com.googlecode.entreri.property.PropertyFactory Maven / Gradle / Ivy

/*
 * Entreri, an entity-component framework in Java
 *
 * Copyright (c) 2011, Michael Ludwig
 * All rights reserved.
 *
 * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification,
 * are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
 *
 *     Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
 *         this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
 *     Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
 *         this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
 *         documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
 *
 * THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND
 * ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED
 * WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
 * DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR
 * ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES
 * (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
 * LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON
 * ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT
 * (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS
 * SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 */
package com.googlecode.entreri.property;

/**
 * 
 * A PropertyFactory is a simple factory that can be used to create Property
 * instances if the Property requires a more complicated constructor than can be
 * described by the {@link Parameters} annotation on a Property field.
 * Additionally, it is used when decorating a Component type in an EntitySystem
 * to ensure that each decoration event gets a unique property instance.
 * 
 * 
 * To be used with the {@link Factory} when defining a Component type, the
 * PropertyFactory must have an accessible, no-argument constructor.
 * 
 * 
 * @author Michael Ludwig
 * @param  The Property type created
 */
public interface PropertyFactory {
    /**
     * Return a new Property instance. This must be a new instance that has not
     * been returned previously or the entity framework will have undefined
     * behavior.
     * 
     * @return A new Property of type T
     */
    public T create();
}