org.metawidget.inspector.iface.DomInspector Maven / Gradle / Ivy
// 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.inspector.iface;
/**
* Inspects the given Object and type and returns the result as a DOM Element.
*
* DomInspector is an optional interface that enables an optimization. Like
* most optimizations it unfortunately adds some complexity. The basic idea is that, whilst XML is a
* great lowest-common-denominator for the Inspector interface (perfect for passing
* between disparate technologies and tiers in order to allow maximum flexibility in what can be
* inspected) serializing to and from XML strings is expensive.
*
* Most Inspectors maintain their inspection results internally in a DOM. This interface allows them
* to expose that DOM directly, rather than serializing it to a String, whereupon either the
* Metawidget or a CompositeInspector must typically deserialize it back again.
*
* If your Inspector extends BaseObjectInspector or
* BaseXmlInspector, this optimization is implemented for you.
*
* @author Richard Kennard
*/
public interface DomInspector
extends Inspector {
//
// Methods
//
/**
* Optimized verison of inspect that avoids DOM serialization/deserialization.
*/
E inspectAsDom( Object toInspect, String type, String... names );
}