IStringVariable


1   /*******************************************************************************
2    * Copyright (c) 2000, 2006 IBM Corporation and others.
3    * All rights reserved. This program and the accompanying materials
4    * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License v1.0
5    * which accompanies this distribution, and is available at
6    * http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
7    *
8    * Contributors:
9    *     IBM Corporation - initial API and implementation
10   *******************************************************************************/
11  package org.eclipse.core.variables;
12  
13  
14  /**
15   * A variable that can be referenced in an expression, which resolves to a string
16   * value. Variables are referenced in expressions via their name, in the following
17   * format.
18   * <pre>
19   * ${varname} or ${varname:argument}
20   * </pre>
21   * <p>
22   * A variable is identified by its name, and optionally accepts an argument. When an
23   * argument is present, a colon separates the variable name from its argument.
24   * </p>
25   * <p>
26   * Variables can be contributed by extensions or programmatically. There are two
27   * kinds of variables.
28   * <ul>
29   * <li><code>IValueVariable</code> - variables that have a value (with getter and setter), and
30   *       accept no arguments. The value of this type of variable is resolved at the time
31   *       its value is set via its setter API.</li>
32   * <li><code>IDynamicVariable</code> - variables whose value is resolved at the time
33   *      a string substitution is performed by a contributed resolver. Dynamic variables
34   *      may accept an argument.</li>
35   * </ul>
36   * </p>
37   * <p>
38   * Clients are not intended to implement this interface.
39   * </p>
40   * @since 3.0
41   */
42  public interface IStringVariable {
43  
44      /**
45       * Returns the name of this variable. A variable is uniquely identified by
46       * its name.
47       * 
48       * @return variable name
49       */
50      public String   getName();
51      
52      /**
53       * Returns a human readable description of this variable, possibly <code>null</code>
54       * 
55       * @return a description of this variable, or <code>null</code> if none
56       */
57      public String   getDescription();
58      
59  }
60
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