// ---------------------------------------------------------------------
// $Id$
//
-// Copyright (C) 1998 - 2013 by the deal.II authors
+// Copyright (C) 1998 - 2014 by the deal.II authors
//
// This file is part of the deal.II library.
//
*/
/**
- * Return the level the element
- * pointed to belongs to.
- * This is only valid for cells.
+ * For cells, this function returns the level within the mesh hierarchy at
+ * which this cell is located. For all other objects, the function returns
+ * zero.
+ *
+ * @note Within a Triangulation object, cells are uniquely identified by a
+ * pair <code>(level, index)</code> where the former is the cell's
+ * refinement level and the latter is the index of the cell within
+ * this refinement level (the former being what this function
+ * returns). Consequently, there may be multiple cells on different
+ * refinement levels but with the same index within their level.
+ * Contrary to this, if the current object corresponds to a face or
+ * edge, then the object is uniquely identified solely by its index
+ * as faces and edges do not have a refinement level. For these objects,
+ * the current function always returns zero as the level.
*/
int level () const;
* element presently pointed to
* on the present level.
*
- * Within a Triangulation object cells are uniquely identified by a
+ * Within a Triangulation object, cells are uniquely identified by a
* pair <code>(level, index)</code> where the former is the cell's
* refinement level and the latter is the index of the cell within
* this refinement level (the latter being what this function