001    /* java.beans.DesignMode
002       Copyright (C) 1999, 2006, Free Software Foundation, Inc.
003    
004    This file is part of GNU Classpath.
005    
006    GNU Classpath is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
007    it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
008    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
009    any later version.
010     
011    GNU Classpath is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
012    WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
013    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
014    General Public License for more details.
015    
016    You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
017    along with GNU Classpath; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the
018    Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA
019    02110-1301 USA.
020    
021    Linking this library statically or dynamically with other modules is
022    making a combined work based on this library.  Thus, the terms and
023    conditions of the GNU General Public License cover the whole
024    combination.
025    
026    As a special exception, the copyright holders of this library give you
027    permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an
028    executable, regardless of the license terms of these independent
029    modules, and to copy and distribute the resulting executable under
030    terms of your choice, provided that you also meet, for each linked
031    independent module, the terms and conditions of the license of that
032    module.  An independent module is a module which is not derived from
033    or based on this library.  If you modify this library, you may extend
034    this exception to your version of the library, but you are not
035    obligated to do so.  If you do not wish to do so, delete this
036    exception statement from your version. */
037    
038    
039    package java.beans;
040    
041    /**
042     * <code>BeanContextChild</code> implementors implement this to get information
043     * about whether they are in a design time or runtime environment.
044     * The reason this is restricted to <code>BeanContextChild</code>ren is that
045     * only things in the <code>BeanContext</code> hierarchy are given this
046     * information in the first place.
047     *
048     * @author John Keiser
049     * @since JDK1.2
050     * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextChild
051     */
052    public interface DesignMode 
053    {
054    
055      /**
056       * Use this name when firing <code>PropertyChangeEvent</code>s from your Bean.
057       */
058      String PROPERTYNAME = "designTime";
059    
060      /**
061       * The environment will call this method on your
062       * <code>BeanContextChild</code> when it is registered in a parent
063       * <code>BeanContext</code> or when behavior needs to switch from
064       * design time to runtime behavior (or vice versa).
065       * <P>
066       *
067       * <code>BeanContext</code>s are required to fire
068       * <code>PropertyChangeEvent</code>s when properties change.
069       * <code>designTime</code> is a property, and therefore when you
070       * implement <code>setDesignTime()</code>, you need to fire a
071       * <code>PropertyChangeEvent</code> with the old value, the new
072       * value and using <code>PROPERTYNAME</code> as the property name.
073       *
074       * @param designTime the new value of design time,
075       *        <code>true</code> if it is design time,
076       *        <code>false</code> if it is runtime.
077       *
078       * @fixme I'm frankly not really sure whether it's the case that
079       *        the BeanContext can <em>change</em> the status of the Bean from
080       *        design time to runtime.  But it appears that it may be so.
081       *
082       * @see java.beans.PropertyChangeEvent
083       * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext
084       * @see #PROPERTYNAME
085       */
086      void setDesignTime(boolean designTime);
087    
088      /**
089       * This method should tell whether it is design time or runtime.
090       * @return <code>true</code> if design time, <code>false</code> if
091       *         runtime.
092       */
093      boolean isDesignTime();
094    
095    }