src/java/org/apache/commons/jxpath/DynamicPropertyHandler.java

/*
 * $Header: /home/jerenkrantz/tmp/commons/commons-convert/cvs/home/cvs/jakarta-commons//jxpath/src/java/org/apache/commons/jxpath/DynamicPropertyHandler.java,v 1.1 2001/08/23 00:46:58 dmitri Exp $
 * $Revision: 1.1 $
 * $Date: 2001/08/23 00:46:58 $
 *
 * ====================================================================
 * The Apache Software License, Version 1.1
 *
 *
 * Copyright (c) 1999-2001 The Apache Software Foundation.  All rights
 * reserved.
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 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
 * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
 * are met:
 *
 * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
 *    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
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 * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
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 *    any, must include the following acknowlegement:
 *       "This product includes software developed by the
 *        Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org/)."
 *    Alternately, this acknowlegement may appear in the software itself,
 *    if and wherever such third-party acknowlegements normally appear.
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 * 4. The names "The Jakarta Project", "Commons", and "Apache Software
 *    Foundation" must not be used to endorse or promote products derived
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 * 5. Products derived from this software may not be called "Apache"
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 * ====================================================================
 *
 * This software consists of voluntary contributions made by many
 * individuals on behalf of the Apache Software Foundation and was
 * originally based on software copyright (c) 2001, Plotnix, Inc,
 * <http://www.plotnix.com/>.
 * For more information on the Apache Software Foundation, please see
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 */
package org.apache.commons.jxpath;

/**
 * A generic mechanism for accessing collections of name/value pairs.
 * Examples of such collections are HashMap, Properties,
 * ServletContext.  In order to add support for a new such collection
 * type to JXPath, perform the following two steps:
 * <ol>
 * <li>Build an implementation of the DynamicPropertyHandler interface
 * for the desired collection type.</li>
 * <li>Invoke static method {@link JXPathIntrospector#registerDynamicClass
 * JXPathIntrospector.registerDynamicClass(class, handlerClass)}</li>
 * </ol>
 * JXPath allows access to dynamic properties using these three formats:
 * <ul>
 * <li><code>"myMap/myKey"</code></li>
 * <li><code>"myMap[@name = 'myKey']"</code></li>
 * <li><code>"myMap[name(.) = 'myKey']"</code></li>
 * </ul>
 *
 * @author Dmitri Plotnikov
 * @version $Revision: 1.1 $ $Date: 2001/08/23 00:46:58 $
 */
public interface DynamicPropertyHandler {

    /**
     * Returns a list of dynamic property names for the supplied object.
     */
    String[] getPropertyNames(Object object);

    /**
     * Returns the value of the specified dynamic property.
     */
    Object getProperty(Object object, String propertyName);

    /**
     * Modifies the value of the specified dynamic property.
     */
    void setProperty(Object object, String propertyName, Object value);
}