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* ORACLE PROPRIETARY/CONFIDENTIAL. Use is subject to license terms.
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package javax.naming.directory;
import java.util.Hashtable;
import java.util.Enumeration;
import javax.naming.NamingException;
import javax.naming.NamingEnumeration;
/**
* This interface represents a collection of attributes.
*<p>
* In a directory, named objects can have associated with them
* attributes. The Attributes interface represents a collection of attributes.
* For example, you can request from the directory the attributes
* associated with an object. Those attributes are returned in
* an object that implements the Attributes interface.
*<p>
* Attributes in an object that implements the Attributes interface are
* unordered. The object can have zero or more attributes.
* Attributes is either case-sensitive or case-insensitive (case-ignore).
* This property is determined at the time the Attributes object is
* created. (see BasicAttributes constructor for example).
* In a case-insensitive Attributes, the case of its attribute identifiers
* is ignored when searching for an attribute, or adding attributes.
* In a case-sensitive Attributes, the case is significant.
*<p>
* Note that updates to Attributes (such as adding or removing an attribute)
* do not affect the corresponding representation in the directory.
* Updates to the directory can only be effected
* using operations in the DirContext interface.
*
* @author Rosanna Lee
* @author Scott Seligman
*
* @see DirContext#getAttributes
* @see DirContext#modifyAttributes
* @see DirContext#bind
* @see DirContext#rebind
* @see DirContext#createSubcontext
* @see DirContext#search
* @see BasicAttributes
* @since 1.3
*/
public interface Attributes extends Cloneable, java.io.Serializable {
/**
* Determines whether the attribute set ignores the case of
* attribute identifiers when retrieving or adding attributes.
* @return true if case is ignored; false otherwise.
*/
boolean isCaseIgnored();
/**
* Retrieves the number of attributes in the attribute set.
*
* @return The nonnegative number of attributes in this attribute set.
*/
int size();
/**
* Retrieves the attribute with the given attribute id from the
* attribute set.
*
* @param attrID The non-null id of the attribute to retrieve.
* If this attribute set ignores the character
* case of its attribute ids, the case of attrID
* is ignored.
* @return The attribute identified by attrID; null if not found.
* @see #put
* @see #remove
*/
Attribute get(String attrID);
/**
* Retrieves an enumeration of the attributes in the attribute set.
* The effects of updates to this attribute set on this enumeration
* are undefined.
*
* @return A non-null enumeration of the attributes in this attribute set.
* Each element of the enumeration is of class <tt>Attribute</tt>.
* If attribute set has zero attributes, an empty enumeration
* is returned.
*/
NamingEnumeration<? extends Attribute> getAll();
/**
* Retrieves an enumeration of the ids of the attributes in the
* attribute set.
* The effects of updates to this attribute set on this enumeration
* are undefined.
*
* @return A non-null enumeration of the attributes' ids in
* this attribute set. Each element of the enumeration is
* of class String.
* If attribute set has zero attributes, an empty enumeration
* is returned.
*/
NamingEnumeration<String> getIDs();
/**
* Adds a new attribute to the attribute set.
*
* @param attrID non-null The id of the attribute to add.
* If the attribute set ignores the character
* case of its attribute ids, the case of attrID
* is ignored.
* @param val The possibly null value of the attribute to add.
* If null, the attribute does not have any values.
* @return The Attribute with attrID that was previous in this attribute set;
* null if no such attribute existed.
* @see #remove
*/
Attribute put(String attrID, Object val);
/**
* Adds a new attribute to the attribute set.
*
* @param attr The non-null attribute to add.
* If the attribute set ignores the character
* case of its attribute ids, the case of
* attr's identifier is ignored.
* @return The Attribute with the same ID as attr that was previous
* in this attribute set;
* null if no such attribute existed.
* @see #remove
*/
Attribute put(Attribute attr);
/**
* Removes the attribute with the attribute id 'attrID' from
* the attribute set. If the attribute does not exist, ignore.
*
* @param attrID The non-null id of the attribute to remove.
* If the attribute set ignores the character
* case of its attribute ids, the case of
* attrID is ignored.
* @return The Attribute with the same ID as attrID that was previous
* in the attribute set;
* null if no such attribute existed.
*/
Attribute remove(String attrID);
/**
* Makes a copy of the attribute set.
* The new set contains the same attributes as the original set:
* the attributes are not themselves cloned.
* Changes to the copy will not affect the original and vice versa.
*
* @return A non-null copy of this attribute set.
*/
Object clone();
/**
* Use serialVersionUID from JNDI 1.1.1 for interoperability
*/
// static final long serialVersionUID = -7247874645443605347L;
}