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   * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
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   * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
   * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
   * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
   * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
   * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
   *
   * This code 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 General Public License
   * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
   * accompanied this code).
   *
   * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
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   * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
   *
   * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
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   */
  
  package java.sql;
  
  /**
   * The mapping in the Java programming language of an SQL <code>REF</code>
   * value, which is a reference to an SQL structured type value in the database.
   * <P>
   * SQL <code>REF</code> values are stored in a table that contains
   * instances of a referenceable SQL structured type, and each <code>REF</code>
   * value is a unique identifier for one instance in that table.
   * An SQL <code>REF</code> value may be used in place of the
   * SQL structured type it references, either as a column value in a
   * table or an attribute value in a structured type.
   * <P>
   * Because an SQL <code>REF</code> value is a logical pointer to an
   * SQL structured type, a <code>Ref</code> object is by default also a logical
   * pointer. Thus, retrieving an SQL <code>REF</code> value as
   * a <code>Ref</code> object does not materialize
   * the attributes of the structured type on the client.
   * <P>
   * A <code>Ref</code> object can be stored in the database using the
   * <code>PreparedStatement.setRef</code> method.
    * <p>
   * All methods on the <code>Ref</code> interface must be fully implemented if the
   * JDBC driver supports the data type.
   *
   * @see Struct
   * @since 1.2
   */
  public interface Ref {
  
      /**
       * Retrieves the fully-qualified SQL name of the SQL structured type that
       * this <code>Ref</code> object references.
       *
       * @return the fully-qualified SQL name of the referenced SQL structured type
       * @exception SQLException if a database access error occurs
       * @exception SQLFeatureNotSupportedException if the JDBC driver does not support
       * this method
       * @since 1.2
       */
      String getBaseTypeName() throws SQLException;
  
      /**
       * Retrieves the referenced object and maps it to a Java type
       * using the given type map.
       *
       * @param map a <code>java.util.Map</code> object that contains
       *        the mapping to use (the fully-qualified name of the SQL
       *        structured type being referenced and the class object for
       *        <code>SQLData</code> implementation to which the SQL
       *        structured type will be mapped)
       * @return  a Java <code>Object</code> that is the custom mapping for
       *          the SQL structured type to which this <code>Ref</code>
       *          object refers
       * @exception SQLException if a database access error occurs
       * @exception SQLFeatureNotSupportedException if the JDBC driver does not support
       * this method
       * @since 1.4
       * @see #setObject
       */
      Object getObject(java.util.Map<String,Class<?>> map) throws SQLException;
  
  
      /**
       * Retrieves the SQL structured type instance referenced by
       * this <code>Ref</code> object.  If the connection's type map has an entry
       * for the structured type, the instance will be custom mapped to
       * the Java class indicated in the type map.  Otherwise, the
       * structured type instance will be mapped to a <code>Struct</code> object.
       *
       * @return  a Java <code>Object</code> that is the mapping for
       *          the SQL structured type to which this <code>Ref</code>
       *          object refers
       * @exception SQLException if a database access error occurs
       * @exception SQLFeatureNotSupportedException if the JDBC driver does not support
       * this method
       * @since 1.4
       * @see #setObject
       */
      Object getObject() throws SQLException;
  
      /**
       * Sets the structured type value that this <code>Ref</code>
       * object references to the given instance of <code>Object</code>.
       * The driver converts this to an SQL structured type when it
       * sends it to the database.
       *
       * @param value an <code>Object</code> representing the SQL
       *        structured type instance that this
       *        <code>Ref</code> object will reference
       * @exception SQLException if a database access error occurs
       * @exception SQLFeatureNotSupportedException if the JDBC driver does not support
       * this method
       * @since 1.4
       * @see #getObject()
       * @see #getObject(Map)
       * @see PreparedStatement#setObject(int, Object)
       * @see CallableStatement#setObject(String, Object)
       */
      void setObject(Object value) throws SQLException;
  
  }
  