [androidx.constraintlayout.core.dsl.Helper](https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper) |---|---| | `void` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#append(java.util.Map<java.lang.String,java.lang.String>,java.lang.StringBuilder)(https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Map.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html> map, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/StringBuilder.html ret)` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/util/Map.html<https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html, https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html>` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#convertConfigToMap()()` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#getConfig()()` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#getId()()` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper.HelperType` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#getType()()` | | `static void` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#main(java.lang.String[])(String[] args)` | | `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Helper#toString()()` | |

## Constants

### styleMap

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
protected static final Map<Chain.Style, String> styleMap
```

## Protected fields

### references

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
protected ArrayList<Ref> references
```

## Public constructors

### Chain

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
public Chain(String name)
```

## Public methods

### addReference

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
public Chain addReference(Ref ref)
```

Add a new reference

| Parameters |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Ref ref` | reference |

| Returns |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain` | Chain |

### addReference

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
public Chain addReference(String ref)
```

Add a new reference

| Parameters |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html ref` | reference in a String representation |

| Returns |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/androidx/constraintlayout/core/dsl/Chain` | Chain |

### getStyle

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
public Chain.Style getStyle()
```

### referencesToString

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
public String referencesToString()
```

convert references to a String representation

| Returns |
|---|---|
| `https://developer.android.com/reference/java/lang/String.html` | a String representation of references |

### setStyle

Added in [1.1.2](https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/constraintlayout#1.1.2)

```
public void setStyle(Chain.Style style)
```