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  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.

  *

  * 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

  * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,

  * 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.lang.reflect;

 /**

  * TypeVariable is the common superinterface for type variables of kinds.

  * A type variable is created the first time it is needed by a reflective

  * method, as specified in this package.  If a type variable t is referenced

  * by a type (i.e, class, interface or annotation type) T, and T is declared

  * by the nth enclosing class of T (see JLS 8.1.2), then the creation of t

  * requires the resolution (see JVMS 5) of the ith enclosing class of T,

  * for i = 0 to n, inclusive. Creating a type variable must not cause the

  * creation of its bounds. Repeated creation of a type variable has no effect.

  *

  * <p>Multiple objects may be instantiated at run-time to

  * represent a given type variable. Even though a type variable is

  * created only once, this does not imply any requirement to cache

  * instances representing the type variable. However, all instances

  * representing a type variable must be equal() to each other.

  * As a consequence, users of type variables must not rely on the identity

  * of instances of classes implementing this interface.

  *

  * @param <D> the type of generic declaration that declared the

  * underlying type variable.

  *

  * @since 1.5

  */

 public interface TypeVariable<D extends GenericDeclaration> extends Type {

     /**

      * Returns an array of {@code Type} objects representing the

      * upper bound(s) of this type variable.  Note that if no upper bound is

      * explicitly declared, the upper bound is {@code Object}.

      *

      * <p>For each upper bound B: <ul> <li>if B is a parameterized

      * type or a type variable, it is created, (see {@link

      * java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType ParameterizedType} for the

      * details of the creation process for parameterized types).

      * <li>Otherwise, B is resolved.  </ul>

      *

      * @throws TypeNotPresentException  if any of the

      *     bounds refers to a non-existent type declaration

      * @throws MalformedParameterizedTypeException if any of the

      *     bounds refer to a parameterized type that cannot be instantiated

      *     for any reason

      * @return an array of {@code Type}s representing the upper

      *     bound(s) of this type variable

     */

     Type[] getBounds();

     /**

      * Returns the {@code GenericDeclaration} object representing the

      * generic declaration declared this type variable.

      *

      * @return the generic declaration declared for this type variable.

      *

      * @since 1.5

      */

     D getGenericDeclaration();

     /**

      * Returns the name of this type variable, as it occurs in the source code.

      *

      * @return the name of this type variable, as it appears in the source code

      */

     String getName();

 }