// $Id: Pluggable.java,v 1.8 2003/09/16 23:58:01 thierrylach Exp $
// Copyright (c) 1996-2001 The Regents of the University of California. All
// Rights Reserved. Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this
// software and its documentation without fee, and without a written
// agreement is hereby granted, provided that the above copyright notice
// and this paragraph appear in all copies.  This software program and
// documentation are copyrighted by The Regents of the University of
// California. The software program and documentation are supplied "AS
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// does not warrant that the operation of the program will be
// uninterrupted or error-free. The end-user understands that the program
// was developed for research purposes and is advised not to rely
// exclusively on the program for any reason.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
// UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BE LIABLE TO ANY PARTY FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT,
// SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOST PROFITS,
// ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF
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package org.argouml.application.api;

/**  An interface which identifies an ArgoUML plug-in.
 *
 *   Plug-ins are specific modules which are replacements
 *   or additions to standard Argo classes.
 *   Argo references the plug-in functionality through interfaces which
 *   define the features of each type of plug-in.
 *
 *   This interface must be extended by another interface which is used
 *   to categorize the plugins.  An example of this is the
 *   PluggableNotation interface,
 *   which provides all the required functionality to request
 *   a notation generator of a notation dialect.
 *
 *   Argo will ask the ModuleLoader
 *   for a plug-in of a certain type.
 *   The loader will determine which plug-in to use and return a
 *   concrete class which implements that interface.
 *
 *   It is the intent of this class that any Argo feature that can be
 *   replaced or extended by this means be callable only by this means.
 *
 *   @author Thierry Lach
 *   @since  0.9.4
 */
public interface Pluggable extends ArgoModule {

    /** Constant required in plugin manifest. */
    public static final String PLUGIN_TITLE = "ArgoUML Dynamic Load Module";

    /** Constant required in plugin manifest. */
    public static final String PLUGIN_VENDOR = "University of California";

    /** Constant required in plugin manifest. */
    public static final String PLUGIN_PREFIX = 
	"org.argouml.application.api.Pluggable";

    /** A function which allows a plug-in to decide if it is available
     *  under a specific context. 
     *
     *  One example of a plugin with multiple criteria is the PluggableMenu.
     *  PluggableMenu requires the first context to be a JMenuItem
     *  which wants the PluggableMenu attached to as the context,
     *  so that it can determine that it would attach to a menu.  The
     *  second context is an internal (non-localized) description 
     *  of the menu such as "File" or "View"
     *  so that the plugin can further decide.
     *  
     *  @param context An identification of the context.  
     *                 The interpretation of criteria is specific to
     *                 the plug-in type, but must be consistent
     *                 across that type.  The plug-in must want
     *                 to be exposed to all contexts.
     *
     *  @return True if the plug-in wants to make itself available
     *          for this context, otherwise false.
     */
    public boolean inContext(Object[] context);

} /* end interface Pluggable */