View Javadoc

    1   /***
    2    *
    3    * Copyright 2004 Hiram Chirino
    4    *
    5    *  Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
    6    *  you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
    7    *  You may obtain a copy of the License at
    8    *
    9    *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
    10   *
    11   *  Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
    12   *  distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
    13   *  WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
    14   *  See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
    15   *  limitations under the License.
    16   */
    17
    18  package org.activeio;
    19
    20
    21  /***
    22   * A Channel provides a standard procedure for regulating data transmission between
    23   * applications.
    24   *
    25   * The activeio API encourages that layered wire protocols be created by wiring
    26   * together a chain of Channel objects.
    27   *
    28   * @version $Revision$
    29   */
    30  public interface Channel extends Disposable, Service {
    31
    32      /***
    33       * Since a Channel may be composed from a chain of other Channel obejcts,
    34       * this method allows you to query the chain for the specified {@param target} interface.
    35       *
    36       * The first Channel in the chain the implments the requested interface will be return
    37       * an implementing object.  If no Channel in the chain implements the requested class,
    38       * then null is returned.
    39       */
    40      Object narrow(Class target);
    41  }