/*

 * Copyright 1998-2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.

 *

 * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it

 * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as

 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Sun designates this

 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided

 * by Sun in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.

 *

 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT

 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or

 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License

 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that

 * accompanied this code).

 *

 * You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License version

 * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,

 * Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.

 *

 * Please contact Sun Microsystems, Inc., 4150 Network Circle, Santa Clara,

 * CA 95054 USA or visit www.sun.com if you need additional information or

 * have any questions.

 */

package com.sun.jdi;

import java.util.List;

/**

 * A mirror of an interface in the target VM. An InterfaceType is

 * a refinement of {@link ReferenceType} that applies to true interfaces

 * in the JLS  sense of the definition (not a class, not an array type).

 * An interface type will never be returned by

 * {@link ObjectReference#referenceType}, but it may be in the list

 * of implemented interfaces for a {@link ClassType} that is returned

 * by that method.

 *

 * @see ObjectReference

 *

 * @author Robert Field

 * @author Gordon Hirsch

 * @author James McIlree

 * @since  1.3

 */

public interface InterfaceType extends ReferenceType {

    /**

     * Gets the interfaces directly extended by this interface.

     * The returned list contains only those interfaces this

     * interface has declared to be extended.

     *

     * @return a List of {@link InterfaceType} objects each mirroring

     * an interface extended by this interface.

     * If none exist, returns a zero length List.

     * @throws ClassNotPreparedException if this class not yet been

     * prepared.

     */

    List<InterfaceType> superinterfaces();

    /**

     * Gets the currently prepared interfaces which directly extend this

     * interface. The returned list contains only those interfaces that

     * declared this interface in their "extends" clause.

     *

     * @return a List of {@link InterfaceType} objects each mirroring

     * an interface extending this interface.

     * If none exist, returns a zero length List.

     */

    List<InterfaceType> subinterfaces();

    /**

     * Gets the currently prepared classes which directly implement this

     * interface. The returned list contains only those classes that

     * declared this interface in their "implements" clause.

     *

     * @return a List of {@link ClassType} objects each mirroring

     * a class implementing this interface.

     * If none exist, returns a zero length List.

     */

    List<ClassType> implementors();

}