org.picocontainer.ObjectReference Maven / Gradle / Ivy
/*****************************************************************************
* Copyright (C) PicoContainer Organization. All rights reserved. *
* ------------------------------------------------------------------------- *
* The software in this package is published under the terms of the BSD *
* style license a copy of which has been included with this distribution in *
* the LICENSE.txt file. *
* *
*****************************************************************************/
package org.picocontainer;
/**
* A way to refer to objects that are stored in "awkward" places (for example inside a
* HttpSession or {@link ThreadLocal}).
*
* This interface is typically implemented by someone integrating Pico into an existing container.
*
* @author Joe Walnes
*/
public interface ObjectReference {
/**
* Retrieve an actual reference to the object. Returns null if the reference is not available
* or has not been populated yet.
*
* @return an actual reference to the object.
*/
T get();
/**
* Assign an object to the reference.
*
* @param item the object to assign to the reference. May be null.
*/
void set(T item);
}