content: /* ========================================================================
   * JCommon : a free general purpose class library for the Java(tm) platform
   * ========================================================================
   *
   * (C) Copyright 2000-2005, by Object Refinery Limited and Contributors.
   * 
   * Project Info:  http://www.jfree.org/jcommon/index.html
   *
   * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it 
   * under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by 
   * the Free Software Foundation; either version 2.1 of the License, or 
   * (at your option) any later version.
   *
   * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but 
   * WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY 
   * or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU Lesser General Public 
   * License for more details.
   *
   * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
   * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
   * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, 
   * USA.  
   *
   * [Java is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. 
   * in the United States and other countries.]
   * 
   * ------------------
   * ObjectFactory.java
   * ------------------
   * (C) Copyright 2003-2005, by Thomas Morgner and Contributors.
   *
   * Original Author:  Thomas Morgner;
   * Contributor(s):   David Gilbert (for Object Refinery Limited);
   *
   * $Id: ObjectFactory.java,v 1.3 2005/10/18 13:33:53 mungady Exp $
   *
   * Changes
   * -------
   * 22-Nov-2003 : Version 1 (TM);
   *  
   */
  
  package org.jfree.xml.util;
  
  /**
   * An object factory.
   */
  public interface ObjectFactory {
  
      /**
       * Returns the generic factory for the given class or null, if there is
       * no handler for this class. The factory will be reinitialized using
       * getInstance().
       *
       * @param c the class for which we need a producer
       * @return the factory for this class
       */
      public GenericObjectFactory getFactoryForClass(Class c);
  
      /**
       * Checks, whether a generic handler exists for the given class. This does
       * not check, whether an mapping exists.
       *
       * @param c the class for which to check
       * @return true, if an generic handler is defined, false otherwise.
       */
      public boolean isGenericHandler(Class c);
  
      /**
       * Returns the multiplex definition for the given class, or null, if no
       * such definition exists.
       *
       * @param c the class for which to check the existence of the multiplexer
       * @return the multiplexer for the class, or null if no multiplexer exists.
       */
      public MultiplexMappingDefinition getMultiplexDefinition(Class c);
  
      /**
       * Returns the manual mapping definition for the given class, or null, if
       * not manual definition exists.
       *
       * @param c the class for which to check the existence of the definition
       * @return the manual mapping definition or null.
       */
      public ManualMappingDefinition getManualMappingDefinition(Class c);
  
  }
  