1 /*

     2  * Copyright 1999-2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

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

     4  *

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

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

     7  * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Sun designates this

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

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

    10  *

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

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

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

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

    15  * accompanied this code).

    16  *

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

    18  * 2 along with this work; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation,

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

    20  *

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

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

    23  * have any questions.

    24  */

    25 

    26 package javax.naming.spi;

    27 

    28 import java.util.Hashtable;

    29 import javax.naming.*;

    30 

    31 /**

    32   * This interface represents a factory that creates an initial context.

    33   *<p>

    34   * The JNDI framework allows for different initial context implementations

    35   * to be specified at runtime.  The initial context is created using

    36   * an <em>initial context factory</em>.

    37   * An initial context factory must implement the InitialContextFactory

    38   * interface, which provides a method for creating instances of initial

    39   * context that implement the Context interface.

    40   * In addition, the factory class must be public and must have a public

    41   * constructor that accepts no arguments.

    42   *

    43   * @author Rosanna Lee

    44   * @author Scott Seligman

    45   *

    46   * @see InitialContextFactoryBuilder

    47   * @see NamingManager#getInitialContext

    48   * @see javax.naming.InitialContext

    49   * @see javax.naming.directory.InitialDirContext

    50   * @since 1.3

    51   */

    52 

    53 public interface InitialContextFactory {

    54         /**

    55           * Creates an Initial Context for beginning name resolution.

    56           * Special requirements of this context are supplied

    57           * using <code>environment</code>.

    58           *<p>

    59           * The environment parameter is owned by the caller.

    60           * The implementation will not modify the object or keep a reference

    61           * to it, although it may keep a reference to a clone or copy.

    62           *

    63           * @param environment The possibly null environment

    64           *             specifying information to be used in the creation

    65           *             of the initial context.

    66           * @return A non-null initial context object that implements the Context

    67           *             interface.

    68           * @exception NamingException If cannot create an initial context.

    69           */

    70         public Context getInitialContext(Hashtable<?,?> environment)

    71             throws NamingException;

    72 }