/*
 * Copyright 2006 Assaf Arkin, Ralf Joachim
 *
 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may not use this file except
 * in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License
 * is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express
 * or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under
 * the License.
 */
package org.exolab.castor.mapping;

import org.castor.core.nature.PropertyHolder;

/**
 * Describes the properties of a field. Implementations will extend this inteface to provide
 * additional properties.
 *
 * @author <a href="mailto:arkin AT intalio DOT com">Assaf Arkin</a>
 * @author <a href="mailto:ralf DOT joachim AT syscon DOT eu">Ralf Joachim</a>
 * @version $Revision$ $Date: 2005-12-06 14:55:28 -0700 (Tue, 06 Dec 2005) $
 */
public interface FieldDescriptor extends PropertyHolder {

  /**
   * Set the class descriptor which contains this field.
   * 
   * @param parent The class descriptor which contains this field.
   */
  void setContainingClassDescriptor(ClassDescriptor parent);

  /**
   * Get the class descriptor which contains this field.
   * 
   * @return The class descriptor which contains this field.
   */
  ClassDescriptor getContainingClassDescriptor();

  /**
   * Returns the name of the field. The field must have a name, even if set through accessor
   * methods.
   *
   * @return Field name.
   */
  String getFieldName();

  /**
   * Returns the Java type of the field.
   *
   * @return Field type.
   */
  Class getFieldType();

  /**
   * Returns the class descriptor related to the field type. If the field type is a class for which
   * a descriptor exists, this descriptor is returned. If the field type is a class for which no
   * mapping is provided, null is returned.
   *
   * @return The class descriptor of the field type, or null.
   */
  ClassDescriptor getClassDescriptor();

  /**
   * Returns the handler of the field. In order to persist or marshal a field descriptor will be
   * associated with a handler.
   *
   * @return The field handler.
   */
  FieldHandler getHandler();

  /**
   * Returns true if the field is transient. Transient fields are never persisted or marshalled.
   *
   * @return True if transient field.
   */
  boolean isTransient();

  /**
   * Returns true if the field type is immutable.
   *
   * @return True if the field type is immutable.
   */
  boolean isImmutable();

  /**
   * Returns true if the field type is required.
   *
   * @return True if the field type is required.
   */
  boolean isRequired();

  /**
   * Returns true if the field is multivalued (a collection).
   *
   * @return True if the field is multivalued.
   */
  boolean isMultivalued();

}

