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A library for configuration of applications and parameterization of objects. Settings can be provided in a configfile (file, url, stream), as arguments and programmatically, object parameters can be set using annotations or code. Both provide data type support, serialization, cloning, a help mechanism.

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package com.vectorprint.configuration.parameters;

/*
 * #%L
 * VectorPrintReport
 * %%
 * Copyright (C) 2012 - 2013 VectorPrint
 * %%
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 * You may obtain a copy of the License at
 * 
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 * 
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 * #L%
 */

import com.vectorprint.VectorPrintRuntimeException;
import java.io.Serializable;

/**
 * Parameters for a {@link Parametrizable} provide help, a key to identify the parameter and the intelligence
 * to convert a String into the value type for the parameter.
 * @author Eduard Drenth at VectorPrint.nl
 * @param  
 */
public interface Parameter extends Cloneable, Serializable, Observable {
   
   /**
    * the identifier for this parameter
    * @return 
    */
   String getKey();
   /**
    * provide some information about the parameter
    * @return 
    */
   String getHelp();
   /**
    *
    * @param value a String to be converted to a value of the required type
    * @return the TYPE
    * @throws VectorPrintRuntimeException can be thrown when conversion fails
    */
   TYPE convert(String value) throws VectorPrintRuntimeException;
   
   /**
    *
    */
   String serializeValue(TYPE value);
   /**
    *
    * @param value the new value
    */
   Parameter setValue(TYPE value);
   /**
    *
    * @param value the new default value
    */
   Parameter setDefault(TYPE value);
   /**
    * return the value for this parameter or, when it is null, the default value
    * @return the value
    */
   TYPE getValue();
   /**
    * 
    * @return the default value
    */
   TYPE getDefault();

   Parameter clone();
}