\name{distribution}
\alias{distribution}
\title{
Constructor for Distribution
}
\usage{
distribution(conditions=character(0), consequences=character(0),
          type = character(0), table = NULL, parameterSet=NULL,
          parameterTable = NULL)
}
\arguments{
  \item{conditions}{Names of the parent variable objects}
  \item{consequences}{Name of the child variable object}
  \item{type}{String giving the name of the type.  This should
    correspond to one of the known StatShop distributions types}
  \item{table}{Object giving the probability table for this
    distribution.}
  \item{parameterSet}{The parameter set for DiBello--Samejima type
    distributions.}
  \item{parameterTable}{The parameter table for hyper-Dirichlet type
    distributions.}
}
\description{
  Creates an object of class distribution, usually built up from
  the XML parsing of a graphical model file.
}
\author{Russell Almond}
\seealso{
  \code{\link{parseDist}},\code{\link{parameterVector}}
}
\examples{
  ## Build the Parameter Set
  ## Need to get names correct for everything to work.
  pnames <- c("Task Difficulty", "Relative Importance(Reading)",
              "Level Difficulty Increment(Outcome_R,Good)")
  pvalue <- c(1,0,0.5)
  names(pvalue) <- pnames

  pcov <- matrix(0,nrow=length(pnames),ncol=length(pnames),
             dimnames=list(pnames,pnames))
  diag(pcov) <- c(0.3164,0.0207, 0.01)

  ps1 <- parameterVector(pvalue,"SkillRead1.Outcome_R",pcov)  

  table1 <- matrix(c(0.79894674, 0.06863273, 0.1324205,
                    0.22270014, 0.09812116, 0.6791787,
                    0.02023846, 0.01269671, 0.9670648),nrow=3,byrow=3)
  ## These come from running calcDSTable with the above parameters.
  colnames(table1) <- c("Good","Okay","Poor")
  dtable1 <- data.frame(Reading=c("Advanced","Basic","Novice"),table1)

  ## DiBello--Samejima style
  dist1 <- distribution(c("Reading"),"Outcome_R",
                        "Compensatory Distribution", table=dtable1,
                        parameterSet = ps1)

  table2 <- matrix(c(0.7, 0.2, 0.1,
                     0.3, 0.4, 0.3,
                     0.1, 0.2, 0.7), nrow=3,byrow=3)
  ## These come from running calcDSTable with the above parameters.
  colnames(table2) <- c("Good","Okay","Poor")
  dtable2 <- data.frame(Reading=c("Advanced","Basic","Novice"),table2)
  ptable2 <- data.frame(Reading=c("Advanced","Basic","Novice"),table2,Scale=1,Sum=10)

  ## HyperDirichlet style
  dist2 <- distribution(c("Reading"),"Outcome_R",
                        "HyperDirichlet Distribution", table=dtable2,
                        parameterTable = ptable2)
}
\keyword{interface}