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// Metawidget
//
// This file is dual licensed under both the LGPL
// (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.html) and the EPL
// (http://www.eclipse.org/org/documents/epl-v10.php). As a
// recipient of Metawidget, you may choose to receive it under either
// the LGPL or the EPL.
//
// Commercial licenses are also available. See http://metawidget.org
// for details.

package org.metawidget.iface;

/**
 * Interface to indicate a class (ie. an Inspector, a Layout etc) should
 * be considered immutable.
 * 
 * Immutable classes should:
 * 

 * not provide any setter methods or mutators
 * make defensive copies for any getter methods
 * mark all fields final and private
 * 
 * 
 * Note: this interface is not an annotation because we want it to be automatically inherited when
 * placed on interfaces (such as Inspector). Even the Inherited annotation
 * does not propagate from interfaces.
 * 
 * This is an internal API and is subject to change. Clients should use one of its
 * subinterfaces (ie. Inspector, Layout etc) instead.
 * 
 * @author Richard Kennard
 */

public interface Immutable {
	// Just a marker interface
}