001: /* ====================================================================
002: * The Jcorporate Apache Style Software License, Version 1.2 05-07-2002
003: *
004: * Copyright (c) 1995-2003 Jcorporate Ltd. All rights reserved.
005: *
006: * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
007: * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
008: * are met:
009: *
010: * 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
011: * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
012: *
013: * 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
014: * notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in
015: * the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
016: * distribution.
017: *
018: * 3. The end-user documentation included with the redistribution,
019: * if any, must include the following acknowledgment:
020: * "This product includes software developed by Jcorporate Ltd.
021: * (http://www.jcorporate.com/)."
022: * Alternately, this acknowledgment may appear in the software itself,
023: * if and wherever such third-party acknowledgments normally appear.
024: *
025: * 4. "Jcorporate" and product names such as "Expresso" must
026: * not be used to endorse or promote products derived from this
027: * software without prior written permission. For written permission,
028: * please contact info@jcorporate.com.
029: *
030: * 5. Products derived from this software may not be called "Expresso",
031: * or other Jcorporate product names; nor may "Expresso" or other
032: * Jcorporate product names appear in their name, without prior
033: * written permission of Jcorporate Ltd.
034: *
035: * 6. No product derived from this software may compete in the same
036: * market space, i.e. framework, without prior written permission
037: * of Jcorporate Ltd. For written permission, please contact
038: * partners@jcorporate.com.
039: *
040: * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED
041: * WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
042: * OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
043: * DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL JCORPORATE LTD OR ITS CONTRIBUTORS
044: * BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
045: * EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
046: * TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF
047: * USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND
048: * ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY,
049: * OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT
050: * OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
051: * SUCH DAMAGE.
052: * ====================================================================
053: *
054: * This software consists of voluntary contributions made by many
055: * individuals on behalf of the Jcorporate Ltd. Contributions back
056: * to the project(s) are encouraged when you make modifications.
057: * Please send them to support@jcorporate.com. For more information
058: * on Jcorporate Ltd. and its products, please see
059: * <http://www.jcorporate.com/>.
060: *
061: * Portions of this software are based upon other open source
062: * products and are subject to their respective licenses.
063: */
064: package com.jcorporate.expresso.kernel;
065:
066: import com.jcorporate.expresso.kernel.metadata.ComponentMetadata;
067:
068: import java.net.URL;
069:
070: /**
071: * This interface represents an object that can have it's metadata described
072: * by an XML file. The Describable interface returns the URL that contains the
073: * xml file that is the metadata for the component. This could event potentially be
074: * located in a central server for metadata distribution.
075: * <p>Note that the default component implementations (<code>NonContainercomponentBase</code>
076: * and <code>ContainerComponentBase</code>) implement Describable in
077: * such a way that it looks for an xml file by the name of: <i>[className]</i>.xml
078: * in the same package as the Component class itself is located</p>
079: * <h4>Minimal Metadata</h4>
080: * <p>The minimal xml file to be associated with the Expresso component is:</p>
081: * <p/>
082: * <code>
083: * <pre>
084: * <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><br/>
085: * <!DOCTYPE component-metadata PUBLIC "-//Jcorporate Ltd//
086: * DTD Expresso Component Metadata Configuration 5.1//EN" "http://www.jcorporate.com/dtds/expresso-metadata_5_1.dtd">
087: * <component-metadata name="ExpressoServiceWriter">
088: * <description>Sample Component Description</description>
089: * <version-info>
090: * <major-version>1</major-version>
091: * <minor-version>0</minor-version>
092: * <micro-version>0</micro-version>
093: * </version-info>
094: * </component-metadata><br/>
095: * </pre>
096: * </code>
097: * </p>
098: *
099: * @author Michael Rimov
100: */
101: public interface Describable {
102:
103: /**
104: * Get the location of the metadata. The URL is usually retrieved via a
105: * <code>this.getClass().loadResource("metadataname");</code> call.
106: * NonContainerComponentBase implements a default method.
107: *
108: * @return the URL for the metadata
109: */
110: public URL getMetadataLocation();
111:
112: /**
113: * Sets the component metadata for component. Usually the external
114: * 'factory class' that parsed the metadata would then set a ComponentMetadata
115: * object for this component.
116: *
117: * @param metadata the component metadata
118: */
119: public void setMetaData(ComponentMetadata metadata);
120:
121: }
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