Source for java.lang.reflect.TypeVariable

   1: /* TypeVariable.java
   2:    Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
   3: 
   4: This file is part of GNU Classpath.
   5: 
   6: GNU Classpath is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
   7: it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
   8: the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
   9: any later version.
  10: 
  11: GNU Classpath is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
  12: WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
  13: MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
  14: General Public License for more details.
  15: 
  16: You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
  17: along with GNU Classpath; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the
  18: Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA
  19: 02110-1301 USA.
  20: 
  21: Linking this library statically or dynamically with other modules is
  22: making a combined work based on this library.  Thus, the terms and
  23: conditions of the GNU General Public License cover the whole
  24: combination.
  25: 
  26: As a special exception, the copyright holders of this library give you
  27: permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an
  28: executable, regardless of the license terms of these independent
  29: modules, and to copy and distribute the resulting executable under
  30: terms of your choice, provided that you also meet, for each linked
  31: independent module, the terms and conditions of the license of that
  32: module.  An independent module is a module which is not derived from
  33: or based on this library.  If you modify this library, you may extend
  34: this exception to your version of the library, but you are not
  35: obligated to do so.  If you do not wish to do so, delete this
  36: exception statement from your version. */
  37: 
  38: 
  39: package java.lang.reflect;
  40: 
  41: /**
  42:  * <p>
  43:  * This is a common interface for all type variables provided by
  44:  * the Java language.  Instances are created the first time a type
  45:  * variable is needed by one of the reflective methods declared in
  46:  * this package.
  47:  * </p>
  48:  * <p>
  49:  * Creating a type variable requires resolving the appropriate type.
  50:  * This may involve resolving other classes as a side effect (e.g.
  51:  * if the type is nested inside other classes).  Creation should not
  52:  * involve resolving the bounds.  Repeated creation has no effect; an
  53:  * equivalent instance is returned.  Caching is not required, but all
  54:  * instances must be <code>equal()</code> to each other.
  55:  * </p>
  56:  *
  57:  * @author Tom Tromey (tromey@redhat.com)
  58:  * @author Andrew John Hughes (gnu_andrew@member.fsf.org)
  59:  * @since 1.5
  60:  */
  61: public interface TypeVariable<T extends GenericDeclaration> extends Type
  62: {
  63: 
  64:   /**
  65:    * Returns an array of <code>Type</code> objects which represent the upper
  66:    * bounds of this type variable.  There is always a default bound of
  67:    * <code>Object</code>.  Any <code>ParameterizedType</code>s will be
  68:    * created as necessary, and other types resolved.
  69:    *
  70:    * @return an array of <code>Type</code> objects representing the upper
  71:    *         bounds.
  72:    * @throws TypeNotPresentException if any of the bounds refer to a
  73:    *         non-existant type.
  74:    * @throws MalformedParameterizedTypeException if the creation of a
  75:    *         <code>ParameterizedType</code> fails.
  76:    */
  77:   Type[] getBounds();
  78: 
  79: 
  80:   /**
  81:    * Returns a representation of the declaration used to declare this
  82:    * type variable.
  83:    *
  84:    * @return the <code>GenericDeclaration</code> object for this type
  85:    *         variable.
  86:    */
  87:   T getGenericDeclaration();
  88: 
  89:   /**
  90:    * Returns the name of the type variable, as written in the source
  91:    * code.
  92:    *
  93:    * @return the name of the type variable.
  94:    */
  95:   String getName();
  96: }