com.fitbur.aopalliance.reflect.ProgramUnit Maven / Gradle / Ivy
package com.fitbur.aopalliance.reflect;
/**
* An abstract program unit.
*
* Any structural unit of a base program (class, member,
* ...). Units exclude the code.
*
*
When referencing a program unit, the client can retrieve unit
* locators using {@link #getLocator()} or more specific methods. This
* locators shall be used conjointly whith an {@link
* com.fitbur.aopalliance.instrument.Instrumentor} implementation in order to
* perform aspetual transformations of the program (e.g. type merging,
* parameters adding,...).
*
*
Program units also supports metadatas, i.e. the ability to add
* extra information on the base program so that the client can
* extends its meaning very easily.
*
* @see com.fitbur.aopalliance.instrument.Instrumentor
* @see UnitLocator
* @see Class
* @see Method
* @see Field */
public interface ProgramUnit {
/**
* Returns the locator that corresponds to this unit.
*/
UnitLocator getLocator();
/**
* Returns the metadata that is associated to this unit from its
* key. */
Metadata getMetadata(Object key);
/**
* Returns all the metadatas that are associated to the current
* unit. */
Metadata[] getMetadatas();
/**
* Associates a metadata to the current unit.
*
*
If a metadata already exists with the same key, then its
* value is replaced by the newly given one. */
void addMetadata(Metadata metadata);
/**
* Removes a metadata from its key.
*
*
If none metadata having the given key exists, then this method
* has no effect. */
void removeMetadata(Object key);
}