jtulach@258: /*
jtulach@258:  * Copyright (c) 2003, 2005, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
jtulach@258:  * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
jtulach@258:  * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
jtulach@258:  * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
jtulach@258:  * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
jtulach@258:  * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
jtulach@258:  * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
jtulach@258:  * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
jtulach@258:  * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
jtulach@258:  * accompanied this code).
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version
jtulach@258:  * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,
jtulach@258:  * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * Please contact Oracle, 500 Oracle Parkway, Redwood Shores, CA 94065 USA
jtulach@258:  * or visit www.oracle.com if you need additional information or have any
jtulach@258:  * questions.
jtulach@258:  */
jtulach@258: 
jtulach@258: package java.lang.reflect;
jtulach@258: 
jtulach@258: /**
jtulach@258:  * TypeVariable is the common superinterface for type variables of kinds.
jtulach@258:  * A type variable is created the first time it is needed by a reflective
jtulach@258:  * method, as specified in this package.  If a type variable t is referenced
jtulach@258:  * by a type (i.e, class, interface or annotation type) T, and T is declared
jtulach@258:  * by the nth enclosing class of T (see JLS 8.1.2), then the creation of t
jtulach@258:  * requires the resolution (see JVMS 5) of the ith enclosing class of T,
jtulach@258:  * for i = 0 to n, inclusive. Creating a type variable must not cause the
jtulach@258:  * creation of its bounds. Repeated creation of a type variable has no effect.
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * <p>Multiple objects may be instantiated at run-time to
jtulach@258:  * represent a given type variable. Even though a type variable is
jtulach@258:  * created only once, this does not imply any requirement to cache
jtulach@258:  * instances representing the type variable. However, all instances
jtulach@258:  * representing a type variable must be equal() to each other.
jtulach@258:  * As a consequence, users of type variables must not rely on the identity
jtulach@258:  * of instances of classes implementing this interface.
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * @param <D> the type of generic declaration that declared the
jtulach@258:  * underlying type variable.
jtulach@258:  *
jtulach@258:  * @since 1.5
jtulach@258:  */
jtulach@258: public interface TypeVariable<D extends GenericDeclaration> extends Type {
jtulach@258:     /**
jtulach@258:      * Returns an array of {@code Type} objects representing the
jtulach@258:      * upper bound(s) of this type variable.  Note that if no upper bound is
jtulach@258:      * explicitly declared, the upper bound is {@code Object}.
jtulach@258:      *
jtulach@258:      * <p>For each upper bound B: <ul> <li>if B is a parameterized
jtulach@258:      * type or a type variable, it is created, (see {@link
jtulach@258:      * java.lang.reflect.ParameterizedType ParameterizedType} for the
jtulach@258:      * details of the creation process for parameterized types).
jtulach@258:      * <li>Otherwise, B is resolved.  </ul>
jtulach@258:      *
jtulach@258:      * @throws TypeNotPresentException  if any of the
jtulach@258:      *     bounds refers to a non-existent type declaration
jtulach@258:      * @throws MalformedParameterizedTypeException if any of the
jtulach@258:      *     bounds refer to a parameterized type that cannot be instantiated
jtulach@258:      *     for any reason
jtulach@258:      * @return an array of {@code Type}s representing the upper
jtulach@258:      *     bound(s) of this type variable
jtulach@258:     */
jtulach@258:     Type[] getBounds();
jtulach@258: 
jtulach@258:     /**
jtulach@258:      * Returns the {@code GenericDeclaration} object representing the
jtulach@258:      * generic declaration declared this type variable.
jtulach@258:      *
jtulach@258:      * @return the generic declaration declared for this type variable.
jtulach@258:      *
jtulach@258:      * @since 1.5
jtulach@258:      */
jtulach@258:     D getGenericDeclaration();
jtulach@258: 
jtulach@258:     /**
jtulach@258:      * Returns the name of this type variable, as it occurs in the source code.
jtulach@258:      *
jtulach@258:      * @return the name of this type variable, as it appears in the source code
jtulach@258:      */
jtulach@258:     String getName();
jtulach@258: }