/* java.beans.DesignMode
   Copyright (C) 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

This file is part of GNU Classpath.

GNU Classpath is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
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Linking this library statically or dynamically with other modules is
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As a special exception, the copyright holders of this library give you
permission to link this library with independent modules to produce an
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terms of your choice, provided that you also meet, for each linked
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package java.beans;

/**
 * <code>BeanContextChild</code> implementors implement this to get information about whether they are in a design time or runtime environment.
 * The reason this is restricted to <code>BeanContextChild</code>ren is that
 * only things in the <code>BeanContext</code> hierarchy are given this
 * information in the first place.
 *
 * @author John Keiser
 * @since JDK1.2
 * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContextChild
 */

public interface DesignMode {
	/**
	 * Use this name when firing <code>PropertyChangeEvent</code>s from your Bean.  
	 * @fixme Check whether PROPERTYNAME is set to same value as Sun.
	 */
	String PROPERTYNAME = "designTime";

	/**
	 * The environment will call this method on your
	 * <code>BeanContextChild</code> when it is registered in a parent
	 * <code>BeanContext</code> or when behavior needs to switch from
	 * design time to runtime behavior (or vice versa).
	 * <P>
	 *
	 * <code>BeanContext</code>s are required to fire
	 * <code>PropertyChangeEvent</code>s when properties change.
	 * <code>designTime</code> is a property, and therefore when you
	 * implement <code>setDesignTime()</code>, you need to fire a
	 * <code>PropertyChangeEvent</code> with the old value, the new
	 * value and using <code>PROPERTYNAME</code> as the property name.
	 *
	 * @param designTime the new value of design time,
	 *        <code>true</code> if it is design time,
	 *        <code>false</code> if it is runtime.
	 *
	 * @fixme I'm frankly not really sure whether it's the case that
	 *        the BeanContext can <em>change</em> the status of the Bean from
	 *        design time to runtime.  But it appears that it may be so.
	 *
	 * @see java.util.PropertyChangeEvent
	 * @see java.beans.beancontext.BeanContext
	 * @see #PROPERTYNAME
	 */
	void setDesignTime(boolean designTime);

	/**
	 * This method should tell whether it is design time or runtime.
	 * @return <code>true</code> if design time, <code>false</code> if
	 *         runtime.
	 */
	boolean isDesignTime();
}